Islanders Power Play Struggles in Road-Trip Finale, Losing 5-2 in Saint John
November 12, 2023 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release
The Islanders drop their road-trip finale 5-2 in Saint John.
Carter Bickle lost his fifth game of the season this afternoon at TD Station, stopping 18/22 shots faced.
It was another quick start to the game as Vince Élie scored less than four minutes into the game, ripping it over Bickle for his seventh of the season.
Ondrej Maruna responded just minutes later with his fifth of the year from a seeing eye pass from Matthew Butler. Alexis Michaud added an assist as well.
But Noah Reinhart retook the lead on the power play four minutes later.
The Isles went on the man-advantage right after as Matteo Mann went to the penalty box for tripping, but Charlottetown's power play wasn't clicking.
The momentum stayed with the Isles for the rest of the period but Saint John goaltender Patrick Leaver kept the door shut.
The second frame once again started quickly as Cole Huckins stayed hit with his fourth of the season. Kyle Powers and Simon Hughes assisted on the goal. That was Hughes' first point of the season.
Shortly after, Mann took another penalty to send the Isles to their second power play if the game, but yet again, they couldn't convert.
The pressure was all in the Sea Dogs end while at even strength, with chances from Giovanni Morneau and Butler, but Leaver turned them aside.
Isaac Vos took a hooking penalty, but even a man down, Bickle was able to stop everything that came his way in the frame.
Early in the third, Sea Dogs forward Noah Reinhart took a four-minute high sticking penalty to give the Isles a great chance to take their first lead of the game.
The power play unit continued to struggle though. Saint John came back the other way, the puck was trickling past Bickle, but Huckins was able to prevent the puck from crossing the goal line. Despite knocking the net off of its bearings, the call on the ice stood as a no-goal.
Eventually, Saint John broke through again. Eriks Mateiko ripped it past Bickle to restore their lead.
Then, just over a minute later, Pavel Simek buried a shot off of an odd-man rush, extending their lead to two.
Charlottetown continued to push, but to no avail.
With two minutes remaining, Bickle was pulled and the net was empty.
Despite some chances, Simek ended up sealing the deal with an empty net goal, putting them up 5-2, closing out the game.
The Isles outshot the Sea Dogs 31-22 and outhit them 20-13. They went 0/5 on the man advantage and Saint John went 1/2.
The Isles return home to play the Cape Breton Eagles on Tuesday, Nov. 14. Fans can tune into the game at MAX 93.1FM. Purchase tickets here.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from November 12, 2023
- Record Setting Day for Dumais in Shutout Win - Halifax Mooseheads
- Islanders Power Play Struggles in Road-Trip Finale, Losing 5-2 in Saint John - Charlottetown Islanders
- Eagles Blanked in Halifax to Open Maritime Road Trip - Cape Breton Eagles
- Isles' Road Trip Wraps up in Saint John - Charlottetown Islanders
- Eagles in Halifax for First Visit to Mooseheads this Season - Cape Breton Eagles
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