Charlottetown Islanders head coach Jim Hulton has never seen a game end like last night’s 4-2 playoff loss to the Quebec Remparts.
An unlucky 10 seconds in the final minute of the game, which included a Remparts goal being called off before then going back on the board, sealed the Islanders’ fate to give the Remparts a 2-1 lead in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League first-round series.
“I’m still very confused and trying to get a proper explanation but I’m not sure I’m going to get one,” Hulton said about the review’s reversal following the loss at Charlottetown’s Eastlink Centre.
The Islanders were trailing 3-2 with an empty net in the game’s final 30 seconds when captain Pierre-Olivier Joseph hit the crossbar to narrowly miss his chance to bring it into overtime.
The turnover then saw Quebec’s Matthew Boucher score an empty-netter at 19:39, a goal that was called off following a review.
The decision was then reversed, eliciting jeers from the hometown crowd.
Hulton said the goal was called off during the original review because of a hand pass from Quebec’s zone into the neutral zone.
“They reviewed it and said ‘ok, hand pass, no goal’ and then we were arguing you have to put four more seconds back on the clock,” said Hulton. “Then they said the supervisor upstairs reviewed the rule and said he made a mistake, that it wasn’t a reviewable play and therefore it was a good goal.”
Hulton said the team will have to move forward regardless, with the series resuming Friday night at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.
“Win or lose, you’ve got to leave it behind you and move on… a lot of the adjustments that we made worked (tonight), we just need a little puck luck.”
Joseph also said the team had some bad luck throughout the night, with the Islanders outshooting Quebec 37-19.
“I thought we played a hell of a game honestly,” said Joseph. “We had some bad bounces… We just have to keep our heads up and keep pushing in the right direction.”
The Islanders had an early lead in the game with Keith Getson scoring on Remparts goalie Antoine Samuel at 5:20 in the first period.
However, it was the last lead the Islanders would have as Quebec’s Andrew Picco scored at 11:36 to tie it up.
Former Islander Matthew Grouchy had the only goal in the second period at 17:18 and later assisted on Jesse Sutton’s game-winner four minutes into the third period.
Charlottetown’s Saku Vesterinen scored his first goal of the playoffs at 12:54 in the third period.
Islanders netminder Matthew Welsh made 15 saves throughout the night, while Antoine made 35 saves for Quebec.
“Their goalie made some saves and that’s what happens, you’re playing a veteran goalie,” said Hulton. “He was the difference in tonight’s game.”
Instant replay
Final score – Quebec 4, Charlottetown 2
Series – Quebec leads best-of-seven series 2-1
Goals – Quebec: Andrew Picco, Matthew Grouchy, Jesse Sutton, Matthew Boucher; Charlottetown: Keith Getson, Saku Vesterinen
Assists – Quebec: Matthew Grouchy (2), Gregor MacLeod, Andrew Coxland; Charlottetown: Brendon Clavelle, Hunter Drew, Pierre-Olivier Joseph, Nikita Alexandrov
Shots –Charlottetown, 37; Quebec, 19
Goaltenders – Quebec, Antoine Samuel; Charlottetown, Matthew Welsh
Power play – Quebec 0-3; Charlottetown 1-3
Attendance – 2,497
Next game – Friday night, 7 p.m., Eastlink Centre.
