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QMJHL Charlottetown Islanders

Wild Game and Four-Goal Performance Lead Mooseheads over Islanders

November 6, 2020 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Charlottetown Islanders News Release


When the Charlottetown Islanders made their way to Halifax to take on the Mooseheads, they likely didn't know that they'd be in a wild west shootout.

Mooseheads forward and Philadelphia Flyers prospect Elliot Desnoyers did everything he could to vault his team to a victory over the Islanders and he did just that, recording his second four goal game of the season, including the game-winning goal with just 36 seconds left on the clock. The Islanders would drop just their second game of the season 5-4 tonight.

"This was a tough loss tonight but a valuable lesson for our team," said Islanders head coach Jim Hulton on the defeat. "We were loose defensively most of the night and chased the game from the first shift. When we score four goals and put up 45 shots, we expect to win. Credit to Halifax; they competed very hard all night."

Desnoyers got his night started off on the right foot, causing havoc in front of Islanders starter Jacob Goobie just 20 seconds in and finding a loose puck in front. He'd wrap the puck around Goobie for his seventh goal of the season. He'd continue the fun later in the period, causing traffic in front of Goobie once again and tipping a Justin Barron point shot in to extend the lead to 2-0 before the end of the first period for Halifax.

A crucial turning point in the game came at the end of the first period. After Drew Elliott and Zachary L'Heureux collided behind the Islanders net, L'Heureux took exception and went after Elliott. The two squared up and a melee ensued. When the dust settled L'Heureux, Halifax's second leading scorer and top prospect ahead of the 2021 NHL Draft, was ejected from the game for instigating the altercation, and also receiving a game misconduct for spitting on Elliott.

The Islanders took that moment and used it to their advantage, getting on the board just minutes in to the second period. Sam Oliver found a streaking Brett Budgell with a well-placed pass, and the captain would make a deft move to get around Mooseheads starter Brady James and slide the puck into the net. For Budgell, that would be his third goal on the season.

The goalscoring would continue for Charlottetown in what was a dominant second period. On a shorthanded situation, Cedric Desruisseaux would continue his torrid start to the season by beating a Mooseheads forward cleanly and starting an odd-man rush. He'd find a pinching Lukas Cormier and the Vegas Golden Knights prospect would make no mistake, snapping a one-timer into the open cage for his fifth goal on the season.

The Isles would take the lead later in the period thanks to Drew Elliott. Fresh off his stint in the penalty box, the gritty forward would burst into the offensive zone and make a nice move around a Mooseheads defenseman before wiring a wrist shot past James, giving Elliott his third goal on the campaign.

Desnoyers was far from finished though for Halifax. The forward completed the hat trick by receiving a great pass from Brendan Tomilson and beating Noah Laaouan wide before cutting in, getting a good shot on Goobie, and burying the rebound. That would be Desnoyer's ninth goal on the year.

The third period brought more wild action as the Islanders appeared to take the lead once again. Desruisseaux would send a puck in front and Patrick Leblanc potted the puck in the net, but it was called back due to a kicking motion from the 18-year-old forward. Halifax would answer not long after though; William Robitaille, the Mooseheads rookie who was just called up to the main roster and playing in his first game after his two-week quarantine, would get a stick on a point shot that deflected past Goobie for his first career QMJHL goal, giving the Moose a 4-3 lead in the third period.

The teams would bounce back and forth as the game wore on, and much like in last weekend's victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, a late powerplay opportunity worked in Charlottetown's favour. After Brendan Tomilson delayed the game, Desruisseaux would record his ninth straight game with a goal, receiving a pass from Budgell in his office and unloading a wrist shot past James for his 12th goal on the year.

Unlike last Saturday, however, Charlottetown's opponent would get the last laugh. Desnoyers would cap off his massive night by grabbing a rebound right in front of Goobie and getting a piece of a bouncing puck. That puck would take a funny bounce in to the air and over a sprawling Goobie with just 35 seconds remaining in the game, the final nail in the coffin of tonight's game.

Brady James came to play for Halifax tonight, making 41 saves for the victory. Goobie made 26 saves in defeat. Budgell, Cormier, and Desruisseaux each finished with a goal and an assist while Oliver, Hamel, Brendan McCarthy, and Oscar Plandowski all picked up single assists.

There's no rest for the weary Islanders as the team goes back-to-back once again, taking on the surging Moncton Wildcats tomorrow night at the Eastlink Centre. All that action can be seen at Boston Pizza and The Factory Downtown, while you can listen to all the action on Ocean 100's Saturday Night Hockey!

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from November 6, 2020


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