Islanders lose despite spirited effort in Moncton
The Charlottetown Islanders came up short in Moncton on Sunday afternoon, falling 5-1 to the Wildcats.
Despite the final scoreline, the Islanders played an impressive game, particularly through the first two periods. They showed physicality, solid forechecking, and a determined effort that outshot their opponents 32-28 by the end of the game.
Isles come out swinging in the 1st
The Islanders came out with intensity from the opening puck drop. Despite struggling on the powerplay in recent games, they had a great start to the 1st period, generating energy through strong forechecking and physical play.
The team’s efforts were rewarded at 12:20 of the 1st when Matt Butler found the back of the net on the powerplay, assisted by Ethan Montroy, who notched his 1st point as an Islander, and Marcus Kearsey.
The Isles led 1-0 after the opening frame, with a 15-7 shot advantage, and looked every bit the better team against the QMJHL’s top-ranked Wildcats.
A controversial goal puts us down by 1
In the 2nd period, the momentum shifted briefly after a breakaway goal from Caleb Desnoyers, the projected NHL 1st-rounder, just 92 seconds into the period.
The Islanders remained resilient, despite a questionable penalty call against Thomas Sirman that sent Moncton to their second powerplay of the night. The penalty kill was outstanding, with goalie Nicolas Ruccia making several key saves.
The biggest moment of controversy came at 12:21, when Alex Mercier scored a disputed goal after Ruccia, after the goal horn had blown, had thought play was dead. Despite the Islanders’ protests, the goal stood, putting Moncton ahead 2-1.
The Islanders continued to push back, outshooting the Wildcats 22-16 after two periods. Unfortunately, they couldn’t capitalize on a series of powerplay opportunities, finishing the period still trailing by one.
A frustrated end to a good effort
In the 3rd, the Wildcats seized control. Desnoyers struck again with his 2nd goal of the game at 5:37, followed by a tip-in goal from Riley Collard to make it 4-1.
The Islanders, still outshooting Moncton, had several chances to respond, including a 4-minute powerplay late in the game after a double-minor penalty to Collard. However, they were unable to convert on the man advantage.
Moncton sealed the win with a final goal from Maxim Cote at 12:17, making it 5-1.
Despite the scoreline, the Islanders can hold their heads high after a valiant effort. They played a fast, physical game and were the better team for much of the contest, particularly in the first two periods.
Goaltender Nicolas Ruccia was excellent in net, and the Islanders’ penalty kill was strong, denying the Wildcats on all but 2 of their 6 powerplay opportunities.
What’s next!
They’ll look to bounce back in their next matchup in a back-to-back at home vs. the Saint John Sea Dogs as they continue their push to solidify their identity as a tough, competitive team.
