PICTOU COUNTY - After struggling in the first two periods to get the jump on Metro and take the lead, the Pictou County Crushers used Andrew Graham’s two third period goals to push past the Metro Shipbuilders, winning 6-2.
Graham was moved to Mitchell Derulle and Nick Parker’s line late in the game. He said head coach Jason Malone didn’t say anything prior to shuffling the lines, but just jumped into the new spot.
“He didn’t say anything, I just heard my name with Deruelle and Parker and got excited,” said Graham. “I knew it was a chance to show what I can do and I think it worked out pretty well. They’re two guys that are really easy to play with. Deruelle has great vision and Nick can finish really well. I like playing with guys that are offensive and we worked well together.”
Scoring his first goal standing in the crease and tipping a pass home. His second game after putting Parker’s rebound in. He said it was nice to get a goal again. His last goal was Dec. 8.
“I’ve been snake bitten lately and the first one came and the second one came easy too, just banging in Parker’s rebound and things just took off after that,” he said.
Jordan Moore and John Mullally would also add insurance markers in the third for the Crushers who started the game off on the right foot, outshooting the Metro Shipbuilders 9-0 before Patrick Levesque took a hooking penalty 7:58 into the first period.
Metro would score on the ensuing power play with Justin Thomas opening the scoring for the Shipbuilders.
The Crushers would take a second minor penalty to go down a man midway through the period, but bouncing back they scored a shorthanded goal with Nick Parker breaking into the Shipbuilders zone and dropping the puck to Mitchell Shewfelt.
Shewfelt slapped the pass to the top right corner over Jeff Arkin’s glove to tie the game 1-1, where it would stand going into the first intermission.
In the second period Devan Gunn scored the lone Crushers goal, bouncing the puck off Jeff Arkin’s foot from behind the net to tie the game again after Thomas’ second goal of the game put the Shipbuilders up 2-1.
The Crushers take on the Yarmouth Mariners Friday night on the road.
“We need to bring a 60-minute effort for sure because Yarmouth is fast and if you take five minutes or even 10 seconds off they’ll bite you, so we need to make sure we aren’t taking any time off.”
Scoring
Pictou County Weeks Crushers 6
1st Mitchell Shewfelt from Nick Parker and Garrett Holmes and 11:56 SH
2nd Devan Gunn from Corey Bennett 5:29
3rd Andrew Graham from Mitchell Deruelle and Nick Parker 5:07
3rd Andrew Graham from Nick Parker 11:35
3rd Jordan Moore from Mitchell Durelle and Nick Parker14:47 PP
3rd John Mullally 16:02
Metro Shipbuilders 2
1st Justin Thomas from Kaden Ruest and Damon MacEachern 6:16 PP
2nd Justin Thomas from Darcy Burley 4:10
Shots
Crushers: 52
Shipbuilders: 36
Power play
Crushers: 1-5
Shipbuilders: 1-5
W: Dylan Frank: 34 saves
L: Jeff Arkin: 46 saves
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