Val-d’Or downs Halifax with explosive first-period scoring

CITYnews halifax / By Coulson Ward

The Halifax Mooseheads came up short on Saturday losing 6–4 to the the Val-d’Or Foreurs.

Val-d’Or dominated much of the first period, scoring three goals in just 29 seconds. Josh Demers opened the scoring, burying a rebound off a Jérémy Leroux shot for his first QMJHL goal. Seconds later, Maxime Coursol split the Mooseheads’ defence and beat goaltender Jack Bresson on a breakaway. Philippe Veilleux continued the surge, settling a bouncing puck and ripping it into the Halifax net.

Jasu Mensonen got Halifax on the board at 19:12 of the first, snapping a pass from Oleg Kulebiakin at Émile Beaunoyer. The Foreurs netminder made the initial save before Mensonen buried his own rebound.

Shawn Carrier brought the Mooseheads within one at 8:06 of the second period, tapping in a rebound off a Quinn Kennedy shot. But Veilleux responded for Val-d’Or at 13:50, restoring the two-goal lead.

In the third, Kulebiakin blasted a one-timer past Beaunoyer’s glove, and Carlos Händel fired a shot over the netminder’s shoulder to tie the game. The comeback fell short, however, as Samuel Fiala scored in close on Bresson and Veilleux sealed the win with an empty-netter to complete his hat trick.

With the loss, Halifax falls to 10-5-1 on the season.

The Foreurs swept the three stars of the game: Veilleux earned first star honours, Coursol was named second star, and Demers took third.

The Mooseheads wrap up their five-game road trip Saturday, Nov. 8, when they take on the Charlottetown Islanders.

Catch all the action live on 95.7 NewsRadio at 7 p.m. with Garreth MacDonald.