Quick turnarounds
Islanders entertain Halifax Sunday, Maple Leaf fans joyous after three-game win streak to begin Keefe era
The fortunes of hockey teams, whether in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) or in the NHL, can change from week to week as was the case recently with the Charlottetown Islanders and the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Islanders had been flirting among the elite clubs in the QMJHL standings without star defenceman Lukas Cormier and top sniper Nikita Alexandrov and those injuries, sooner or later, would catch up with the depleted line-up. The Islanders dropped three straight games in Quebec, which was no surprise to The Sports Prophet as the next-man-up philosophy finally caught up with even the best of hockey minds in head coach Jim Hulton.
The Islanders are at home Sunday at 3 p.m. to the Halifax Mooseheads (12-11-2-1), but I wouldn’t worry about the Islanders as they appear set for another extended playoff run once the key players return. It’s difficult to figure out how good the Islanders really are when they have a healthy line-up, but I’m sure Hulton will figure it out.
The NHL appears to be in turmoil these days and on the heels of the tumultuous Don Cherry exit, Canadian hockey fans are dealing with the firing of Mike Babcock and resignation of Calgary coach Bill Peters for alleged actions detrimental to hockey. Toss in the horrible play of Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price and the sudden slump of the Habs and the stunning Toronto Maple Leafs’ reversal of form, three straight impressive wins, and you have a hockey season where the path to the Stanley Cup, at this early date, appears to be a wide-open affair.
The sudden rise of the Leafs and the fall for the Canadiens has suddenly changed the local hockey environment. Mike (Willis) Hennessey, the commissioner of the noon rec hockey league and one of the biggest Canadiens fans in the province, has been AWOL this past week.
On the other hand, former referee Brian Carragher, a stubborn Leafs supporter, was seen at the track a week ago discussing a long-extended Leafs Stanley Cup run with Frank Robison and Eldred Nicholson. If ever one wanted an example of preaching to the converted that was it.
Even the Atlantic University
Sport men’s hockey conference is not immune to sudden change. The UPEI Panthers, who found themselves last in the conference early in the season, have slowly but steadily moved upwards. They were 5-7-3 before Friday’s action and within range of a top-four finish at the Christmas break.
The Panthers entertain Dalhousie tonight at 7 p.m. on campus while the women’s Panthers (13-2-1), who have seldom enjoyed the rarified air at the top of the AUS, are at home today at 4 p.m. against St. FX.
BASKETBALL
L.A.’s Robbie Robinson, who had an impressive first season with the Island Storm, is featured on the team’s Facebook page this week.
Storm sharp-shooting guard Johnathan Loyd from Las Vegas, all-Canadian guard Alex Campbell and Nate Wright, a former member of the Harlem Globetrotters, will be in action in Storm pre-season games at Three Oaks on Dec. 20 and Montague Regional High School on Dec. 21 at 7 p.m.
HARNESS RACING
Live harness racing is scheduled to continue Sunday after Saturday’s card was postponed and rescheduled for Sunday, Dec. 8, at noon.
On Sunday, with post time 12:30 p.m., the $3,000 preferred goes in Race 11 with Creepin on the rail with Midnight Matt and Rose Rose Quest leaving on the outside in the six-horse field, which includes Varadero Hanover, Bank of Dad and Burn Out Hanover.
A crowd in the vicinity of 60 took in the P.E.I. Colt Stakes’ special meeting in Charlottetown on Tuesday. It was one of the biggest crowds in recent memory for such a meeting.
Norman Hall, who spearheaded the program for almost 40 years as a volunteer, and Blaine MacPherson addressed the gathering. A committee was formed to look after the future direction of standardbred breeders, a great start in view of the decreasing numbers for the association.
At Mohawk Raceway tonight, Euchred leaves from Post 10 in Race 11 for driver Jody Jamieson and trainer Terry Gallant. He can win in this class but not from out there.
Easy Lover Hanover is the favourite in the $34,000 top class, which includes Physicallyinclined, East End (James MacDonald) and three others. James posted a hat trick on Thursday and Island-bred Thelastonestanding was fifth in 1:57 on the same card.