The Maine Nordiques dropped three of the four final regular-season games against the New Jersey Titans.
With the slate clean for NAHL East Divisional playoffs, the third-seeded Nordiques earned a 3-0 victory over the second-seeded Titans on Friday in Game 1 of their best-of-five series at the Middletown Ice World Arena in Middletown, New Jersey.
Maine goalie Thomas Heaney turned aside all 34 shots he faced to earn the shutout.
“The things that were extremely difficult to save, he made look very easy,” Maine Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said. “There was a lot of communication, support and discipline out there. The guys were super focused all day, stayed loose, and they were having fun, enjoying one another.”
The game was scoreless for nearly two periods before Maine forward Henrik Hallberg broke the deadlock, beating New Jersey goalie Zakari Brice (27 saves) for a shorthanded goal in the final two minutes of the second. Filip Wiberg and Jonny Meiers had the assists.
“It was a really good faceoff win by the best in the business, Filip Wiberg,” Pinchevsky said. “Jonny Meiers showcased his wheels and slick stick as he drove to the net — it’s something he’s committed to doing for his team and something he will be doing at the next level as well. Hallberg plays well off Jonny.”
Maine carried the momentum early into the third period, and defenseman Evan Orloff scored on the power play 1:51 into the stanza. Murphy scored 14 seconds later for a 3-0 Nordiques advantage.
“They made a really nice play, good puck movement, and were able to beat their goalie,” Pinchevsky said of Orloff’s goal. “I think we just used that as fuel towards that next tic-tac-toe goal, with that pretty potent offensive line that was able to create that play.”
David Helledy and Patrick Schmiedlin had the helpers on Orloff’s tally. Forwards Aidan Coupe and Brendan Gibbons set up Murphy’s goal.
Maine went 1 for 3 on the power play and New Jersey was 0 for 4.
Game 2 is Saturday at 7 p.m. in Middletown. The series shifts to The Colisee for Game 3 on Thursday at 7 p.m., followed by Game 4, if necessary, on Friday at 7 p.m.
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