QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Trudeau Posts Career Night as Isles Trounce Mooseheads

October 31, 2020 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


Apparently, the thing that the Charlottetown Islanders needed to secure their seventh victory of the season was seven goals.

The Islanders poured it on to the Halifax Mooseheads on Friday night in front of a home crowd, pounding the young Moose to the tune of seven goals as the Isles took a 7-1 victory.

The man leading the charge for Charlottetown was 18-year-old William Trudeau. The sophomore defenseman was outstanding from the point, putting up a career night with a goal and three assists

"It feels amazing," said Trudeau on his big night. "It was my first goal of the season, so there's less pressure. It feels good to be able to put points on the board like that."

Despite the onslaught, it was actually Halifax that got on the board first. A shot from rookie Braedan MacPhee handcuffed Jacob Goobie, causing the 17-year-old to lose sight of the puck. A mass scramble ensued and Landon Miron emerged from the wreckage with his third goal on the season.

While the goal was one of the first shots Goobie faced, he settled down quickly and gave his team the kind of goaltending that wins hockey games. For Charlottetown's part, they didn't let their netminder stay down for long. Just 40 seconds later Brett Budgell evades a hit along the boards and finds a wide open Thomas Casey in the slot. The Charlottetown native would make no mistake, sliding the puck underneath Mooseheads starter Cole McLaren's pad for his sixth goal of the season.

The game would remain tied until the second period, when the Islanders would open things up in a big way. Trudeau kicked off the fun in the period, jumping in to the rush and receiving a well-placed pass from Keiran Gallant before wiring a wrist shot past McLaren for his first goal on the season.

The goal came with good timing; Trudeau received recognition from NHL Central Scouting as a player to watch ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft, something that many would have thought not possible when Trudeau was traded to Charlottetown. He said that recognition definitely boosted his confidence heading in to tonight.

"When I stepped on the ice I just wanted to do the best that I could, and it feels good that I could do that," Trudeau added. "It feels good to see your name on that list, but it's just the beginning of the season; you have to keep working hard every day, it's not just one game that will make it happen."

Trudeau's goal seemingly broke the seal for Charlottetown, who went to town on McLaren after that. Justin Gill capitalized on the powerplay not long after that before Cedric Desruisseaux continued his torrid start to the season with his tenth goal on the campaign, and Drew Elliott added a tally of his own with just 0.5 seconds remaining in the second period.

When the Isles returned for the third, the scoring didn't stop. On another powerplay, Trudeau capped off his four-point night with a perfect pass in the high slot to Sam Oliver, who would unload a huge shot that beat McLaren high for his fourth goal on the season and third goal in as many games.

Finally, Casey would cap the game off just over a minute later, standing all alone on the doorstep and tapping in a perfect cross-crease pass. It's Casey's seventh goal on the season and sixteenth point, keeping him in second place overall in the QMJHL points race.

Jacob Goobie had an outstanding night in goal, making 26 saves for the victory. After a rocky start to his season, Goobie has now made 47 saves in back-to-back starts.

Budgell and Noah Laaouan each picked up two assists while Gill and Desruisseaux each had a goal and a helper. Gallant, Patrick Leblanc, Zac Beauregard, and Drew Johnston each added solo helpers.

The biggest test of the early season for Charlottetown comes from an unexpected foe tomorrow afternoon, as the Isles visit the surprising Chad Arsenault and the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a Halloween matinee affair. That game can be heard live on Ocean 100's Saturday Night Hockey!

Check out the Charlottetown Islanders Statistics



Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 31, 2020


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