CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. — Brett Budgell knows one game doesn’t make a season.
You learn lessons from tough losses and move forward, he said.
“I remember when I was 16, we lost 9-0 to Victoriaville,” the 18-year-old Charlottetown Islanders assistant captain recalled before Thursday’s practice. “After that game, our team went on a pretty good run.”
A Tigres squad loaded with high-end offensive players like Maxime Comtois, Vitalii Abramov and Ivan Kosorenkov blasted the Isles on March 2, 2018. Charlottetown went 4-2-1-0 to end the regular season and made it to Game 7 of the league semifinal.
Budgell is hoping a similar situation occurs this season, beginning tonight when the Islanders host the Cape Breton Eagles for the first of two weekend games at the Eastlink Centre. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. while Saturday’s contest begins at 7 p.m.
The Islanders last home game was an 8-2 thumping Saturday night at the hands of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Chicoutimi has scored the second-most goals in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, four less than Cape Breton’s 168.
“We moved past that (loss) and I think we took the positives out of it that there were, and I think we’re going to be prepared for this weekend’s games,” Budgell said.
“It’s definitely going to be a challenge, but we’re ready for it. We’ve been preparing all week.”
Associate coach Guy Girouard said it is nice to see players like Budgell remember the tough losses and what happened afterwards.
“You hope they learn from it and that’s what veteran leadership is (all about),” he said. “I am sure they’re going talk about that in the room and ... teach the younger guys. I think we’re in good hands.”
Sparkplug Zac Beauregard said his team took too many risks and wasn't sharp against Chicoutimi.
“We can play really good offence at times, but I think we have to think defence first,” he said, noting the importance of a good start to tonight’s contest. “The first period will be the key. That’s how we’re going to set up the whole weekend.”
Defenceman Noah Laaouan said playing stronger opponents like Chicoutimi and Cape Breton provides a good test for the squad.
“Good teams like that are going to capitalize on their opportunities and those are things we have to minimize,” Laaouan said. “I think we know how we have to play. We’ve learned from our mistakes and I think we’ll be ready to go.”
Cape Breton’s high-octane offence includes Egor Sokolov, Ryan Francis and former Islanders forward Derek Gentile and Shawn Boudrias, both in their final seasons of junior hockey.
They added overage forward Tyler Hinam from Rouyn-Noranda, 19-year-old forward Shawn Element from Acadie-Bathurst and 19-year-old defenceman Xavier Bouchard from Baie-Comeau during the trade period.
Since the Christmas break the Islanders have not beaten a team above them in the standings but did take Moncton to overtime.
“These are the teams we might end up playing in the playoffs, so we’re trying to send a message here to let them know we're not a team . . . to take easily or lightly,” Laaouan said.
Cape Breton (24-14-2-1) and Charlottetown (23-16-5-0) both have 51 points, but the Isles have played three more games. If the playoffs started today, they would meet each other in the first round.
Charlottetown defeated Halifax on Sunday and while the Mooseheads are a team near the bottom of the standings, the Isles are looking to build on the seven-goal outburst.
“It will definitely help our confidence,” Laaouan said. “There were little things we did to create those opportunities that we can take away and use in games this weekend and going forward.”
Girouard said the offensive production was good for a team that doesn't score easily.
“A little puck luck goes a long way and it would be nice to get some of that against some of the teams were chasing for the playoffs,” he said.
Matthew Welsh gets the start tonight in the Islanders crease.
Winger Cedric Desruisseaux (shoulder) is a game-time decision while Drew Johnston is out with an upper-body injury. The Islanders are hoping to have Lukas Cormier in the line-up tonight as his flight was scheduled to arrive in Charlottetown this morning. He played in Thursday’s top prospects game in Hamilton while Francis represented the Eagles.
Head-to-head
Oct. 16
Charlottetown 2 at Cape Breton 3 OT
Nov. 9
Charlottetown 3 at Cape Breton 2
Dec. 14
Cape Breton 2 at Charlottetown 3 OT
Dec. 31
Charlottetown 0 at Cape Breton 4
Tonight
Cape Breton at Charlottetown, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Cape Breton at Charlottetown, 7 p.m.
Feb. 28
Cape Breton at Charlottetown, 7:30 p.m.
March 13
Charlottetown at Cape Breton, 7 p.m.
March 14
Charlottetown at Cape Breton, 7 p.m.
