WESTVILLE ROAD, N.S.
Three goals from Max Grandmaison powered the Junior A Crushers to a 4-2 victory over the Truro Bearcats on Thursday.
“It was a great performance by him,” said assistant captain Evan Gallant. “He showed up to play (Thursday night).”
Grandmaison went to work early, cashing in on a power play when the puck skittered free to him right in front of the net, less than six minutes into the game.
His second-period wrister from the high slot made it 2-0, and Gallant upped the Crusher lead to 3-0, banging in a loose puck after a heavy shot from Logan Vande Meerakker hit the crossbar and sat in the crease.
Caleb Hart got one back for Truro in the final minute of the period, and the Bearcats scored late in the third – a G Blackmore shorthanded goal – to make it 3-2.
Their lead narrowed, Pictou County kept getting puck deeps in the Truro end, ate some clock, and Grandmaison rounded out the scoring with an empty-netter.
“We just had to stay cool, and like-minded, play smart for the four minutes that were left,” Gallant said of staving off the Truro rally.
Forward Andrew Burden had his second multi-point night in the last three games, with two assists.
The Crushers are at home on Oct. 12 to host the South Shore Lumberjacks, who will be playing their third game in successive nights. The front-runners in the Maritime Hockey League’s South Division, the ’Jacks were beaten 7-1 by the Western Capitals in Summerside on Thursday and are due to play at Truro on tonight (Oct. 11).
“We have to take advantage of that,” Gallant said. “Be physical, play our game and not let them play theirs.”
Including their win over Truro, the Crushers are in the midst of a seven-game stretch of games against South Division opponents.
“We’re doing a pretty good job of not looking past who we’re playing next,” said coach Mike Danton.
“But there are some pretty big games coming up in the next couple of weeks, where we could be in very good standing at the end of those, or we could not be in very good standing.”
BY THE NUMBERS
(Note: As of Oct. 10)
Pictou County Crushers
Record: 4-3 (3rd place, South Division)
Top Scorers: Evan Gallant (5G, 1A), Sullivan Sparkes (0G, 6A), Samuel LeBlanc (0G, 6A).
Stats Say: Evan Gallant has scored a goal in five straight games.
South Shore Lumberjacks
Record: 7-2 (1st place, South Division)
Top Scorers: Logan O’Neil (5G, 11A), Bair Gendunov (9G, 6A), Dylan Coffey (4G, 7A).
Stats Say: Logan O’Neil had an eight-game points streak snapped in South Shore’s 7-1 loss at Summerside on Oct. 10.
