Crucial weekend for Islanders
Charlottetown squad starts three games in three days stretch tonight in Bathurst, N.B.
The Charlottetown Islanders performance this weekend could have an impact on the team’s plans for the trade period.
Islanders head coach and general manager Jim Hulton said trade talk is just starting as clubs work towards the trade period opening on Dec. 16. It closes Jan. 6.
Hulton said the club had not determined if it would be buyers or sellers this season but didn’t anticipate it being drastic moves in either direction.
“(Tuesday) night was a big step to see what we could do against a good Halifax team,” he said, regarding the team’s 4-3 overtime loss after falling behind 3-0 in Halifax.
The Islanders travel to New Brunswick today to play the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at 7 p.m. before hosting the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Saturday at 7 p.m. and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar Sunday at 3 p.m. The two homes games come against two of the league’s top seven clubs and are good evaluation tools for the Islanders’ brass before making decisions on its second-half direction.
“We’re going to meet with the hockey committee probably the first week of December,” Hulton said.
The Islanders beat the Titan 8-3 on Nov. 17. Hulton said the Titan’s new coach, Mario Durocher, has had some time to implement changes and the squad beat Saint John 4-1 on Wednesday. With Tyriq Outen playing Wednesday, Hulton was assuming they would see former Isles goalie Mark Grametbauer in the crease tonight for Acadie-Bathurst.
“Mark always rises to the occasion when he plays us, so we have to be prepared for a totally different type of game,” he said.
“I think we have to build off the final 40 minutes in Halifax,” he added. “I thought we played really, really good, probably our best road effort of the season.”
Dakota Lund-Cornish gets the start in goal for a healthy Islanders’ lineup.
“We have a busy, busy stretch through the month of December and he’s played really well and he’s ready, so it’s his time to shine,” Hulton said.