Mooseheads’ checking forwards proving worth
Being playoff ready means having everyone in peak form from top to bottom.
And a lot of times when it comes to post-season hockey, it's the bottom end that can make all the difference. Good grinders and checkers on the third and fourth lines are usually perfectly suited to the grind of playoff hockey and it's common to see those players swing a series with their energy and defence.
For the Halifax Mooseheads, their prototypical role players in the bottom six are rounding into form right on schedule.
Cade Moser has been perhaps the most pleasant surprise after making the team out of training camp. Liam Welsh looks like a new player since rejoining the team on a full-time basis around Christmastime and Luke Mcphee and Antoine Fontaine are reliable hustlers.
Braeden Macphee is injured at the moment but no one plays harder than him and sophomore Jake Todd is quietly distinguishing himself as a versatile player who always puts in an honest effort.
The 18-year-old from Beaver Bank only had one assist in 21 games as a rookie last year but is up to 10 points while appearing in every Halifax game this season.
"It was kind of a tough year for me last year but I've gotten a good opportunity this year and I've been trying to make the most of it," Todd said. "Every time I've gotten a chance to do more, I feel like I've taken advantage of it so now I'm looking forward to playoffs getting going and contributing to that."
Todd knows his primary role isn't to generate offence but he has six goals while playing mostly on the team's third line. He's even seen a few stints on the second line because of injuries but he knows his value comes from staying in perpetual motion while harassing opponents, which he believes will make him especially useful in the post-season.
"Absolutely," Todd said. "I play aggressive and I never give up on plays. I also try to be responsible defensively so I think the type of game I play is what you want in playoffs."
Todd is also quick to spread the compliments around to the other Mooseheads forwards filling the same assignment, saying there is a high degree of pride among them for embracing the dirty work.
"For sure," Todd said. "We just need to focus more on our role when it's playoffs, maybe work even more on the defence and play even harder. But right now I think our whole bottom six is playing really solid."
The latest example came on Thursday night in a 2-0 loss to the Bathurst Titan at the Scotiabank Centre. Halifax's scorers went cold so the team's defensive forwards had to keep the Titan's handful of dangerous forwards in check just to keep the Mooseheads in the game.
Bathurst's Colby Huggan eventually scored the gamewinner in the third period and sealed it with an empty-netter in the dying seconds to snap the Mooseheads' five-game winning streak.
Titan goalie Antoine Keller was outstanding in a 25-save shutout and Mathis Rousseau turned aside 32 shots for Halifax.
Up next for the Mooseheads (38-15-7-1) is a home date with the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday. It's the third game in a six-game homestand.
"We need to take advantage of it, especially after that long road trip," Todd said. "We just had almost an eight-day road trip and then just one day off, then it was practice and back to it. The next couple of weeks are going to be crucial for us getting our legs back and just getting ready for playoffs."