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Charlottetown Islanders

Team Effort as Isles Rout Oceanic 8-2

March 29, 2016 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


The Islanders have taken their first lead of their first-round series against the Rimouski Oceanic with a dominating 8-2 win on Tuesday night at the Eastlink Centre.

The team came out strong and never let their foot off the gas, controlling the play up until the final buzzer went, a completely different situation than the first two games.

"They're a good team, and we're a good team when we're at home," said forward Brad Kennedy. "(I'm) a little surprised, they were pretty close games until now."

"We've known all along that we're a team that, when we forecheck, that's when we're at our best," said Head Coach Jim Hulton. That was certainly the case on Tuesday.

Midway through the first, the Islanders put their power play to work and Oliver Cooper jumped on a loose puck in the crease to give the Isles the lead at 12:24.

Then in the final minute of the period, Filip Chlapik snuck behind the Oceanic defence at the blue line to get in all alone on Louis-Philip Guindon, and ripped the puck blocker-side to double the Isles' lead heading into the intermission.

The lead was extended just 19 seconds into the second period as Daniel Sprong picked up his first of the playoffs with a shot that went in and out so quick the officials almost missed it. At first it looked as though Sprong had hit the post and Samuel Blais had jumped in to pot the rebound, but after review it turned out Sprong's original shot had hit the twine.

The Oceanic responded almost immediately with Matous Belohorsky burying his first of the postseason just 18 seconds later.

The Isles kept on the attack and later in the period Cooper passed the puck to Filip Rydstrom standing behind him, and Rydstrom launched the puck under the top bar from a bad angle, making it 4-1.

With a couple of minutes left in the second, Will Thompson took a shot from the point that hit the skate of a defenceman and then trickled through the five hole of Guindon. He was replaced at the start of the third by Alexandre Lagacé.

The Islanders put the nail in the coffin in the third period, outshooting the Oceanic 33-4.

Things got nasty at the beginning of the period, starting with Andrew Picco pushing Cooper from behind into the boards.

But the Islanders were able to find the balance between defending themselves and staying out of the penalty box, said Hulton.

"You never want to lose anyone to suspension. Emotion is a big part of the playoffs and it's a fine line for everybody involved."

On the five-minute major power play from Picco's hit, Luc Deschenes launched a shot into the back of the net to make Rimouski pay and put the Isles up 6-1.

On the same penalty, the Oceanic got help from a bounce to give them their second goal as Guillaume Rioux-Legault dumped the puck into the zone and it went off the skate of Deven St-Hilaire and around McDonald.

With five minutes left in the third, Mitchell Balmas ripped a shot off a pass from Kennedy to make it seven for the home team.

Just over a minute later, with the Isles on the power play again, they got in one final goal as Deschenes buried his second of the night at 16:11.

The Islanders now have a 2-1 lead in the series and Game Four will take place on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at the Eastlink Centre.

Hulton said the Islanders will expect the Oceanic to come out strong in that contest.

"It's only one game. It doesn't matter whether you win it 2-1 or 10-1. It doesn't matter in playoffs. Both teams are focused right now on tomorrow more than tonight. We're gonna see their best, because they don't wanna go down 3-1."

With game three in the books, all eyes are on game four.

"We're gonna be happy about it for a couple minutes when we leave the rink, and then get right back to work." said Kennedy.

Tickets for tomorrow night's game can be purchased in person at the Eastlink Centre Box Office from 11 a.m., by phone at (902) 629-6625, or online at www.eastlinkcentrepei.com. Fans that cannot make it to the rink can listen along with George Matthews and Cory Arsenault on Fair Isle Ford Isles Radio.

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