A spark has been lit under Brett Crossley’s skates – and it shows.
The rookie Halifax Mooseheads forward from Cole Harbour has been on a hot streak, notching four goals and an assist for five points in the last six games.
That’s after it took the touted local player 23 regular season games to get his first official point with the Herd, the fourth goal of a 5-0 shutout win Dec. 5 over the Charlottetown Islanders.
“Once I got that first one out of the way – it was early December – I started to get some more confidence,” Crossley, who turned 17 on Jan. 3, said after his team’s most recent home game, a tough 3-1 loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
“I started to get some opportunities and started to get some bounces,” he said.
That includes a marker Dec. 18 in an 8-2 loss to Charlottetown, two straight goals Dec. 30 in a 4-3 loss to the Moncton Wildcats, an assist Dec. 31 in a 5-1 win over the Islanders and Halifax’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss to the nationally ranked Saint John Sea Dogs.
Coming back from a restful holiday with “fresh legs and a lot of energy” has also helped the five-foot-11, 161-pound centreman fuel his offensive fire.
“I’ve gotten lucky a couple of times, but I’m starting to create some more stuff for myself,” Crossley said. “The (other) guys are pitching in also.”
Top Moose forwards Nikolaj Ehlers and Timo Meier, both 18, taking a breather from their club team to represent their countries at the 2015 IIHF World Junior Championship also gave younger players the chance to step up in recent games.
“I found myself getting some more ice time,” Crossley said.
Mooseheads general manager Cam Russell said the young player is “really taking advantage” of veterans missing from the line-up, which also includes right-winger Ryan Falkenham, still out with a lower-body injury.
“He’s mostly a penalty killer, so he’s getting into more five-on-five situations now,” Russell said, adding he’s “a very smart hockey player.”
The Shattuck-St. Mary’s product will have to focus on getting “physically stronger,” Russell said, but emphasized, “he’s on the right track.”
The Halifax Mooseheads selected Crossley in the second round of the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft, 21st overall.
Moose bring Argento back to blue line
Domenico Argento is rejoining the Herd.
The Halifax Mooseheads announced Wednesday they’ve once again called up the 16-year-old defenceman from the Ligue De Hockey Midget AAA Du Québec.
The six-foot-two, 192-pound player has 22 points and 84 penalty minutes in 31 games with Rousseau-Royal de Laval-Montreal. Argento has also played three games with the Herd previously this season.
The Moose let go of two veteran blue-liners recently, as part of mid-season trade period. Matt Murphy, 19, was traded to the Quebec Remparts and Jesse Lussier, 20, went to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
Trade period closed this past Tuesday.
Source:: Metro News
