Cataford hat trick helps Mooseheads down Gatineau

The Halifax Mooseheads were back in action on home ice on Friday night as they played host to the Gatineau Olympiques at Scotiabank Centre. 

The rink was a buzz after the Herd picked up a 4-3 win Thursday night and in anticipation of toque night, an annual event that sees fans litter the ice with hats, gloves and socks.

That excitement was tampered down early in the first period as Gatineau was first to hit the scoresheet.  Matthew Eric beat Moosehead netminder Jack Milner at 1:55 of the opening frame, putting the Oceanic up 1-0.

The building came alive again at the 15:58 mark of the first when it appeared that Jordan Dumais tied the contest on a sharp-angled shot.  That triggered fans to litter the ice with their toques, but after the ice was cleared, a goal review showed that the Mooseheads were offside entering the zone, and the goal was disallowed.

The Moose did tie the game up at the 18:56 mark when Marcus Vidicek scored his fourth goal in as many periods and 23^rd on the season on a feed from Mathieu Cataford and Jordan Dumais. 

It was a nightmare of a start to the second period for Halifax.  Thomas Chafe jumped on a rebound in front of Milner, putting the Olympiques up 2-1 at 4:56.  Then, 17 seconds later, Gatineau struck again, and Alexander Gaudio found the twine to make the score 3-1.

Mathieu Cataford brought the home team to within one, re-directing a pass from Jordan Dumais on a power play at 10:49 of the second, making the score 3-2.  Dumais would tie the game up just 6 minutes later, finishing a pass from Cataford. 

Gatineau would take the lead 5:47 into the final period, with Jeremie Minville jamming the puck behind Milner from the side of the net.  The Moose would again tie up the game on the powerplay when Mathieu Cataford buried a rebound from a Jordan Dumais shot, tying the game at four.  The game would remain tied through the end of regulation.

Cataford would complete the hat-trick and add his fifth point on the contest just 1:06 into overtime, scoring the game-winner.  David Moravec and Marcus Vidicek assisting on the winner.

Cataford and Dumais were named the first and second stars.

The Mooseheads’ record now improves to 21-7-3-0 on the season and will look to continue their winning ways as they play their third game in as many nights on Saturday when they travel to Saint John to face the Sea Dogs.  Game time is 7 p.m. and you can catch all of the action live with Garreth MacDonald on CityNews 95.7.