Thanksgiving Monday gives Islanders matinee matchup against Mooseheads
With four points under their belt already this weekend, the Charlottetown Islanders are looking to clean sweep the Thanksgiving long weekend when the Halifax Mooseheads come to town for a holiday hangover matinee matchup.
It may still be early in the season but the Islanders (7-0-2-0) already hold a 2-0 season series lead over the Mooseheads (6-4-0-0), including a dominant 5-2 victory at home back on September 21st. That was a Halifax team dealing with a number of injuries, including one sustained that game to Alexis Gravel, while also missing top forward Benoit-Olivier Groulx who was at Anaheim Ducks training camp.
Lately, however, the Mooseheads have appeared to have turned the corner. The Moose have won four games in a row and are also undefeated this holiday long weekend. They’re coming off of a dominant 6-2 victory yesterday afternoon over the Val d’Or Foreurs, as well as a 4-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Friday night.
Since being reunited, the trio of Raphael Lavoie, Maxim Trepanier, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx have been lights out for Halifax. The Mooseheads’ top line have combined for an astonishing 26 points in their past four games, evidence of their importance to their team. Lavoie in particular has been leading the charge, accounting for ten of those points on his own.
Meanwhile in Charlottetown, Nikita Alexandrov has been on a roll of his own, recording six points over his past three games. He was a big part of the first two victories of this weekend for the Isles, recording three assists in Friday’s 5-0 victory over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, and tallying Charlottetown’s only regulation goal in Saturday’s 2-1 shootout victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
Another Islander who has been hot is Matthew Welsh. The goaltender has been lights out all season long and leads the QMJHL with a 1.32 goals against average and a .947 save percentage. He’s in line to get the start after Jacob Goobie started Saturday against Bathurst.
Meanwhile in the opposite crease, Alexis Gravel returned to the lineup yesterday following a lower body injury he sustained in that September 21st matchup against the Islanders. He allowed just two goals on 23 shots in the victory yesterday over the Foreurs; it’s reported that the Chicago Blackhawks prospect will see starts in back-to-back games, getting the call this afternoon.
Don’t forget that you can catch all of the action this afternoon at the Eastlink Centre by visiting the Eastlink Centre box office, by phone at 902-629-6625, or online at https://boxoffice.eastlinkcentrepei.com. Bring the family today and get 4 tickets (2 adults/seniors and 2 students/youth) for just $44!
