Game Preview - Halifax @ Ottawa
Feb 19, 2025
The Halifax Thunderbirds will look to continue their current winning streak when they make their first-ever trip to Canadian Tire Centre for a showdown with the Ottawa Black Bears on Friday night. Opening face-off is at 8:30 p.m. AT.
Head to Head
This will be the first-ever meeting between the Thunderbirds and Black Bears and will kick off the first of two games between the Canadian opponents this season.
Before their move to Ottawa, these two teams squared off seven times, with the Thunderbirds holding a spotless record and a plus-41 goal differential.
Ottawa captain Jeff Teat holds the highest point total of any player in this all-time series, registering 35 points in six games against Halifax. In seven games against this franchise, Thunderbirds captain Cody Jamieson has 11 goals and 32 points while Clarke Petterson has 10 goals and 31 points in six games.
Across his four outings against the Black Bears franchise, Randy Staats has registered 14 goals for the Thunderbirds.
The Thunderbirds have pulled themselves back into playoff contention with a scorching hot stretch through the middle of the year, but going up against a hungry Ottawa squad with an identical record, it’ll be a battle in the Nation’s Capital.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
The Thunderbirds have posted 37 goals over their previous three wins, including two straight games posting 14 and 13 goals, respectively.
Randy Staats (13G, 45A) was outstanding in the team’s last game against Philadelphia, scoring the game-winner while finishing with two goals and nine points. Clarke Petterson (15G, 31A) had a hat trick and seven points, Thomas Hoggarth (17G, 16A) also posted a hat trick and a pair of assists, and the pair of Jason Knox (9G, 16A) and Bo Bowhunter (6G, 4A) also finished with three points apiece.
Thunderbirds rookie Mike Robinson (11G, 11A) is also continuing his strong opening campaign in the NLL. He had a goal and an assist in last weekend’s victory, as he continues to find the back of the net at a high clip for Halifax.
On the back end, Ryan Terefenko kept his rampant scoring pace going, potting another two goals – one in transition and another on an empty net to seal the win. Jake Withers had 17 loose balls and went 19 of 26 on face-offs. He’s seen his win percentage go up substantially over this win streak, as he’s quickly getting closer to his career average at the stripe with every passing week.
Warren Hill has been one of the hottest goaltenders in the league over the last month, and the Halifax starter has won three straight to get his record on the year back to even.
Through nine games this year, Hill holds an 11.37 goals-against average and a .760 save percentage.
Scouting the Black Bears
The Black Bears’ offence sat at just 8.75 goals for over their first eight games of the year entering last weekend’s game in Albany. They set their season high for goals, scoring 18 and doubling up the FireWolves.
Jeff Teat (19G, 29A) leads the way for Ottawa. The superstar lefty hasn’t had the same production to this point that he has in previous seasons, but Ottawa’s attack is also more widespread than in previous years. That is aided by the breakout of 24-year-old righty Jacob Dunbar (20G, 12A), who leads the team in goals.
Veterans Connor Kearnan (9G, 19A) and Kiel Matisz (5G, 21A) have been solid offensively, providing secondary scoring for the Black Bears. Teat also has a trio on his side of the floor that helps free up space and score while working alongside him. Larson Sundown (11G, 6A) is always a goal-scoring threat in the two-man game. He’s also one of the best in the league from behind the cage, often finding dunk opportunities off crisp ball movement.
Former Thunderbird Eric Fannell (2G, 7A) was acquired from Albany mid-season, and Reilly O’Connor (4G, 6A) was just activated from IR before last weekend’s game. The lefty is a high-IQ player and an offensive driver for Ottawa. Watch for him and Teat to work the pick-and-roll often on Friday.
Zach Higgins has brought stability in the crease after Ottawa acquired him from Philadelphia in the off-season. While playing almost every minute of the year so far for the Black Bears, the veteran netminder has a 9.31 GAA and a .810 SV%.
Milestone Watch
- Cody Jamieson needs two goals to reach 350 for his career
- Thomas Hoggarth needs four assists to reach 100 for his career
- Cody Jamieson needs 28 points to become the 17th player in NLL History to reach 1,000 points for a career
Broadcast Info
The Thunderbirds and Black Bears will face off on the NLL’s Friday Night on TSN. Fans can catch all the action on TSN5.