Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase: Charlottetown at Halifax
A pair of rivals from the QMJHL’s Maritimes Division will face off in this week’s edition of the Sportsnet CHL Saturday Showcase as the Charlottetown Islanders (30-17-4-3) and Halifax Mooseheads (39-12-2-1) go head-to-head at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet ONE.
Entering Friday, the Mooseheads hold the top spot in the Maritimes Division and are coming off a 10-2 takedown of the Saint John Sea Dogs in which five Halifax skaters recorded at least three points, led by defenseman Patrick Kyte, who picked up one goal and three assists. The Ontario native has been riding a hot streak through February, collecting two goals and six assists in his last six outings to bring him to 33 points on the season.
Against the Sea Dogs, overage centre Samuel Asselin tallied twice and now has a team-leading 43 goals and 75 points in 54 games this season. Backup netminder and Nova Scotia native Cole McLaren also made a rare appearance and turned aside 21 shots to improve to 13-1-1-0.
Meanwhile, the Islanders will look to return to the win column Saturday following a 4-3 overtime loss to the Gatineau Olympiques on Thursday. Charlottetown carried a two-goal cushion after the opening frame thanks to goals from right-wing Cole Edwards and top scorer Daniel Hardie, who has tallied 32 goals and 32 assists on the season. While the Islanders were unable to hold off the Olympiques, they have recorded at least one point in their last three outings (1-0-2-0).
Saturday’s contest marks the eighth of nine meetings between Charlottetown and Halifax in 2018-19, with the Mooseheads having won six times previously, including the last matchup on February 6 in which Newfoundland native Joel Bishop scored twice for Halifax, while 2019 NHL Entry Draft hopeful Nikita Alexandrov notched the Islanders’ lone tally in the 4-1 decision. Mooseheads starter Alexis Gravel, a sixth-round selection by the Chicago Blackhawks in last year’s draft, stopped 25 shots for the victory.
Catch all of the action in the latest meetup between the two squads Saturday on Sportsnet and Sportsnet ONE and on the NHL Network in the United States when the puck drops at 3:30pm ET/12:30pm PT.
