Mooseheads rally falls short in 5-4 OT loss to Chicoutimi

CITYnews halifax/ By Coulson Ward

A comeback attempt by the Halifax Mooseheads came up short Thursday night as the league-leading Chicoutimi Saguenéens earned a 5-4 overtime victory at the Scotiabank Centre.

Halifax led after the first period for a third straight game. Shawn Carrier opened the scoring at 10:04, taking a pass from a falling Quinn Kennedy and beating Saguenéens goaltender Raphaël Précourt with a shot past the glove.

Chicoutimi tied the game later in the period when Liam Lefebvre sent a rebound past Mooseheads goaltender Owen Bresson. The Mooseheads regained the lead at 18:03 as Oleg Kulebiakin snapped a shot from the right-wing faceoff circle.

The Saguenéens pulled even again in the second period on Alexis Toussaint’s third goal of the season.

Chicoutimi took control in the third period as Jordan Tourigny and Christophe Berthelot scored to give the visitors a two-goal lead.

Halifax responded with two goals from Samuel Rousseau to force overtime. Rousseau cut the deficit before scoring again late in the third period, with the second goal marking his first as a member of the Mooseheads.

In overtime, Anaheim Ducks prospect Maxim Massé scored his 32nd goal of the season to secure the win for Chicoutimi.

With the loss, Halifax dropped to 19-16-2-2 on the season.

Rousseau was named the game’s first star after scoring twice. Tourigny earned second-star honours with a goal and an assist, while Bresson was the third star after stopping 38 shots.

The Mooseheads return to action Saturday, Jan. 17, when they host the Charlottetown Islanders at the Scotiabank Centre.

Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m., with live coverage on 95.7 NewsRadio. Garreth MacDonald will host the pre-game show beginning at 6:30 p.m.