Islanders Fall Short to Eagles Following Holiday Break

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QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Islanders Fall Short to Eagles Following Holiday Break

December 28, 2024 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


The Charlottetown Islanders were unable to capitalize on their opportunities, falling 3-0 to the Cape Breton Eagles on Friday night at the Eastlink Centre.

Despite a solid performance throughout the game, the Islanders struggled to convert on the powerplay and couldn't solve the Eagles' new goaltender, Alexis Cournoyer.

Early Struggles and a Fast Start for Cape Breton

The Islanders faced an uphill battle from the start, as they took an early penalty just 1:49 into the 1st period. Kyle Powers was called for kneeing, and while the penalty kill held strong, the Eagles quickly seized the momentum.

Just after the penalty expired, Lucas Romeo put the Eagles on the board with a quick goal, putting the Islanders behind 1-0 just 4 minutes into the game.

Despite the slow start, the Islanders began to find their rhythm and applied some pressure of their own, with the shots tied 2-2 by the midway point of the period.

The Islanders had their first powerplay opportunity at 7:08, when Angelo Fullerton was called for interference after taking down Islanders' goaltender Nicolas Ruccia.

The Islanders' powerplay, which had been a strength before the holiday break, was unable to convert, as Cournoyer stood tall in net. The period ended with the Eagles leading 1-0, with the shots in favor of the Islanders, 10-7.

The 2nd period saw a bit more separation, as the Eagles extended their lead to 2-0 at 17:40.

After a turnover in the slot, Romeo pounced on a rebound to score his second goal of the night. Despite the Islanders creating some quality chances and getting a 4-minute powerplay opportunity after Marcus Kearsey was high-sticked, the Isles could not find the back of the net.

A crucial double-minor powerplay for the Islanders went unconverted, as the Eagles' penalty kill stood firm. Shots in the period ended 20-16 in favor of the Eagles, who maintained their 2-0 lead.

Heading into the 3rd period, the Islanders found themselves down by two goals and in need of a spark. They started the period with a powerplay opportunity after Luke Patterson was called for goalie interference, but once again, the Islanders couldn't capitalize.

A close chance from Nathan Leek, who hit the crossbar with just seconds left on the powerplay, was the closest the Isles came to scoring. Despite generating some pressure, the Islanders remained scoreless as the Eagles continued to get stellar goaltending from Cournoyer.

With the clock winding down, Coach Jim Hulton made the decision to pull Ruccia with just over three minutes remaining in the game in an attempt to generate some offense. However, the Eagles sealed the win with an empty-net goal from Louis Gendron, making it 3-0 with 2:52 to play.

A Positive Debut for Newcomers Montroy and Seymour

Despite the loss, there were bright spots for the Islanders, particularly the debut performance of 19-year-old forward Ethan Montroy.

Signed earlier this week, Montroy was active all over the ice, showing his skill and hustle. The Islanders will be hoping to build on his positive debut in the coming games.

Jabez Seymour was also flying all over the ice tonight, making his physical presence known with hit after hit.

The game ended with the shots tied at 25-25, a testament to how evenly matched the two teams were, but despite the Islanders' best efforts, they couldn't crack Cournoyer who picked up the shutout.

Looking Ahead

The Islanders will look to bounce back quickly tomorrow afternoon when they face the Moncton Wildcats at 2:00 PM at the Eastlink Centre. The Wildcats currently sit atop the QMJHL's Eastern Conference and will be a tough test for the Isles, who will need to find a way to break through offensively and capitalize on their powerplay opportunities.

The Islanders will continue to adjust to their new lineup, with the addition of Montroy, and hope to get back on track after a hard-fought loss tonight.

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 28, 2024


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