“Give them a pass on this one. This is on the coach,” bench boss Jim Hulton said with a smile after the game.
Hulton, who is also the GM, completed five trades in the past three days as the Islanders loaded up for what is hoped to be a long playoff run.
“We had a lot of tired campers in the lineup tonight,” he said. “We’re going to be fine. We just have to relax, get through tomorrow and get some rest and some practice.”
Francois Beauchemin and Adam Marsh left Val-d’Or, Que., Thursday, stayed in Rimouski overnight and arrived in Charlottetown an hour before the game.
Beauchemin said watching from the stands wasn’t an option.
“No. I was going to play,” he said after the game. “Maybe I was missing a little bit of (my) legs, but I’ll be there tomorrow.”
The Islanders host the Screaming Eagles today at 2 p.m. in a rematch.
There was a lot of anticipation and excitement around the Eastlink Centre on Friday with the return of Daniel Sprong and the new faces joining the club through trades.
With the game tied 2-2 with 12 minutes remaining, Sprong had a chance to give the home side the lead but was unable to beat Screaming Eagles goalie Kyle Jessiman.
Cape Breton centre Phelix Martineau beat Islanders netminder Mark Grametbauer on a breakaway with 4:26 to play for the winner. Giovanni Fiore scored his second of the game into an empty net with four seconds to play.
Drake Batherson added a goal and an assist while Adam McCormick, Leon Gawanke, Sacha Roy and Yannik Bertrand each had an assist.
Nicolas Meloche, with his first as an Islander, and Kameron Kielly scored for Charlottetown with assists to Sprong, Filip Chlapik, Sam King and Dillon Boucher.
Jessiman made 34 saves for the victory while Grametbauer stopped 38 shots in the loss.
The Islanders led 2-1 after the first period while the game was tied 2-2 heading to the third. Cape Breton won its sixth straight game to improve to 22-15-2-1 while Charlottetown lost its first game after the Christmas break to fall to 24-13-1-0.
Islanders captain Guillaume Brisebois said the players who drove all day were expected to be tired, but it shouldn’t be a pass for the rest of the team.
“It is unacceptable for the guys that were here to come out flat like that,” he said.
Asked if he had a message for the community, Brisebois said: “They didn't see the real Charlottetown Islanders. I think we have to come out stronger than that tomorrow.”
He wasn’t worried it would be an issue after a good night of rest.
“It's a game, now we need to put it behind us and learn from it.”
Beauchemin has played on some strong teams in Rimouski and Val-d’Or and likes what he sees on the Islanders roster.
“We have a team to win the cup this year,” he said. “Good things will happen if we work together.”
“Give them a pass on this one. This is on the coach,” bench boss Jim Hulton said with a smile after the game.
Hulton, who is also the GM, completed five trades in the past three days as the Islanders loaded up for what is hoped to be a long playoff run.
“We had a lot of tired campers in the lineup tonight,” he said. “We’re going to be fine. We just have to relax, get through tomorrow and get some rest and some practice.”
Francois Beauchemin and Adam Marsh left Val-d’Or, Que., Thursday, stayed in Rimouski overnight and arrived in Charlottetown an hour before the game.
Beauchemin said watching from the stands wasn’t an option.
“No. I was going to play,” he said after the game. “Maybe I was missing a little bit of (my) legs, but I’ll be there tomorrow.”
The Islanders host the Screaming Eagles today at 2 p.m. in a rematch.
There was a lot of anticipation and excitement around the Eastlink Centre on Friday with the return of Daniel Sprong and the new faces joining the club through trades.
With the game tied 2-2 with 12 minutes remaining, Sprong had a chance to give the home side the lead but was unable to beat Screaming Eagles goalie Kyle Jessiman.
Cape Breton centre Phelix Martineau beat Islanders netminder Mark Grametbauer on a breakaway with 4:26 to play for the winner. Giovanni Fiore scored his second of the game into an empty net with four seconds to play.
Drake Batherson added a goal and an assist while Adam McCormick, Leon Gawanke, Sacha Roy and Yannik Bertrand each had an assist.
Nicolas Meloche, with his first as an Islander, and Kameron Kielly scored for Charlottetown with assists to Sprong, Filip Chlapik, Sam King and Dillon Boucher.
Jessiman made 34 saves for the victory while Grametbauer stopped 38 shots in the loss.
The Islanders led 2-1 after the first period while the game was tied 2-2 heading to the third. Cape Breton won its sixth straight game to improve to 22-15-2-1 while Charlottetown lost its first game after the Christmas break to fall to 24-13-1-0.
Islanders captain Guillaume Brisebois said the players who drove all day were expected to be tired, but it shouldn’t be a pass for the rest of the team.
“It is unacceptable for the guys that were here to come out flat like that,” he said.
Asked if he had a message for the community, Brisebois said: “They didn't see the real Charlottetown Islanders. I think we have to come out stronger than that tomorrow.”
He wasn’t worried it would be an issue after a good night of rest.
“It's a game, now we need to put it behind us and learn from it.”
Beauchemin has played on some strong teams in Rimouski and Val-d’Or and likes what he sees on the Islanders roster.
“We have a team to win the cup this year,” he said. “Good things will happen if we work together.”
