Islanders secure shootout win on first road trip
Capre Breton, NS — The Islanders hit the road in Cape Breton looking to get their first win of the season two days after their Home Opener loss to Moncton Friday night.
Donald Hickey got the start again Sunday facing off against the Eagles Sam Berthiaume. Lots of back-and-forth action in the beginning of the first. Less than two minutes into the game, Antoine Boudreau got his second goal of the season putting the Islanders up ahead early. Half way through the first the Eagles would tie it up with a goal from Cole Chandler, his first of the year. Cape gave Hickey a busy first 20 getting 21 shots on net with the Islanders only getting 9 in the offensive end.
The Eagles quickly went to the penalty box to start the second but the Islanders KJ Eccleston negated the man advantage. Hugo Charron made his return to Cape Breton Sunday for the first time since being traded in the off-season, making his presence known getting his first goal of the season in his old barn and taking the lead back. That lead wouldn’t last long. Cape took advantage of their powerplay opportunity after a too many men call on the Islanders. Shot discrepancy was still a storyline throughout the second period as the Eagles outshot the Islanders 17-8
The 2-2 game kept people on the edge of their seat. Assistant Captain, Tony Provencher, would break the seal on scoring in the third just under 8 minutes into the third. And, on par with the game, the Eagles didn’t let Charlottetown celebrate for long. Reece Peitzsche put one past Hickey tying it up for the third time, and would end in a 3-3 tie forcing the Islanders first OT of the season.
Overtime became the battle of the goalies making big saves on both ends of the ice. Good scoring opportunities presented themselves for both teams, but no success in the 5 minutes round, sending them to a shootout, something Cape Breton familiarized themselves with on Friday night after a shootout loss to Halifax. Their shootout status didn’t improve as Hickey continued his standout performance, securing the Islanders’ first win of the season. Hickey blockered away 56 of the 59 regulation shots.
The Islanders have a four day break before their next game. They’ll face the Cape Breton Eagles once again, this time on home ice. Season Tickets and 15-Game Packs for the 2026-27 season are on sale now. Fans can secure their seats for an exciting new era of Islanders hockey by purchasing online or visiting the Eastlink Centre Box Office.
