Penalties hurt Islanders in 4-1 loss to Wildcats

Penalties cost the Charlottetown Islanders in a 4-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats Saturday night at the Moncton Coliseum.

The Wildcats scored twice on eight power play opportunities in the win. Ivan Barbashev led the way offensively for the Wildcats with three goals and an assist.

With the loss, the Islanders have lost three straight games and fall to 28-27-1-3 on the season. Moncton improves to 40-17-0-3.

Focus and composure was lost in the second and third periods with penalties, said Islanders captain Ryan MacKinnon.

"Especially playing a Moncton team like this. They're going to capitalize and they obviously did."

MacKinnon said emotions got the best of the team which resulted in eight penalty kills, including three 5-on-3's.

"We are going through a little tough spurt right now. It's not just stuff going on, on the ice...with that we have to show a lot more maturity and have to be more composed than that."

The three-game losing streak is tough, said MacKinnon.

"When you go on stretches like this guys start holding their sticks tighter and look for an easy way out. The only way out of this is hard work on and off the ice. It's not going to come easy."

Moncton opened the scoring with 12.7 seconds left on the clock in the first period with Barbashev's first of the game and 37th of the season. Conor Garland an Taylor Burke drew assists. Islanders a held a 15-5 shot advantage.

In the second period, the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead with a power play marker from Dominic Talbot-Tissi at 7:20 for his seventh of the season. Garland and Barbashev drew assists.

Barbashev made it 3-0 with his second of the game with a power play goal at 10:47. Jacob Sweeney and Stephen Johnson drew assists.

Barbashev capped off the hat-trick in the third period at the 2:04 mark. Garland drew the lone assist.

Charlottetown got on the board with Filip Chlapik's 27th goal of the season. Daniel Sprong an Samuel Guilbault drew assists.

Alex Dubeau made 38 saves in the win for Moncton. Mason McDonald took the lose making 29 saves.

The two teams meet again Monday March 2 in Charlottetown in a rescheduled game from Wednesday Feb. 25. Game time is 7 p.m.