WESTVILLE ROAD, N.S. – At the moment, they are teams going in opposite directions.
As the Pictou County Crushers and Truro Bearcats prepare for another rivalry game tonight, Jan. 16, at the Pictou County Wellness Centre (7 p.m.), the Bearcats have won five of six and the Crushers, after a blistering run through the final weeks of 2019, have lost four straight games to start the new year.
“I don’t think it’s the kind of thing we can’t overcome,” said assistant captain Jaden Mason. “Other than the Amherst game (a 6-0 win for the Ramblers on Jan. 4), we were never completely out of the games. We’re getting tons of chances to score, and it seems like a lot of our guys are snake-bitten right now. But, everyone’s got the right mindset to turn things around.”
Currently out of a playoff spot, the recent uptick for the Bearcats has them getting closer to teams ahead of them in the South Division of the Maritime Hockey League. Truro is four points back of Amherst and the South Shore Lumberjacks, and both of those teams trail the second-place Crushers by a single point in the standings.
So, it’s getting crowded down South.
“It’s Truro,” Mason said of Thursday night’s contest.
“And every game against Truro has a playoff atmosphere. But, every game right now is a big one for us. We can’t pick and choose which games are more important.”
The Crushers are also home to the Ramblers on Jan. 18.
NOTES: The Crushers made some moves at the Jan. 10 trade deadline. They shipped goaltender Matt Normore and defenceman Malcolm Genge to Amherst for 20-year-old blueliner Spencer Smith, and traded a draft pick and future considerations to the Edmundston Blizzard to acquire 18-year-old goaltender Ewan MacDonald for a fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft and future considerations.
As well, Sullivan Sparkes was sent to Trenton (Ontario) of the Canadian Junior Hockey League for the CJHL rights to Dennis Golovatchev and future considerations. Golovatchev was subsequently sent to the Pembroke Lumber Kings for futures.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Yarmouth Mariners 3, Crushers 2
On Jan. 10 at the Pictou County Wellness Centre, Pictou County trailed 3-0 heading into the third period, but Jack Morris and Jaden Morris both scored to give Pictou County some hope. The Mariners would hold on for their sixth straight win, a streak that would be halted the next day in a loss to the Summerside Western Capitals.
Campbellton Tigers 3, Crushers 2 (OT)
On Jan. 9 at the Pictou County Wellness Centre, Zachary Bennet’s second goal of the game for Campbellton, this one in overtime, gave the Tigers a 3-2 win. Goals from Jake Martin and Logan Vande Meerakker had Pictou County up 2-0 in the third period before the Tigers launched the comeback.
BY THE NUMBERS
Pictou County Crushers
Record: 18-12-2 (2nd place, South Division)
Top Scorers: Dallas Farrell (18G, 18A), Logan Vande Meerakker (11G, 17A), (Keenan Gillis (4G, 17A), Andrew Burden (9G, 10A), Kevin Mason (9G, 9A).
Truro Bearcats
Record: 13-11-7 (5th place, South Division)
Top Scorers: Jason Imbeault (29G, 17A), Ben Higgins (24G, 22A), G Blackmore (16G, 24A), Spencer Blackwell (15G, 22A), James Walker (8G, 20A).
