Lions Look to Stave off Elimination at Home

2010-03-15

The Halifax Lions and Pictou County Weeks Crushers prepare for a Game 6 battle at the Halifax Forum on Tuesday night at 7 pm. Tickets are available at the Halifax Forum Box Office one hour prior to game time.

After a heart wrenching finish to game 4 of their series with the Pictou County Weeks Crushers, which saw the Halifax Lions surrender the tying goal with just 8 seconds remaining in regulation time and ultimately lose in double overtime, the Lions entered the unfriendly confines of John Brother MacDonald Stadium in New Glasgow on Sunday night and came out on the losing end of a 7 – 2 setback. With the loss, the Lions now trail for the first time in the series, and look to force a game 7 back in New Glasgow when they host the Weeks Crushers in a pivotal Tuesday night matchup at the Halifax Forum. Game time is 7:00 PM, with the box office opening an hour before game time.

Despite outshooting the Weeks Crushers through two periods, the Lions trailed by a 3 – 1 margin heading into the third in Sunday night‘s affair, and tempers flared when the lead was extended to 5 - 1 mid-way through the period, resulting in three fighting majors.

“The game turned a bit chippy towards the end, but that’s to be expected when you have two evenly matched teams battling as hard as they have been,” noted Lions Head Coach and General Manager Troy Ryan following the game.

“Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives so there’s a great deal of intensity being exhibited on both sides. Neither team wants the season to come to an end, so I’m sure the game tomorrow night at the Forum will be another battle.”

After having to vacate the Forum for several days while it hosted the Halifax Home Show, Coach Ryan has the Lions back on the familiar ice of the venerable Forum Monday afternoon in preparation for game 6.

“Game 6 is actually a game 7 for us,” explains Ryan. “Our guys understand the importance of this game and will be as prepared as they possibly can be. This is the type of game that teams spend all year preparing for and we expect to leave it all out on the ice Tuesday night.”

If necessary, Game 7 will take place on Thursday night in New Glasgow at John Brother Macdonald Stadium.