Islanders Hold Off Remparts in Playoff Opener Thriller
The Charlottetown Islanders opened their playoff run in dramatic fashion Friday night, skating to a hard-fought 5–3 victory over the Quebec Remparts in Game 1 at the Eastlink Centre.
With a buzzing home crowd behind them, the Islanders delivered exactly what was expected from this matchup. Physical play, momentum swings, and high-end performances on both sides.
Charlottetown wasted no time establishing their presence. Just under two minutes into the opening frame, Ivan Ryabkin threaded a perfect pass to Will Shields, who buried the game’s first goal to give the Islanders an early 1–0 lead.
The Islanders controlled much of the first period, outshooting Quebec and dictating the pace with a relentless forecheck and physical edge. Despite that strong start, the Remparts found a way to respond late in the period. With just 41 seconds remaining, Egan Beveridge scored, sending the game into the intermission tied 1–1.
The middle frame saw momentum swing in both directions. Quebec grabbed their first lead of the night midway through the period, with Beveridge striking again to make it 2–1.
Charlottetown answered in a big way. Tyler Peddle stepped up with a clutch goal, wiring a shot past Patrick Deniger to even the score at 2–2.
Moments later, Ryabkin continued his dominant night, finishing off a breakaway set up by captain Marcus Kearsey to restore the Islanders’ lead at 3–2. But the Remparts refused to go away, answering just 20 seconds later to tie the game 3–3 heading into the third.
In a game full of big moments, Ryabkin delivered the biggest.
Early in the third period, he followed up his own rebound and buried his second goal of the night to give Charlottetown a 4–3 lead, one they would not surrender. The Islanders tightened up defensively from there, grinding down the clock and limiting Quebec’s chances despite being outshot overall.
As the Remparts pushed late and pulled their goaltender, Ross Campbell sealed the win with an empty-net goal in the final minute.
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Final Score: Islanders 5, Remparts 3
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Shots: Quebec 29, Charlottetown 25
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1st Star: Ivan Ryabkin (2G, 2A)
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3rd Star: Tyler Peddle (1G)
Game 1 lived up to the billing, and then some.
The Islanders showed their identity early, winning the physical battle and setting the tone, while also proving they could respond under pressure in a tightly contested game. Ryabkin continued to drive the offense, and the team’s depth came through in key moments.
With the win, Charlottetown takes a 1–0 series lead and builds momentum heading into Game 2 on home ice.
If this opener was any indication, this series is going to be a battle every single night.
