The Halifax Mooseheads have gained a point on the team they need to catch to make the QMJHL playoffs.
The last-place Herd opened a three-game road trip last night with a 6-5 shootout win over the host Lewiston Maineiacs, crawling to within 11 points of a post-season berth.
Tomas Knotek and Gerrad Grant scored in the shootout and goaltender Peter Delmas stopped both attempts against his former team as Halifax improved to 11-35-4.
“It was a really important game for us,” said Mooseheads head coach Cam Russell.
“It was tough to give up the point, but you know what? We got two points and we’re happy with how we played. We outplayed them the whole night.”
Defenceman Garrett Clarke, a 17-year-old who was traded from the Maineiacs to the Mooseheads in the off-season, collected a goal and two assists against his former team and was not popular among the sparse crowd of 1,297.
“He played extremely well,” Russell said.
“He handled it pretty well, considering he’s only 17 years old.”
Grant, Travis Randell, Carl Gelinas and Jessyko Bernard also scored and Halifax had a 41-29 edge in shots. The Mooseheads visit the Quebec Remparts on Friday and the Shawinigan Cataractes on Saturday.
