Eagles Drop Pair Of Games In PEI To Islanders

The Cape Breton Eagles fell short in a double header of sorts on Wednesday in Charlottetown, losing 5-0 and 7-1 to the Charlottetown Islanders. The 5-0 result came in a game that was suspended on Tuesday night due to issues with the ice and was resumed on Wednesday evening.

The teams both elected to ice the same lineup for each game, although the starting goalies would switch for both sides. With the Wednesday game originally scheduled to begin at 7 PM, when 7:00 hit, the teams continued the Tuesday night game with 18:07 remaining in the third period, with Charlottetown leading 4-0.

When the game restarted, the Eagles were beginning a power play with Oskar Plandowski in the box. Charlottetown was able to kill the penalty off, and scored their own power play goal courtesy of Bailey Peach to make the final score 5-0.

Colten Ellis picked up the win in goal, stopping all 21 shots and tying a QMJHL record with his 17th career shutout. William Grimard took the loss, allowing five goals on 39 shots.

THREE STARS OF TUESDAY’S GAME
1. Cédric Desruisseaux (Charlottetown) 2 goals, 7 shots
2. Lukas Cormier (Charlottetown) 2 assists, 8 shots
3. Colten Ellis (Charlottetown) 21 saves on 21 shots

Shots On Goal for Tuesday’s game: 39-21 in favour of Charlottetown

Cape Breton Power Play (Tuesday’s game): 0/5

Charlottetown Power Play (Tuesday’s game): 2/2

Charlottetown was able to keep the momentum going when the second game began, once again thanks to the power play. What appeared to be a Brett Budgell cross-crease pass actually bounced off Nicolas Ruccia’s pad and by the Eagles netminder to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead.

A string of penalties would conclude the opening period. The Eagles were unable to convert on a brief on 5 on 3 which turned into a 4 and 4, and then into a Charlottetown 5 on 3. Lukas Cormier hammered a one timer by Ruccia with less than a second remaining on the period clock.

The Eagles trailed 2-0 heading into the middle frame, but were able to kill off the second penalty to Dawson Stairs and got on the board thanks to Connor Trenholm. Jarrett Baker carried the puck deep into the Islanders zone, backhanded a shot towards the net and Trenholm was able to cash in to get the Eagles on the board. But just over two minutes later, Thomas Casey redirected a point shot from William Trudeau and it was again a two goal cushion for Charlottetown.

48 seconds after the Casey goal, there was an opportunity for the Eagles to get back into the game with a power play. The Eagles Matthew MacDonald was given a two minute minor for a hit from behind, but his target Noah Laaouan was given a matching minor for embellishment. The Eagles found themselves on a five minute power play when Zach Beauregard jumped MacDonald and earned himself a fighting major in the process.

The only goal of the five minute sequence would be a short handed one though, courtesy of Patrick Guay. There was an unofficial extension to the power play as Charlottetown had no one in the penalty box serving the penalty. The Islanders killed off the additional 47 seconds, and then later in the period Guay was able to score again, jabbing a puck in the blue paint over the goal line to make it a 5-1 score heading into the third period.

There were more fireworks in the third period as with the Eagles on the power play, Cape Breton’s Liam Kidney took a five minute major for a check to the head, and Connor Trenholm was given a ten minute misconduct on the same sequence. (Later in the period Eagles captain Jarrett Baker, playing his 275th game in the QMJHL, was given a ten.). With Kidney in the box on a 4 on 3 situation thanks to other penalties, Casey found the back of the net again to make it 6-1. The penalty filled affair would see more special teams action, and a power play marker by Oskar Plandowski late in the frame finished the scoring at 7-1.

Jacob Goobie picked up the win, stopping 22 of 23 shots. Ruccia took the loss, allowing seven goals on 35 shots.

The Eagles will now head to Halifax for Saturday night to take on the Mooseheads. The game will be broadcast on Eastlink Television, and you can also hear all the action beginning with the pre-game show with Patrick McNeil at 6:30 PM on 1270 AM CJCB or online at www.cjcbradio.com.

THREE STARS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAME
1. Patrick Guay (Charlottetown) 2 goals, 3 shots
2. Noah Laaouan (Charlottetown) 3 assists
3. Thomas Casey (Charlottetown) 2 goals, 3 shots

Scratches For Cape Breton: Ivan Ivan (border), Mikhail Nizovkin (border), Mark Rumsey (upper body injury), Jérémy Langlois (upper body injury), Logan Camp (upper body injury)

Scratches For Charlottetown: Ryan Maynard, Sean Stewart (injury)

Shots On Goal for Wednesday’s game: 35-23 in favour of Charlottetown

Cape Breton Power Play (Wednesday’s game): 0/7

Charlottetown Power Play (Wednesday’s game): 4/6