RECAP | Isles back in the win column defeating Sea Dogs 6-2
By Kyle Cotton
Charlottetown, PE – The Charlottetown Islanders snap their seven game losing streak by taking down the Saint John Sea Dogs 6-2 at the Eastlink Centre Saturday night.
Aksels Ozols was strong earning his tenth win of the season, stopping 23 of 25 shots faced.
Isles jump ahead early
Nate Tivey would give the Isles their first power play just two minutes after the puck was dropped.
Charlottetown took advantage. In the dying seconds of the man advantage, Cole Huckins took a feed from Ross Campbell and buried his 19th of the season. Anthony Flanagan added an assist on the game’s first goal.
Soon after, Will Allen went to the box not long after but the penalty kill unit started the night off well. Simon Duguay blocked a chance with his stick and Ozols made a great save to keep the lead.
Will Shields then doubled Charlottetown’s lead, ripping a slot shot over Saint John goaltender Patrick Leaver. His 11th of the season was assisted by Michael Horth and Matthew Butler.
The offence continued to rain down on Saint John. Campbell added his second point of the period with his 10th goal of the season. He sent a “knuckle puck” on goal and it beat Leaver. Owen Conrad assisted and Huckins added his second point with a helper.
The Isles went back to the penalty kill not long after Campbell scored as Butler made awkward contact with a Sea Dogs skater. The penalty kill unit stayed strong for Charlottetown though.
Allen made a nice between-the-legs play and fired a shot on Leaver, but was turned aside.
The Islanders led in shots 14-9 after the opening frame.
Sea Dogs start to claw back
Charlottetown found themselves on the power play after a bench minor for too many men on the ice against Saint John.
While short-handed, Saint John defenceman Pavel Simek found himself on a breakaway, but Ozols denied him one on one.
Then, James Swan came back the other way with a solid shot of his own, but Leaver turned him aside with a toe save.
After Ondrej Maruna was stopped, Saint John got one back. Tyler Peddle put a loose puck in the back of the net to bring them back within two.
But just 18 seconds later, Simon Hughes restored their three goal lead. Kyle Powers fed him a great pass and Hughes finished it off with no mistake. Conrad added his second assist of the game as well.
Kevin Walker then set Flanagan up for a nice chance, but Leaver said no once again.
The Sea Dogs brought it back within two before the period ended. A rebound kicked out to Brody Fournier and he buried his 22nd of the season.
The Isles led in shots still after two periods 28-20.
Charlottetown shuts things down in third
Ozols was tested early in the final frame and he turned aside Simek and Joseph Ianniello.
Shields and Horth then had back-to-back chances to extend their lead to three goals again but Leaver turned them aside.
Butler eventually found a way to break through. He cut to the middle of the slot and wired a wrist shot through Leaver to make it 5-2.
Maruna, Powers, and Walker each laid the body with solid hits, continuing the physical tone that the game started with.
With the Sea Dogs net empty, Campbell fed Alexis Michaud while rushing the empty net. Michaud buried his 16th of the season to seal the 6-2 win for the Islanders.
The Isles snapped their seven-game losing streak with the win on home ice. They outshot the Sea Dogs 44-25.
Second star of the night Butler knows the win is great for the locker room.
“I think we’re all clicking. Everyone in the dressing room is ready to go and we just gotta keep building off of this,” Butler said.
Head coach Jim Hulton has his plans laid out for the upcoming playoff series against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
“We’re going to have to be a confident club heading into Baie-Comeau,” he said. “There are some guys that have gone through some ups and downs but all of the lines contributed tonight.”
The Islanders and Sea Dogs will meet again tomorrow in Saint John. Puck drop at TD Station is at 3 p.m.
