Three-goal outburst sparks Drakkar

Baie-comeau had chance to sweep Charlottetown Islanders on April 3

Three goals in fewer than three minutes proved to be the difference in Game 3 of a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) playoff game in Charlottetown on April 2.

Goals by Matyas Melovsky (5:49), Niks Fenenko (7:55) and Alexis Bernier (8:45) in the second period opened a 4-1 lead for the Baie-comeau Drakkar over the Charlottetown Islanders.

Anthony Lavoie had opened the scoring for the Drakkar on the game’s first shot on goal 23 seconds in.

Before 1,502 fans at Eastlink Centre, the Drakkar added another goal off the stick of Raoul Boilard in the final minute of the middle frame to take a 5-1 lead into the second intermission.

The Drakkar went on to win the game 5-3 for a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven opening-round matchup. Game 4 is in Charlottetown on April 3 at 7 p.m.

LOST COMPOSURE

Islanders general manager and head coach Jim Hulton called a timeout after Baiecomeau’s fourth goal. Hulton said the Islanders lost their composure and were chasing the game.

“They are too good (to be chasing the game),” said Hulton. “For us, it was, ‘Settle down, get back to win your next shift mode and there is a lot of hockey game left.’

“We did a decent job of recovering; we just can’t dig that big of a hole.”

The Islanders did not quit and third-period goals by Alexis Michaud (1:25) and William Shields (10:05) made it a two-goal game.

Simon Hughes of Stratford, P.E.I., also scored for the Islanders in the second period, who received assists from Matthew Butler (2), Shields, Giovanni Morneau, Simon Duguay and Owen Conrad.

TURNING POINT

Drakkar head coach Jeanfrancois Grégoire agreed the three-goal outburst in the second period proved to be the turning point.

“Having a lot of their best players in the box, we took advantage of that,” said Grégoire. “I will give credit to the Islanders for that third period.”

The Drakkar outshot the Islanders 40-26. Charlesédward Gravel earned the goaltending win, and Carter Bickle turned in a 35-save effort for the Islanders.

The game’s three stars were: 1. Raoul Boilard (Drakkar); 2. Carter Bickle (Islanders); 3. Émile Chouinard (Drakkar).

JASON SIMMONDS • THE GUARDIAN Charlottetown Islanders defenceman Carl-etienne Michel, 26, controls the puck while under pressure from the Baie-comeau Drakkar’s Matyas Melovsky in the first period of a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League playoff game at Eastlink Centre on April 2. The Drakkar won the contest 5-3 to take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.