HALIFAX, N.S. – The Charlottetown Islanders earned a victory Saturday night in Halifax and got good news on Sunday.
Captain Pierre-Olivier Joseph took a shot to the hand in the third period of Saturday’s 7-4 win and did not return.
Head coach Jim Hulton said Sunday night x-rays came back negative and the mobile defenceman is expected to skate with the team Monday morning.
“It was 50-50 (Saturday) night whether it was broke or not,” Hulton said, admitting to taking a sigh of relief upon hearing the update. “I’m just awfully glad he’ll still be able to dress.”
The Islanders are returning home with a 2-0 series leads after sweeping the first two games at the Scotiabank Centre in downtown Halifax.
Games 3 and 4 are at the Eastlink Centre Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m.
“No need to get too excited, there’s a lot of work to be done,” Hulton said. “It’s a long ways from over . . . We’re only halfway home.”
The bench boss is encouraged, knowing his team hasn’t played its best hockey yet.
The Herd isn’t panicking, either.
“It’s a long series and it’s far from over,” Halifax defenceman Patty Kyte told The Chronicle Herald’s Willy Palov after Game 2. “It’s only 2-0 and tons of teams in the past came back from 3-0 or 3-1 down. We’re just looking to go into Game 3 with a positive attitude and (carry) the momentum from the third period we had in Game 2 and just not get down on ourselves.”
The Islanders scored twice five minutes apart in the first period and took a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Filip Zadina scored a power-play goal eight minutes into the second period to cut Halifax’s deficit to one. Sullivan Sparkes took a cross-checking penalty 22 seconds after the goal and the Mooseheads looked to be in business.
That was until Isles veterans Keith Getson and Pascal Aquin caused a turnover and Getson scored to restore the two-goal lead. Hulton called it the game’s turning point.
“We were on the ropes a considerable amount at that point. If they score, they've got all the momentum and the building into it.”
The shorthanded goal took the wind out of the crowd and enabled the Islanders to settle in. They scored two more and took a 5-1 lead to the third.
Hunter Drew scored a power-play goal 4:25 into the third and the game appeared to be out of reach before Halifax scored three goals in seven minutes to pull within two. Drew iced it with an empty-net goal he scored from his own goal-line with 1:30 left in the game.
Hulton wasn’t concerned with the finish, noting it was a tired group playing its sixth game in night days, including being storm-stayed in Quebec City.
“I was worried about having anything left in the tank for the entire night,” he said. “This time of the year, I didn't care as long as we got out with more (goal) than them.”
Rookie Nikita Alexandrov had a breakout night for the Islanders with two goals and two assists. Hulton said he has been playing well and looked to be on the verge of busting out offensively for a bit.
“He certainly didn't look like a first-year player on the big stage,” the coach said proudly.
Highlight reel
A look at the statistics from Saturday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff game between the host Halifax Mooseheads and the Charlottetown Islanders.
Outcome
Charlottetown – 7
Halifax – 4
Goals
Charlottetown – Nikita Alexandrov 2, Hunter Drew 2, Keith Getson, Pascal Aquin and Derek Gentile.
Halifax – Filip Zadina, Brett Crossley, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Raphael Lavoie.
Assists
Charlottetown – Nikita Alexandrov 2, Brendon Clavelle 2, Cam Askew 2, Taylor Egan, Brett Budgell, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Pascal Aquin, Derek Gentile and Saku Vesterinen.
Halifax – Jared McIsaac 2, Walter Flower, Jake Ryczek, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Xavier Parent, Connor Moynihan and Jocktan Chainey.
Goalies
Charlottetown – Matthew Welsh, 47 saves on 51 shots.
Halifax – Alexis Gravel, 12 saves on 17 shots in 40 minutes before Blade Mann-Dixon took over in the third and made 11 saves on 12 shots.
Power play
Charlottetown – 2-for-4.
Halifax – 1-for-7.
Faceoff wins
Charlottetown – 37.
Halifax – 38.
Attendance – 8,428.
Did you know? Halifax centre Otto Somppi missed his sixth straight game with an upper body injury
