The Mooseheads returned to action on Friday night after a stinging loss to Cape Breton just 24 hours earlier.
Halifax hosted the Sherbrooke Phoenix at Scotiabank Centre, where a boisterous crowd welcomed a team coming off a 5-2 win in Charlottetown. The Moose were without Quinn Kennedy, who was serving the first of a two-game suspension imposed by the league after a fight on Thursday night.
The Herd struck first when Paulo Gualberto Jr. scored his second of the season at 11:12 of the first period. Oleg Kulebiakin and Carlos Händel assisted on the opening goal.
Händel was later the victim of a dangerous hit from behind just after the 15-minute mark. After a lengthy review, Sherbrooke forward Florant Houle was issued a five-minute match penalty. Danny Walters made the Phoenix pay on the ensuing five-minute power play, scoring twice to make it 3-0. Shawn Carrier added another to push the lead to 4-0.
The period ended on a chippy note with both teams scrumming in the corner. After officials sorted things out, Halifax ended up shorthanded. Sherbrooke’s Étienne Giroux and Brogan McNeil received misconduct penalties for unsportsmanlike conduct, while Jean-Félix Lapointe was called for roughing. Halifax’s Händel was handed an unsportsmanlike misconduct, and Walters also received an unsportsmanlike misconduct, along with minors for cross-checking and roughing.
The temperature on the ice returned to normal as the second period began, with Halifax successfully killing off the carryover penalty. The Mooseheads returned to the penalty kill with 11:31 left when Amelio Santini was called for boarding. Sherbrooke needed just five seconds on the power play to get on the board, as captain Olivier Dubois solved Halifax goalie Nicolas Gillham-Cirka to make it 4-1.
The Phoenix cut the lead to 4-2 when Éloi Bénard finished off an odd-man rush from Brogan McNeil with 8:12 left in the period. Sherbrooke returned to the power play again just over six minutes from the end of the frame when Händel was given a minor for checking from behind.
Halifax went two men down after a delay-of-game penalty to Eddy Doyle. During the advantage, Phoenix import Ilya Kolmakov was handed an unsportsmanlike misconduct for arguing after the whistle. The second period ended with Halifax ahead 4-2.
The Mooseheads returned to the power play three minutes into the third when Dubois was sent off for hooking. The red-hot unit converted again, with Händel beating Justin Brisbois at 4:37 to restore a three-goal lead. Händel finished the night with a goal and three assists for a four-point outing, his best as a Moosehead.
Sherbrooke responded with 10:48 left when Brandon Delarosbil scored to make it 5-3. The Phoenix pulled their goaltender with 2:43 to play, but Halifax’s Sam Rousseau scored into the empty net to seal a 6-3 win in front of 8,251 fans.
Händel was named the first star of the game. Halifax’s Daniel Walters earned second star honours and Sherbrooke’s Thomas Rousseau was named the third star.
With the win, Halifax improved to 20-18-2-2, while Sherbrooke fell to 19-20-4-0.
The Mooseheads return to the ice at Scotiabank Centre on Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. You can hear all the action live on 95.7 NewsRadio with Garreth MacDonald.