Charlottetown Islanders Secure Overtime Win in GOTY
In a game that could easily be considered a game of the year contender, the Charlottetown Islanders triumphed 5-4 in overtime against the Cape Breton Eagles on Thursday night. Extending their undefeated streak in 2025 and ending Cape’s.
Both teams came into the game with perfect records to start the new year, and it was clear from the drop of the puck that neither was willing to give an inch in this intense maritime rivalry.
1st Period: Quick Start for the Isles, But Eagles Fight Back
The Islanders wasted no time getting things rolling. Just 16 seconds into the game, Matt Butler took advantage of a rusty Jakob Milota, who was back in net for Cape Breton after a stint with the Czechia team at the World Juniors, and buried the first goal of the game. Simon Hughes and Ross Campbell earned the assists as Charlottetown came out of the gates flying, outshooting the Eagles 3-0 early.
Not even two minutes later, the Isles doubled their lead. Jude Herron, showing his finishing touch, put the puck past Milota to make it 2-0. A brilliant feed from Brayden Stumpf set up Herron for his 5th of the season, and Charlottetown had all the momentum.
At this point, the Islanders were dominating the play, with the shots at 6-0 just two minutes into the game.
The Eagles, stunned by the Isles’ blistering start, eventually found their feet.
A massive hit by Will Murphy seemed to spark Cape Breton, and they quickly capitalized on the momentum. Jacob Newcombe pulled one back for the Eagles at the 11-minute mark, making it 2-1. The Islanders still led in shots 8-5 as the period wore on.
Charlottetown’s penalty kill stepped up big, as they successfully killed off an interference penalty to Thomas Sriman with some crucial shot-blocking by Owen Conrad and key saves by Donald Hickey.
By the end of the period, the Eagles had worked their way back into the game. The period ended with Charlottetown holding a 2-1 lead, but the game was far from decided.
2nd Period: Eagles Take Control, But Isles Fight Back
The 2nd period started with a bang as Joseph Henneberry tied the game just 18 seconds in, making it 2-2.
The back-and-forth nature of this game was already evident, and both teams knew the stakes were high with the game tied early in the middle frame.
The Islanders felt hard done by the referees as they were handed two controversial penalties in the period. After a late hit on Ethan Montroy led to a scrum, the Isles were called for an extra penalty, sending them to the penalty kill once again.
The Eagles capitalized, with Nathan Plouffe scoring on a breakaway to give Cape Breton a 3-2 lead at the 17-minute mark.
The Islanders had a tough time keeping their emotions in check, as another penalty to Simon Hughes put them at a disadvantage with a double minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. Cape Breton had a golden opportunity to extend their lead, but despite the powerplay time, the Isles’ defense and goaltending held strong.
Finally, the Islanders responded. Matt Butler, with his second point of the game, fed Will Shields with a beautiful dish through the seam. Shields wasted no time in finding the corner on a wrister past Milota to tie the game 3-3 with just under four minutes left in the period.
The game was once again level, and it was clear that both teams were going to give everything they had.
As the period wound down, the Islanders would get one more powerplay opportunity but couldn’t capitalize on their chances.
Just as it seemed they would take the lead, Cape Breton caught a lucky break. Just as the Isles penalty came to an end, the Henneberry came out of the penalty box and scored a breakaway goal. This gave Cape Breton a 4-3 lead heading into the final frame.
3rd Period: Islanders Fight Back, But It’s All About Overtime
The final period was a tense affair, with both teams refusing to back down. Despite a strong start for the Islanders on the powerplay, they couldn’t find the equalizer and the game remained 4-3 in favour of Cape Breton.
But the Isles were relentless and it was Kyle Powers who would tie the game late. Powers took matters into his own hands, driving hard to the net and scoring the tying goal to make it 4-4 with 12:05 left. The Islanders had life again.
The back-and-forth action continued, with both teams creating chances. Kyle Powers hit the post, and Milota made some outstanding saves. With the clock winding down, it was clear this game was headed to overtime.
Overtime: Ross ‘Ricky’ Campbell the Hero
In the extra frame, the Islanders dominated possession, and it was only a matter of time before they broke through.
Ross Campbell, had been a constant threat all game long and made a fantastic move into the crease to bury the game-winner. Sending the Eastlink Centre into a frenzy!
The Isles won 5-4, with Campbell’s overtime goal sealing the deal.
The Islanders remain undefeated in 2025 and hand the Cape Breton Eagles their first loss of the year in a game that will be remembered for its intensity and drama. Both teams showed why they’ll be forces to reckon with throughout the 2nd half of the season.
Final Score:
Charlottetown Islanders 5, Cape Breton Eagles 4 (OT)
Shots: Charlottetown 36, Cape Breton 32
Stars of the Game:
1.Matt Butler (1G, 1A)
2.Ross Campbell (1G, 1A)
3.Brayden Stumpf (2A)
The Islanders play next at home for 90s night on January 18th vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan.
