The P.E.I. Rocket returns to home ice tonight after nearly three weeks of playing road games.
The Rocket (26-20-2) hosts the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (10-31-3-5) for the first of back-to-back games tonight at 7 p.m. The Rocket beat the Eagles 4-2 Saturday in Sydney.
“It’s a team we can beat, for sure,” rookie Alexis Pépin said before Wednesday’s practice. “We did it in Cape Breton and we can do it here in front of our fans.”
The Rocket last played at home Jan. 11 when it lost 4-2 to Gatineau. It went 2-4 in the next six games on the road, which included stops in Halifax, Moncton, Baie-Comeau, Acadie-Bathurst and Chicoutimi.
“We just want to get back on track and get a winning streak (going),” said Pépin, who has 12 goals and 19 points in 44 games this season. “We have to work harder than them and be disciplined all game long, that’s a major problem we have.”
Playing the same team three times in a week will result in some changes, said defenceman Alexandre Chenier-Allard.
“We have to adjust the game plan,” the blue-liner said. “It changes a little bit because the other team changes, too.”
He said the points are important as the team tries to improve upon its placement in the league’s standings. The team is in the middle of the pack in the 18-team league while Cape Breton is second from the bottom.
The Rocket has won three of the four games this season with Cape Breton.
The Screaming Eagles have been missing three of its top forwards, including top scorer William Carrier.
New jerseys
The Rocket has signed off on its official jerseys for the next season as the Islanders.
“We are quite pleased with the logo, colours and jersey style,” said Trent Birt, vice-president of operations.
“As we said when we made the announcement of the naming contest, we won’t be revealing the jerseys, in picture or words, until at least late spring. Having said this, we know our fans will like our new look.”
