Isles Drop Road Trip Opener 4-1 to the Sherbrooke Phoenix
December 1, 2023 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release
The Islanders lose their road-trip opener 4-1 to the Sherbrooke Phoenix.
Head coach Jim Hulton shifted the lines up, putting Cole Huckins on the first line with Michael Horth and Guivanni Morneau and putting Kyle Powers on the third line.
Carter Bickle got the nod tonight in the loss. He played well, stopping 28 of 31 shots in the loss.
The Isles started the game hot. Through the first five minutes, they were outshooting Sherbrooke 5-0, but momentum went right back the other way.
The Phoenix fought back and the game started to even out.
It was the Isles who were first to the man advantage as Jakub Hujer took a tripping penalty just over 12 minutes in, but the power play continued to struggle.
Morneau had a solid chance but Sherbrooke goaltender Samuel St-Hilaire stayed strong.
After a Coen Miller high-sticking call, Charlottetown carried a power play into the second period.
They were being outshot 9-8 after the first period.
Sherbrooke killed the rest of their penalty and they went to work. They had momentum for most of the period.
They would eventually be rewarded with a 5-on-3 power play after Isaac Vos took a holding penalty then Charlottetown would be caught with too many men on the ice.
Bickle made save after save, being the most important penalty killer.
But at even strength, Andrew Belchamber broke through. A turnover up the ice led to Belchamber getting a chance in the slot and he wristed it through opening the scoring, putting Sherbrooke up 1-0.
Hujer then took his second penalty of the game, but once again, the Isles man advantage failed to generate anything.
Carl-Etienne Michel had a chance in tight, but once again St-Hilaire kept the door shut.
Bickle stopped all 10 other shots he faced heading into the second intermission after the Isles were outshot 11-6 in the period.
Sherbrooke had momentum right from puck drop in the third period.
Coming back the other way was Horth though. After a broken play in front of St-Hilaire, Michel scored his first of the season.
Horth then took a penalty. On the man advantage, Maverick Lachance scored, just over a minute after Michel tied the game. No one was covering the back-door pass and Lachance didn't waste his opportunity.
Just 15 seconds later, Oliver Dubois doubled their lead to two goals going up 3-1 after a broken play in front of Bickle.
Head coach Jim Hulton pulled Bickle with five minutes to go in regulation.
Before the Isles were able to record a shot being a man up, Israël Mianscum shot it from his own end of the ice into the empty net to solidify a 4-1 win.
The Isles were outshot 31-23 but outhit Sherbrooke 39-18 in the loss.
We stay on the road as we roll into Shawinigan tomorrow night at 7 p.m. EST and 8 p.m. AST. Fans can tune into all three games at MAX 93.1FM.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 1, 2023
- Eagles Begin Maritime Road Swing in Saint John Tonight - Cape Breton Eagles
- Aksels Ozols Shines In A 4-2 Win Over The Shawinigan Cataractes - Charlottetown Islanders
- Slow Night in Val D'Or - Halifax Mooseheads
- Saturday Night Toy Drive & Hockey Versus the Sags - Moncton Wildcats
- QMJHL Players of the Month Named for November 2023 - QMJHL
- The QMJHL Foundation Launches Its First Ever 50-50 Draw for the Holidays - QMJHL
- Isles Drop Road Trip Opener 4-1 to the Sherbrooke Phoenix - Charlottetown Islanders
- Cats Struggle Early, Fall 7-4 to Sea Dogs - Moncton Wildcats
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