Experience shows
Islanders take it to young Drakkar to take 2-0 series lead
The Charlottetown Islanders have taken care of business on home ice.
The Islanders defeated the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 9-2 Saturday at the Eastlink Centre to take a 2-0 lead in the bestof-seven Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff series. It is the first time the Islanders/Rocket franchise has won the first two games of a playoff series.
Alex Dostie had three goals and two assists while Daniel Sprong had four helpers to pace the Islanders. Linemate Francois Beauchemin added a goal and an assist.
Dostie tied the franchise record with five points in a playoff game. Cory Urquhart set the record in 2004. Dostie, acquired in a deadline deal from Gatineau, also tied the franchise’s record for goals in a playoff game with three. Brett Lutes in 2002 and Yan-Pavel Laplante in 2013 also had hat-tricks. Sprong tied former teammate Samuel Blais for the franchise record with four assists in a playoff game.
“It’s pretty easy with Sprong and Beauchemin. I’ll give them the credit,” Dostie said. “We have good chemistry.”
Islanders head coach Jim Hulton said teams are always looking for players who are going to elevate their games late in the season.
“He’s a 30-goal scorer that’s been really, really good in the first two games here,” Hulton said of Dostie.
“He had a little glint in his eye and an extra hop in his step tonight and it’s great to see for us.”
Rookie Matthew Grouchy, Kameron Kielly, Keith Getson, Nicolas Meloche and Dillon Boucher, shorthanded, also scored. Pascal Aquin and Pierre-Olivier Joseph each had two assists, while Filip Chlapik, Grouchy, Carl Neill, Chris Chaddock and Will Bower each added one.
D’Artagnan Joly from Ivan Chekhovich and goalie Justin Blanchette had the Drakkar’s first goal. Chekhovich had an
unassisted goal with five minutes remaining in the game.
Mark Grametbauer made 20 saves for the win. Antoine Samuel allowed four goals on 18 shots before being pulled 58 seconds into the second period. Blanchette stopped 18 of 20 shots he faced in the second period. Samuel returned to the crease for the third period.
The Islanders held period leads of 3-0 and 6-1 and outshot the opposition 14-7 and 24-5 in the first two periods, respectively.
In the first period, Charlottetown scored three goals in five minutes after the Drakkar got off to a better start than it did in Game 1.
“We were a little bit shaky after the first goal,” said Baie-Comeau head coach Martin Bernard. “We had some trouble (handling) that situation. For five, six minutes, we were all over the place and they scored three goals in a row.”
The game got chippy late and 19 misconducts were handed out in the third period. At one point, the Drakkar had three guys in the penalty box, four skaters and the goalie killing an Isles power play and five skaters and the backup goalie on the bench.
“It reverted into stupidity probably a little bit on both sides,” Hulton said.
“That’s what happens with teenagers and testosterone and playoffs.”
He said the coaches try to let players know they have to control their emotions.
“It’s easy for us to say because we’re not out there in the midst of the battle,” the head coach said.
The series shifts to Baie-Comeau, Que., for Games 3 and 4 and 5, if necessary. The games are Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Bernard said his young team has to stay composed and out of the penalty box while limiting its turnovers against a veteran-laden, skilled Islanders club.
The Islanders left after the game and spent the night in Bathurst, N.B., before travelling to Baie-Comeau on Sunday.