Game Preview - Halifax vs Philadelphia
Dec 27, 2023
The Halifax Thunderbirds return home to finish out 2023 as they welcome the Philadelphia Wings to Scotiabank Centre on Dec 29. Opening face-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. AT.
Head to Head
Philadelphia is one of three teams on the schedule this season that the Thunderbirds will see on multiple occasions, with this being the first meeting of the year. The teams will wrap up the season series at Wells Fargo Center on Feb 2.
Last season, the Wings travelled to The Nest to open the 2022-23 campaign. It was a banner night for the Thunderbirds, as they opened their year with an 18-8 win in front of their home fans. Down the back stretch of the season, the Birds headed to Philadelphia for a crucial matchup in a heated playoff race. Once again, Halifax came out on top, this time by a 14-10 score on the road.
The Thunderbirds have found success against Philadelphia since moving to Halifax, holding a perfect 4-0 record. They’ll look to continue that run in the friendly confines of Scotiabank Centre on Friday night.
Scouting the Thunderbirds
After a high-scoring start to their year, the Thunderbirds got a big return in the form of 2023 top scorer Randy Staats. The big righty wasted zero time getting re-acquainted, potting a hat trick and finishing the game with six points. Not to be outdone, Cody Jamieson also had his best game of the year with four goals and five points.
Clarke Petterson (6G, 7A) sits first in team scoring while Austin Shanks (1G, 10A) sits behind him. Ryan Benesch (4G, 4A) and Dawson Theede (4G, 4A) also are of to strong starts. The former surpassed Shawn Williams for eighth all-time for career assists against New York. Meanwhile, Theede has impressed after being in and out of the lineup last season.
While rookie Cole Kirst didn’t find the back of the net in the team’s last game, he did chip in three assists, keeping him at a three-point-per-game clip to open his NLL career.
Halifax was also able to get out and run in transition against New York two weeks ago, scoring four in the first half to swing momentum. Jamieson got one streaking off the bench while Graeme Hossack, Tyson Bell, and Ryan Terefenko were all able to make good at their looks on goal as well.
Warren Hill will once again get the nod for the Thunderbirds on Friday night. The Halifax starter has opened his year with 33- and 32-save performances, respectively. He currently holds a 9.00 goals-against average and a .780 save percentage in his two victories.
Scouting the Wings
Philadelphia has been hit with the injury bug to open the season, with two major offensive pieces going down. Both Holden Cattoni and Wings captain Blaze Riorden were placed on Injured Reserve ahead of their last game against Albany.
But the Wings have one of the deepest offensive units in the league, which has been led by the trio of Mitch Jones (5G, 13A), Joe Resetarits (5G, 9A), and Ben McIntosh (3G, 6A). Last game, it was the former pair that each finished with a six-point night.
Since joining the Wings midway through last season, Jones has lit up the NLL, and against the Thunderbirds in the final meeting of the year between the teams, he had three goals and seven points on 10 total markers.
The offence will also feature Sam Leclair, Taite Cattoni, Taggart Clark, and Tanner Buck, who are all looking to pick up the production lost to injury.
Zach Higgins will be the man in net for the Wings. He was pulled during the team’s last game, but he’ll be looking for a bounceback in Halifax. Higgins has a 1-2 record on the year to go along with a 12.00 GAA and a .780 SV%.
Strength in Numbers
The Halifax defence has gotten off to a strong start under new defensive coach Andrew Suitor
Their 210 goals against last year sat in the middle of the table around the league, and they’ll be looking to improve on that mark. So far this year, they’ve been among the best units in the NLL, allowing just 18 total goals through two games. What’s even more impressive is their play at even strength.
They’ve allowed just three goals settled a 5-on-5. When they get set up in their own end, they’ve been extremely efficient when it comes to getting stops – and in turn, getting the ball in the offence’s sticks. That is a big testament to Warren Hill and his work so far this year, but he and the defence’s strong play goes hand in hand. It’s just two games into the year, but keep an eye on the Thunderbirds defensive unit the rest of the year. They are gelling early, and if they’re able to consistently hold teams to single digits this season, it’s going to lead to victories.
Milestone Tracker
- Randy Staats needs seven goals to reach 200 for his career
- Ryan Benesch needs 12 goals to surpass Colin Doyle for 5th All-Time in NLL History
- Luc Magnan needs five loose balls to reach 400 for his career
- Graeme Hossack needs four points to reach 100 for his career
How to Watch
Thunderbirds fans can catch the team in action on Friday on TSN+ in Canada and ESPN+ in the United States.