Casey scores regulation and shootout goals in Islanders win over Cape Breton

It took 11 rounds but Charlottetown native Thomas Casey played hero for the Charlottetown Islanders and potted the only goal in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Saturday. With the win Charlottetown moved to 35-23-7, good to maintain ninth overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with three games remaining in the regular season.

Casey also the game’s first goal almost 15 minutes into the first period for a 1-0 lead. But Cape Breton’s Phelix Martineau and Peyton Hoyt gave the Eagles a 2-1 edge after 40 minutes.

Isles blue-liner Taylor Egan tied things 2-2 nine minutes into the third, until Declan Smith put Cape Breton up 3-2 with a goal 29 second later. Charlottetown forward Cameron Askew tied things 3-3 with under five minutes left in the game and sent it to overtime. Egan, Daniel Hardie, Keith Getson, Hunter Drew, Saku Vesterinen and Pascal Aquin drew the Islanders’ assists. Dakota Lund-Cornish (6-8) stopped 22-of-25 shots, including all attempts in the shootout, for the goaltending win. Kyle Jessiman (17-20) kicked aside 28-of-31 shots in the loss. The season series was tied 4-4. Next up Charlottetown wraps the season series with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in two-game, home-and-home series. Game 1 is Wednesday in Bathurst, N.B., while Game 2 is Friday at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown. Both contests start at 7 p.m. Charlottetown concludes the regular season Saturday at home against the Moncton Wildcats. Start time is 3 p.m.