CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. – This is the Charlottetown Islanders formula for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat against the Halifax Mooseheads.
First, stymie a fast, highly skilled team for most of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game and keep it 2-1, dial in a solid effort from your goalie Matthew Welsh, let your captain Pierre-Oliver Joseph score the game-tying goal with eight seconds left in the third period (as Welsh watched from the bench for a sixth attacker) then ask your German rookie, Nikita Alexandrov, to score 27 seconds into overtime for a 3-2 comeback win on home ice in Charlottetown.
Simple.
Anyone can do it.
Not really, although Alexandrov, who tapped in the winner off a rebound from a Saku Vesterinen shot, said it came down to a simple principle.
“We just had to make plays, just get the puck to the net and keep shooting,” said Alexandrov. “I was in a few games like this back home. (A win like this) just tells us we can win against really fast, really good teams.”
Charlottetown moved to a gaudy 14-8-1, good for third in the Maritimes Division, and now winners of four straight games. Halifax went to 14-7-4, now second in the Maritimes.
Really good and really fast the Mooseheads are, and no better example was Maxime Fortier’s shorthanded goal with 18:26 left in the first period.
The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect raced down a loose puck in the Isles zone, rushed passed the defenceman and roofed a shot over Welsh’s glove shoulder for a 2-0 edge. Otto Somppi, who assisted on the highlight goal, had scored 13 minutes earlier.
Then in the second period a funny thing happened. The Islanders found ways to slow down Halifax’s chances, often terminated by a Welsh save. Welsh was particularly strong in the third frame, when he stopped 16 shots.
It helped Sullivan Sparkes, Marcel Barube (and sometimes Cayse Ton) and Sam King proved a wrecking ball of a third line, getting behind the Herd defence, drawing penalties and causing general havoc.
Two-thirds of that line had the first goal potted by Sam King and assisted by Sparkes and Gregor MacLeod to make it 2-1 almost three and half minutes into the second.
Then in the third, as the Isles pulled Welsh after a timeout with just over a minute left, Charlottetown kept possession of the puck, pressured the Herd defence and goalie Alexis Gravel until Joseph tied things at 19:52.
And quickly following the overtime face off, Charlottetown attacked and Alexandrov found the winner in front of 2,210 spectators at Eastlink Centre.
As for Fortier, it hurts, but life goes on.
“This has happened a coupe of times this year and we have to learn from it. We’ll regroup, watch video, check our mistakes and be better tomorrow,” said Fortier, who’s fifth in league scoring with 33 points. “I don’t know. It was that type of game where we had to work hard the whole game. We had a breakdown. These things happen.”
Instant Replay
A look at Friday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game at Eastlink Centre.
The Outcome
Charlottetown 3
Halifax 2 OT
The Goalscorers
Halifax – Maxime Fortier (15), Otto Somppi (8). Charlottetown – Sam King (4), Pierre-Olivier Joseph (3), Nikita Alexandrov (4).
The Assists
Halifax – Jared McIsaac 2 (14), Maxime Fortier (18), Otto Somppi (15).
Charlottetown – Matthew Grouchy 2 (10), Sullivan Sparkes (5), Gregor MacLeod (3), Keith Getson (10), Saku Vesterinen (17).
The Goalies
Halifax – Alexis Gravel, 31-of-34, loss (4-7).
Charlottetown – Matthew Welsh, 31-of-33, win (12-7).
Attendance – 2,210 announced.
50-50 – $1,375.
By The Numbers
Shots By Period
Halifax – 12-5-16, 33
Charlottetown – 11-10-11, 34.
Penalty Minutes
Halifax – 12.
Charlottetown – 10.
Power Play
Halifax – 1-of-3, 33 per cent.
Charlottetown: 1-of-10.
Next Up – The Islanders face the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Sunday. Game time is 4 p.m. in Sydney, N.S.
