Charlottetown used a big game from their top scorers to pull the upset on Moncton in the shootout.
Friday's nearly full slate of QMJHL action saw eight games take place across the league, including some big scorelines, and an Islanders team that might finally be showing their upside.
Recap: Moncton (5) - Charlottetown (6) (SO)
Charlottetown assistant captain Matthew Butler celebrates his equalizing goal against league leaders Moncton in the second period. (Photo: Mike Bernard)The Charlottetown Islanders clearly have a lot of talent, especially with the mid-season addition of Carolina Hurricanes prospect Ivan Ryabkin.
But, it has felt as though they've had trouble showing that talent on a consistent basis, and have therefore found themselves sixth in the Eastern conference with a fairly middling record.
But, on Friday with league leading Moncton in town, they showed why they cannot be taken lightly.
It was Moncton who got the party started, with Utah Mammoth top draft pick Caleb Desnoyers continuing his torrid streak of late. But, Alexis Beaulieu tied things up with two minutes to go in the first, sending the teams to the dressing room knotted up at one.
Moncton took the lead again in the second, with recent signing Gavin Cornforth scoring his seventh of the year. Charlottetown answered with three goals of their own, however, taking a 4-2 lead through Matthew Butler, Nathan Leek and Ryabkin.
While Alex Mercier reduced the deficit before the end of the middle frame, the Islanders still entered the third with the lead.
Marcus Kearsey's power-play marker seemed to put the game away at 5-3 with about 13 minutes to go, but the pesky Wildcats kept in the game. Gabe Smith responded with a marker on the man advantage of their own, and Niko Tournas tied the game with his 37th of the year.
The teams wouldn't be able to find a late winner, and would head to overtime at 5-5. No difference maker could be found in the extra frame, meaning a shootout was required.
Kearsey and Ryabkin each beat Rudy Guimond for Charlottetown, while Desnoyers and Rian Chudzinski could not beat Donald Hickey, and Charlottetown snapped Moncton's long winning streak with a big statment win.
Ryabkin (1+2), Butler (1+1), Leek (1+1) and Nikita Voyaga (0+2) each picked up multi-point nights in the win, and it was a game where Charlottetown's top talent was able to match up against one of the top teams in the QMJHL and find a way to win.
They'll need more of that down the stretch and into the playoffs if they want a chance of making a run this spring.
The teams will play the second half of a home-and-home Saturday in Moncton, where the Wildcats will have the chance to get revenge at the Avenir Centre.
Other Scores
Cape Breton (1) - Newfoundland (4)
Rimouski (1) - Victoriaville (8)
Halifax (4) - Drummondville (7)
Gatineau (3) - Blainville-Boisbriand (6)
Quebec (6) - Baie-Comeau (0)
Saint John (5) - Sherbrooke (8)
Rouyn-Noranda (0) - Chicoutimi (3)
Player of the Night
Ilya Kolmakov (SHE) - 3 goals, 3 assists
Tonight's Games
Charlottetown at Moncton - 3 PM EST
Val-d'Or at Drummondville - 4 PM EST
Cape Breton at Newfounland - 5:30 PM EST
Related
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