Wildcats lose a pair, Sea Dogs drop three and Titan win two
Moncton stays third in QMJHL's Eastern Conference
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The Moncton Wildcats dropped two of their three latest games in Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League play, but they’re still the league’s top New Brunswick team.
The Wildcats (26-10-6) held onto third place in the 10-team Eastern Conference despite losing 4-3 to the Victoriaville Tigres Jan. 18 on the road and 5-3 at the hands of the Rimouski Océanic Jan. 20 on the road. They did manage one win, beating the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 5-3 Jan. 17 on the road.
Meanwhile, the Saint John Sea Dogs (15-23-6) dropped a 6-3 decision to the Charlottetown Islanders Jan. 17 at TD Station before taking a 6-1 beating from the Shawinigan Cataractes the following day on home ice and falling 5-2 to the Cape Breton Eagles Jan. 20 in Nova Scotia.
The Acadie-Bathurst Titan (20-20-4) improved to .500 with a 2-1 win in overtime over the Halifax Mooseheads Jan. 18 on the road and a 5-2 triumph over Shawinigan Jan. 20 in Bathurst.
The Wildcats’ win over the Armada (19-20-4) saw Yoan Loshing score two goals and Miles Mueller, Alex Mercier and Gabe Smith each add a single. Keegan Warren turned aside 24 shots for the victory.
In the road loss to the Tigres (28-11-3), Vincent Collard, Adam Fortier-Gendron and Thomas Auger each lit the lamp for Moncton. Jacob Steinman was tagged with the loss despite a 46-save performance.
Gabe Smith netted a pair of goals for the Wildcats against Rimouski. Loshing also bent the twine. Steinman made 30 saves in the losing cause.
Tyler Peddle, Matteo Mann, and Brody Fournier found the back of the net for Saint John against Charlottetown (18-23-4). Patrick Leaver stopped 29 shots in the losing effort.
Eriks Mateiko potted the lone Sea Dogs goal in the blowout loss to Shawinigan (19-22-3). Justin Robinson blocked 22 shots for Saint John.
Brody Fournier and Coen Miller were the Sea Dogs’ marksmen against Cape Breton (24-19-2). Leaver shut the door on 43 shots, but took the loss.
Robert Orr was Bathurst’s hero in extra time against Halifax (28-11-7). Mathieu St-Onge scored for the Titan in regulation. Joshua Fleming earned the win with his 26-save effort.
The Titan got goals from five different scorers in the triumph over the Cataractes, including Blake Pilgrim-Edwards, Louis-François Bélanger, Dawson Sharkey, Noah Laberge, and Colby Huggan. Fleming made 24 stops between the pipes.
The Titan will host the Sherbrooke Phoenix (19-18-5) Friday at 7 p.m. at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre, and the Wildcats will visit the Eagles for a 7 p.m. matchup. The Sea Dogs will be in Shawinigan for an 8 p.m. puck drop Friday, and Bathurst will entertain the Islanders Saturday in a 3 p.m. matinée.
Saint John will take on the Gatineau Olympiques (15-26-4) Jan. 28 at 4 p.m., and the Wildcats and Sherbrooke will do battle at 4 p.m. the same day at the Avenir Centre.
MHL playoff race heating up
The Maritime Junior Hockey League’s Eastlink North Division will likely be a fight to the finish, as the Miramichi Timberwolves and Fredericton Red Wings look to gain ground in the season’s home stretch.
The Timberwolves (21-12-3) extended their winning streak to three games with a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Grand Falls Rapids (9-24-3) Sunday at the E&P Sénéchal Centre. They also beat the Amherst Ramblers (18-15-4) by a 7-3 margin the night before in Miramichi.
The Edmundston Blizzard (27-9-1) downed the Campbellton Tigers (12-22-1) 4-2 Jan. 17 at the Jean Daigle Centre, while the Red Wings (15-18-4) dropped a 7-3 decision to the Pictou County Weeks Crushers (19-14-2) Jan. 18 in New Glasgow, N.S. The Blizzard defeated the Rapids 6-3 Jan. 19 in Grand Falls, and the West Kent Steamers (27-9-2) thumped the Red Wings 6-2 Jan. 20 in Fredericton.
The Red Wings fell 5-3 to the Truro Bearcats (18-15-3) Sunday in the province’s capital, and the Steamers doubled the Tigers 4-2 Sunday in Campbellton.
Up next in the MHL are games Thursday between the Red Wings and Ramblers at 7 p.m. at the Amherst Stadium and Friday between the Timberwolves and Tigers at 7 p.m. in Campbellton and between the Rapids and Blizzard at 7:30 p.m. in Edmundston. The Steamers will host the Crushers Friday at 7:30 p.m. in Bouctouche, followed by a date Saturday between the Timberwolves and Red Wings at 7 p.m. in Miramichi.
On Jan. 28, the Timberwolves and Summerside Western Capitals (26-4-7) will face off at 7 p.m. in Miramichi.
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