Islanders sweep Wildcats
Charlottetown advances in QMHL playoffs
MONCTON, N.B. – The Charlottetown Islanders are headed to the second round of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoffs.
The Islanders posted a convincing 5-0 victory over the Moncton Wildcats on May 9 to sweep the best-of-five opening-round series.
After winning the first two games 7-2 and 4-2 at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown, the Islanders led 2-0 after the first and second periods and did not allow the Wildcats to get anything going offensively in the series-clinching victory before 2,337 fans at Avenir Centre.
Charlottetown limited Moncton to 13 shots against goaltender Franky Lapenna, who allowed only four goals in the three-game series for a 1.33 goals-against average and stopped 54 of 58 shots for a .931 save percentage.
Offensively, defenceman Noah Laaouan scored once and added two assists to pace the Islanders.
Drew Elliott, Michael Horth, Lukas Cormier and Xavier Simoneau also dented the twine for the Islanders. Dawson Stairs, Owen Saye, Keiran Gallant, Jakub Brabenec, Brett Budgell and Zac Roy earned assists to round out Charlottetown’s balanced attack.
The Islanders directed 42 shots at Wildcats goaltender Jonathan Lemieux. Charlottetown held period advantages of 12-6, 17-3 and 13-4.
The Islanders went 2-for-6 on the power play and killed off all six Moncton man advantages. In the three games, the Islanders were 5-for-15 on the power play and were 14-for-15 on the penalty kill.
The game’s three stars were:
1. Noah Laaouan (Islanders);
2. Lukas Cormier (Islanders);
3. Brett Budgell (Islanders).
NEXT ROUND
The Charlottetown Islanders will now await the results of the other series for their opponent to be determined in the Eastern Conference.
The QMJHL announced in March that the second round, which will also be a best-offive series, will be played between May 15 and May 22.
The Islanders, based on their second-place overall finish in the regular season, will have home-ice advantage in Round 2.
The top-seeded Quebec Remparts doubled the Chicoutimi Saguenéens 6-3 to sweep its first-round series. Quebec will face the lowest seed in the Eastern Conference in Round 2.
Also in the Eastern Conference on May 9, the Acadiebathurst Titan defeated the Halifax Mooseheads 8-1 to stave off elimination, and the Saint John Sea Dogs picked up a 5-2 road win to take a 2-1 series lead over the Rimouski Oceanic.
Game 4 is in Rimouski on May 10, and the Titan and Mooseheads resume play in Halifax on May 11. If the Titan force a fifth and deciding game, it will be played in Bathurst, N.B., on May 12.
On May 9, defenceman Zach Biggar of Portage, P.E.I., scored two goals and forward Bennett Macarthur of Summerside, P.E.I., earned three assists for the Titan, and defenceman Charlie Desroches contributed a pair of helpers for the Sea Dogs.