Ryan Taplin/Metro File

Halifax Mooseheads goaltender Mathieu Corbeil was named the first star for the third straight game on Friday night at the Metro Centre.

The Halifax Mooseheads are making the most of a five-game homestand.

The Mooseheads extended their modest winning streak to three games on Friday night at the Metro Centre, earning a hard-fought 2-1 victory over the Moncton Wildcats before a crowd of 5,233 and adding to last weekend’s home triumphs over Val-d’Or and P.E.I.

Second-year goaltender Mathieu Corbeil was named the first star for the third straight game, turning aside 36 of 37 shots, while Gerrad Grant was the second star with a goal and an assist.

It was Halifax’s first three-game winning streak since February 2008, the days of Jakub Voracek and Brad Marchand.

“That’s a big momentum-builder for us,” said Mooseheads defenceman Paul Dimitruk, who was picked up off waivers from the Wildcats earlier this season and earned third-star honours.

“That’s a hell of a hockey team, the Moncton Wildcats. They’re probably one of the most complete teams we’ll see all year … And that’s a testament to our work ethic that we beat them.”

The Wildcats opened the scoring at 15:35 of the first period with a power-play tally from defenceman Simon Jodoin, who pinched in from the point to bang a rebound past Corbeil. Grant, a Halifax native, ripped a bullet over the glove of Louis Domingue on a 2-on-1 with Tomas Knotek to tie the game just 94 seconds into the second period.

The Mooseheads poured it on late in the second and 17-year-old defenceman Garrett Clarke scored the game-winner at 14:37 when he hammered home a slap shot from the point on a power play.

From there, it was Corbeil and a gritty defensive effort that got the job done as the Wildcats pushed desperately for the equalizer.

Dimitruk, Pascal Amyot and Steve Gillard did admirable work on the back end, logging the lion’s share of the ice time after an injury felled Konrad Abeltshauser and misconducts put Spencer Metcalfe and Garrett Clarke in the penalty box for 15-minute stretches.

“That last 10 minutes was tough,” the 19-year-old Dimtruk said. “I was on the ice just trying not to screw up, trying to help my team get the victory and keep the momentum going. I logged a good chunk of ice time and I was gassed at the end, but it was a lot of fun.”

Corbeil wasn’t as sensational as he needed to be the weekend before in wins over Val-d’Or and P.E.I., but he was rock-solid, shutting the door on 15 third-period shots and 18 dangerous shots overall. Basically, he was there when he needed to be, and that's a capability the Mooseheads have lacked in recent years.

“He’s playing unbelievable,” Dimitruk said. “He’s bailed us out time after time. We’re absolutely riding on his back right now. He’s playing fantastic and I can’t say enough about his work ethic.”

The Wildcats played without Russian star Kirill Kabanov, who has a wrist injury. The Mooseheads also benefited from the absence of top players in their previous two wins, with Benjamin Casavant sitting out for P.E.I. and Jonathan Hazen sidelined for Val-d’Or.

The Mooseheads, 4-18-1 with nine points, host the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Saturday in a pivotal contest. It’s a chance to make up ground on the second-to-last Drakkar, who are 5-15-3 with 13 points.

“It’s a crucial game for us,” Dimitruk said. “We’re going to go full steam ahead, no matter how much we have left in the tank.”

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