Forget about getting a win, the Halifax Mooseheads would probably settle for a goal right now.

The Mooseheads were shut out for the second straight game, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Moncton Wildcats in front of a 6,260 fans at the Moncton Coliseum on Sunday. The loss is Halifax’s eighth in a row and comes less than 24 hours after a 2-0 setback to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at home.

"We didn’t get any goals but you know what, I thought the guys played well again," said Mooseheads head coach and general manager Cam Russell. "We played pretty solid defensively against a pretty strong hockey team. We didn’t give up very many scoring chances or shots on goal, and offensively I thought we actually created a lot of good scoring chances. But it’s tough to get it past a guy like (Nicola) Riopel."

The Wildcats got one goal per period and 25 saves from Riopel for the win, their fifth in a row. Scott Brannon, Mark Barberio and Alex Wall scored for Moncton and Mathieu Corbeil stopped 29 shots for Halifax.

The Mooseheads have only scored one goal in their last three games and just eight goals in their last eight games, but have faced some excellent goaltenders lately.

"We had Riopel tonight, (Olivier) Roy on Saturday and (Jean-Sebastien) Berube on Friday. They’re all NHL drafted goaltenders," Russell said. "It was a tough three teams, tough three goaltenders but there were a lot of positives to take away."

The loss drops the Mooseheads’ record to 8-33-1-2 but they play their next five games at home, starting on Friday when they host the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

"(Our upcoming schedule) isn’t bad," Russell said. "We’ve got a young hockey team but we have a lot of enthusiasm in our dressing room right now. Now that the trade deadline has come and gone, players will start to settle back in and feel a little more comfortable on the ice.

"You’re playing on a last-place team and everyone’s wondering what their status is going to be. We had some nervous kids there for a while."

Juniors 6, Titan 1: At Bathurst, N.B., Chris Thorne scored a pair of goals and Matthew Brenton had three assists for Montreal.

Sagueneens 4, Drakkar 2: At Baie-Comeau, Que., Richard Martel established a new franchise record for wins by a head coach (223).

Cataractes 4, Remparts 0: At Shawinigan, Que., Gabriel Girard stopped 28 shots for the shutout.

Tigres 6, Oceanic 3: At Victoriaville, Que., recent additions Joel Champagne and Chris Doyle each had three points for the Tigres.

Notes: Out of the Halifax line-up were: Garrett Clarke (concussion), Linden Bahm (broken wrist), Alex Lemieux (mononucleosis), Matthew Stoddard (healthy scratch), Trey Lewis and Matthew Boudreau (healthy scratch). Boudreau and Lewis will both return to midget AAA. Forward Dylan MacGuigan will remain with the team for the remainder of the season. … Former Mooseheads defenceman Spencer Metcalfe did not play for Moncton because of a one-game suspension.

( wpalov@herald.ca)