Published Apr 04, 2025 • 3 minute readHalifax Mooseheads centre Braeden MacPhee celebrates his goal against the Drummondville Voltigeurs during a QMJHL playoff game in Halifax on Friday. The Mooseheads took the game 4-2 and lead the series 3-2. Photo by Tim Krochak /Chronicle HeraldThe Halifax Mooseheads breathed new life into their Cinderella story at the Scotiabank Centre on Friday.After dropping two games on home ice to the Drummondville Voltigeurs to erase their 2-0 series lead, the Mooseheads are now back in front. Their 4-2 win gave them another upset and a 3-2 lead in the first-round best-of-seven.“That was awesome,” forward Patrick McNab said after the game. “The fans always show up for us but they were even louder tonight and I thought we played an amazing game so we deserved all the applause.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“They really helped us tonight. Every big hit, every block and every little play that we’d make, the fans knew what was going on and they’d applaud us. It really kept us going.”As is often the case in the playoffs, it was an unlikely hero who found his way into the spotlight. Just 89 seconds after Drummondville tied the game 2-2 in the third period, defenceman Lincoln Waugh put the Mooseheads back in front for good. His wrist shot through a crowd somehow found the net and brought the crowd of 6,760 to their feet.“It’s great to get my first one this year and it was special that it came at such a key time in the game,” Waugh said. “But of course our whole team worked so hard tonight and that was just one play so I can’t take too much credit just for myself.”“I think the big thing was that tonight was, by far, the best game we’ve played all series and maybe all season,” he added. “Just having three great 20-year-olds guiding the way and having that belief makes all the difference. If you believe in yourself and you work hard, it can take you places.”Article contentLiam Kilfoil clinched the win with an empty-net goal and, as usual, Jacob Steinman was outstanding in the Halifax net, turning aside 29 shots to earn the first star.“He’s seen a crazy amount of shots in this series and he’s just been a rock for us,” Waugh said. “We all feel confident with him back there and just to see what he’s doing and how he carries himself every night, it’s amazing to watch.”Overagers Braeden MacPhee and Brady Schultz scored the other Halifax goals and provided incredible leadership all night. Yoan Tasse and Ethan Gauthier were the Drummondville scorers and Louis-Felix Charrois made 18 saves“It was just an amazing night,” Waugh said. “I think the biggest part was us being resilient. They pushed hard, we’ve got to give it to them. But I think our mentality to keep clawing back was huge. Just to pull off that win at home was huge.”The Mooseheads also had the extra obstacle of playing more than half of the game without two key forwards. Callum Aucoin and Caylen Blake had to leave in the second period so Halifax went the rest of the way with 11 up front.Article content“Especially for guys like me that aren’t used to playing that much – all the fourth-line guys – it was a big step up for us,” McNab said. “Going from playing 10 minutes to almost 20 is a lot and I thought we showed up. It feels good.”The Mooseheads were already missing three regulars – Will Bent, Justin Chiras and Eddy Doyle – to start the game so adding two more to that list was a challenge. Waugh was scratched for a number of games late in the season and is now logging huge minutes so he’s another prime example of someone rising to the occasion when called upon.“The biggest thing is for everybody to be ready for anything,” Waugh said. “I know how it feels, I’ve been in and out of the lineup. But it’s important just to stay ready because anybody can come in and make a big impact.”Closing out the series will not be easy now that the Mooseheads go back on the road. Games 6 and 7 (if necessary) are in Drummondville on Monday and Tuesday. But Friday night was the first time the home team won a game in this series so the location likely won’t faze anyone on either side at this point.“It’s a boost to the boys knowing we can win on any ice surface,” McNab said. “We’ve won here now and we won the first two games up there so if it’s home or away, we’re not worried. We’re confident wherever we’re playing.”Article content
QMJHL PLAYOFFS: Mooseheads add another chapter to Cinderella story, take 3-2 series lead
