Crushers host capitals after four-game split

NEW GLASGOW – The Pictou County Weeks Crushers will host the Summerside Western Capitals on Thursday in New Glasgow in their next Maritime Hockey league game.
It’s the only game for the Crushers this week and comes after they recorded two wins and two losses in four games they played in five nights through Saturday.
The Crushers are in fourth place in the MHL, behind the undefeated Truro Bearcats, Yarmouth Mariners and Amherst Ramblers.
They opened with a 7-5 victory over the Metro Shipbuilders on Oct. 16 in Dartmouth while getting a goal and three assists each from Jordan Moore and Andrew Graham and a goal and two assists from leading Crushers scorer Brennan Saulnier.
Garrett Holmes led the offence with two goals, while team captain Nick Parker added one goal and one assist.
Holmes’ two goals lifted the Crushers into a 3-2 lead after the first period and completed a three-goal rally led by Saulnier.
The Crushers took a 6-3 lead into the third on goals by Jordan McInnis, Graham and Moore.
Parker made it 7-3 early in the third period before the Shipbuilders made it close.
The Crushers outshot the Shipbuilders 44-27.
The Campbellton Tigers gave the Crushers all they could handle last Thursday in New Glasgow before the Crushers prevailed 8-6.
Moore and Devan Gunn gave the Crushers an early 2-0 lead, but the teams were tied 2-2 after one period.
The Tigers led 4-2 after two periods, but Saulnier scored three goals in the third period, including an empty-net goal with 29 seconds remaining.
Evan MacEachern also scored for the Crushers.
Both Saulnier and Moore, who collected two goals and two assists, completed a four-point night.
The Crushers outshot the Tigers 47-36.
The next two games for the Crushers were on the road and included a 4-2 loss in Woodstock against the Slammers Friday and a 3-2 loss against the Ramblers Saturday in Amherst.
Holmes scored for the Crushers in the first period against Woodstock, while Parker tallied in the second period.
The teams were tied 1-1 after one period and 2-2 after two, but the Slammers tallied twice in the third period, including an empty-net goal with seven seconds remaining.
The Crushers were outshot 35-32, but they outshot Woodstock 17-8 in the third period.
The Ramblers led the Crushers throughout Saturday’s game, taking a 2-0 lead in the first period. John Mullally scored for the Crushers in the second period, while McInnis tallied in the third period.
Saulnier is tied for second in the scoring race with 11 goals and nine assists.