Weber scores in final minute to give Isles victory in Quebec
Dexter Weber had the game-winner with 30 seconds left to play as the Charlottetown Islanders secured a 4-3 win over the Quebec Remparts on Sunday afternoon.
After a couple of disappointing losses on Friday and Saturday, it was the first victory for the Islanders on their 3-in-3 road trip in Quebec.
The Remparts got the scoring underway a few minutes into the game as Luc Deschenes got caught at the Islanders blue line. Matthew Boucher was able to get the puck in behind him to Bronson Beaton for a partial breakaway, who wristed it past Mason McDonald to make it 1-0.
Samuel Blais came within inches of getting the Islanders’ first goal midway through the period, as he got the puck behind Callum Booth, through the crease and off the far post. Booth got hurt on the play and was replaced by Evgeny Kiselev.
The Islanders didn’t give Kiselev a chance to settle in, with a nice passing play between Bradley Kennedy and Mitchell Balmas tying the game at 12:09. Kennedy gave the puck to Balmas, who one-timed it right back to Kennedy, allowing him to get it past the pads of Kiselev.
A couple of minutes later the Islanders took the lead after a bad-angle shot by Filip Rydstrom made its way through the five-hole of Kiselev to make it 2-1.
The Islanders ran into penalty trouble in the second period, and found themselves on an extended 5-on-3 penalty kill with Will Thompson, Weber, and Alexis Vanier all in the box.
On the initial 5-on-3, Pierre-Olivier Joseph attempted to block a shot by Aaron Dutra, but it deflected off his back and went high on McDonald to tie it at 2.
Still on the two-man advantage, the Remparts took the lead back 26 seconds later as Auguste Impose ripped a one-timer from the slot to make it 3-2.
In the third, Kennedy found his second of the game 12 minutes in to tie things back up at 3.
Action was back-and-forth in the final minute of play as neither team seemed content to let it go to overtime. With 30 seconds left in regulation Kameron Kielly found Weber at the point, and he ripped it home to give the Islanders the lead and the victory.
McDonald stopped 24 of 27 in net for the Islanders in front of 14,750 fans at the Centre Videotron, while Kiselev made 23 saves after replacing Booth.
The Islanders were scoreless on one attempt on the power play, while their penalty kill went 3-for-5.
The Isles come home from Quebec with 2 of a possible 6 points, leaving them 10th in the standings. They return to the Eastlink Centre on Saturday night as they host the Moncton Wildcats.
