Islanders relieve Dwyer of coaching duties

Gordie Dwyer. Photo by Darrell Theriault. 

The Charlottetown Islanders have relieved head coach Gordie Dwyer of his coaching duties effective immediately, the team announced today.

Dwyer spent four season behind the Islanders bench posting a 116-156 (won-lost) record in 272 regular season games. In 20 playoff games, Dwyer posted a 6-16 record.

The Islanders finished ninth overall this season with a 35-28-1-4 record and won their first playoff series in 11 years against the Sherbrooke Phoenix in six games. Charlottetown was then eliminated in four games to Quebec in the second round.

In a team release, Islanders General Manager Grant Sonier thanked Dwyer for his commitment and dedication to the team over the past four seasons.

“He is a tireless worker who came to the rink every day with a professional approach and has set the standards for this franchise.”

The Islanders will immediately begin to look for a new head coach for the upcoming 2015-16 season.

Sonier said there are high expectations for next season.

“This team is ready to take the next step. We believe as an organization that we have the right group of players and are anticipating a long playoff run next season.”

Sonier is confident the Islanders will yield a level of success the franchise has yet to see.

“The decision to hand the reigns over to a new head coach is one I felt had to be done in order to get the most out of this group.”

Islanders' Kevin Elliot selected to Team Canada

Charlottetown Islanders staffer Kevin Elliot has been selected as the athletic therapist for Team Canada at the World Championships in Prague, Czech Republic.

The tournament begins May 1.

Elliot, of Charlottetown, P.E.I., has experience at the international level as previously representing Team Canada at the World Juniors, Spengler Cup and World Championships. This will be Elliot's sixth time representing Team Canada.

Canada opens the preliminary round May 1 against Latvia at 11:15 a.m. AST. Canada plays seven preliminary games before the playoff round.

QMJHL Playoff update

The semi-final match-ups are all set will get underway Thursday night.

The match-ups were determined last night after two Game 7s were played. Moncton was victorious over Halifax 6-3, while Val-d'Or beat Baie-Comeau 4-3 in overtime to complete a 3-0 comeback in the series to win.

Quebec got by Charlottetown in four games and Rimouski took five games to knock off Gatineau.

The No. 1 Rimouski Oceanic will face the No. 6 Val-d'Or Foreurs, and the second overall Moncton Wildcats will face the No. 4 Quebec Remparts. It is the first time since the 2006 Presidents Cup Final that Moncton and Quebec will meet in the playoffs.

Stay up to date with the 2015 Playoffs section on the site. Click here.

Staff Predictions:
Nolan Reid
Rimouski in 6, Quebec in 7

Nathan A'Hearn
Rimouski in 6, Quebec in 7

Chlapik joining Czech Republic at Under-18 World Championship

Filip Chlapik. Photo by: Darrell Theriault.

Charlottetown Islanders forward Filip Chlapik will be joining the Czech Republic at the Under-18 World Championship in Zug and Lucerne, Switzerland.

The 17-year-old heads for Switzerland today to join the Czech Republic which is already 0-1 in the tournament after an opening 6-1 loss to Finland yesterday.

Czech Republic plays its next game today at 10:45 a.m. against Latvia and Chlapik will not be in the lineup.

Chlapik just wrapped up his first QMJHL season with the Islanders, setting new franchise records for most goals (33) and points (75) in one season by a rookie. Chlapik also picked up one goal and nine points in as many playoff games.

The Islanders drafted Chlapik with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 CHL Import Draft.

The six-foot-one, 190-pound centreman is ranked No. 18 amongst North American skaters in Central Scouting's final rankings for the upcoming 2015 NHL Entry Draft in Sunrise, Fla.

Islanders eliminated with 5-2 Game 4 loss

Guillaume Gauthier scored a hat-trick to lead the Quebec Remparts to a 5-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders Thursday night at Eastlink Centre.

The Remparts sweep the second round series 4-0 and become the first team to advance to the semi-finals this year.

“Obviously it’s tough no matter who you are,” said Islanders captain Ryan MacKinnon. “It’s hard to go out, let along four straight. It’s nothing a team wants to go through. We battled hard and we gave it everything we got and unfortunately it wasn’t enough.”

Islanders goaltender Daryl MacCallum also said it was tough going out with a sweep.

“You never want that to happen. We have to keep our heads held high, we won that first (round) series, that was a good job but came up short this series.”

MacCallum took over for Mason McDonald in Game 3 and was not expecting to to be the go-to-guy between the pipes for the Islanders in the playoffs.

“It was a lot of fun,” said MacCallum. “I wasn’t expecting to start in the playoffs but I'm glad I did. I felt comfortable and it was an awesome experience.”

Game day: Round 2, Game 4 Remparts @ Islanders

It's do or die for the Charlottetown Islanders tonight.

The Quebec Remparts put a stranglehold on the Islanders Tuesday night by skating away with a 5-2 victory in Game 3 for a commanding 3-0 series lead and putting the Islanders in a must-win situation.

Charlottetown will for sure be looking to avoid the sweep at home, while the Remparts will look to end the series and move on to the semi-finals for the first time since 2011. The Islanders have their backs up against the wall for sure.

Islanders forward Daniel Sprong, who has six goals and 10 points in the playoffs, said the Islanders need to approach tonight's game the same way they have all series.

"We gotta come out hard and play our game and make sure we don't take stupid penalties."

The Islanders are no strangers to penalties, as they have been short-handed 12 times in the last two games, with some calls questionable. Charlottetown ran into the same problem against Sherbrooke in the opening round.

"I'm not gonna lie to you, they are starting to get annoying," said Islanders forward Ross Johnston in post-game interview on Tuesday. "Obviously I'm trying to play a game within certain boundaries and I guess when I try make a hit he falls down and sprawling around there is not much I can do. I'm trying to play within the boundaries but obviously I'm stepping out a little bit."

Johnston leads the Islanders in penalty minutes with 28 in nine games.

The Remparts will be without defenceman Ryan Graves as he will be serving a one-game suspension for cross-checking. Brian Lovell will draw into Quebec's lineup.

Remparts take 5-2 victory in Game 3

Matt Murphy scored the eventual game wining goal and Jerome Verrier scored two as the Quebec Remparts took a 5-2 decision in Game 3 Tuesday night at Eastlink Centre.

Holding a 2-1 lead after two periods, Murphy scored just two seconds after the Islanders killed off a double-minor high sticking penalty to Ross Johnston.

“I thought he fell pretty easily,” said Johnston. “I wasn’t even sure if it was my stick that hit him but anyways coming out of the box after a big kill it hurts. I thought we responded well, just a few bounces didn’t go our way.”

Johnston was called for the double minor with 1:05 left in first period and it carried over the second period.

The Remparts take a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It’s definitely not where we want to be,” said Johnston. “With that being said we are going to regroup and believe in our game come Thursday and take it game-by-game and see what happens.”

Islanders forward Daniel Sprong tallied both goal for Charlottetown. He said the team has faced lots of adversity in the series.

“They want to keep diving and we just got to play our game. We are going to put this behind us and get ready for Thursday night. We know what to do, we know what’s expected. We can’t touch them with our sticks because they’ll be flopping everywhere. We just got to play our game and stay out of the box.”

Game day: Round 2, Game 3 Remparts @ Islanders

Date: Tuesday April 14, 2015

Match: Quebec Remparts @ Charlottetown Islanders

Where: Eastlink Centre, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Time: 7 p.m. AST

TV: Webcast

Live Tweets: IslesLive

The best-of-seven series has now shifted to Charlottetown for the next two - if necessary, three - games. 

Quebec is coming off a 4-3 overtime win in Game 2 on Sunday that gives them a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series. 

It is going to be an entirely different series at home for the Islanders. They are currently 2-1-0 at home in the playoffs and outscored Sherbrooke 10-4 in the three games in the opening round. A win tonight can change everything in the series. The Islanders can cut the Remparts series lead in half and look to take the lead with the next two games, or the Remparts can take a 3-0 series leading forcing the Islanders to have their backs against the wall in Game 4.

The Islanders have shown they can play with the Remparts after Sunday's overtime loss. The Remparts took the lead each time but the Islanders were able to respond, especially late in the third to send the game to overtime. Charlottetown has been taking penalties, but have only allowed the Remparts to score once on seven power play opportunities. 

Scoring first has been key so far in the series. Quebec has scored the first goal in both games and have won and that has been a difference maker so far. The Islanders/Phoenix series was much the same, but the trend was ended in Game 6.

Quinn O'Brien will return to Charlottetown's lineup after serving a one-game suspension for removing an opponent's helmet during a fight. That incident occurred in Game 1 on Friday night.

Erne scores in OT as Remparts edge Islanders 4-3

QUEBEC CITY, QUE. - Adam Erne was the overtime hero in a 4-3 Quebec Remparts victory in Game 2 Sunday afternoon at Colisée Pepsi.

Erne beat Charlottetown Islanders goaltender Daryl MacCallum on a wrap-around at the 16:19 mark of the extra frame to give the Remparts a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. Erne scored a pair of goals in the win.

The series will now head to Charlottetown for Game 3 and 4 and, if necessary, Game 5.

Erne opened the scoring at the 5:50 mark of the first period with a power play marker banging home a loose puck on a rebound. Guillaume Gauthier and Nikolas Brouillard drew assists.

Charlottetown was quick to respond as Ross Johnston buried his second goal of the playoffs at 7:45 to tie the game. Kameron Kielly and Spenser Cobbold drew assists.

The Remparts re-gained the lead with 29 seconds left on the clock as a backhand shot by Marc-Olivier Roy fooled MacCallum. Gauthier and Anthony Duclair drew assists.

The scored would remain the same until the 14:31 mark of the second period when Bradley Kennedy drove to the net for his third goal of the playoffs. The original shot was stopped by Remparts goalie Zachary Fucale and the puck then went of Kennedy again and into the net. The play was reviewed but called a good goal. Filip Chlapik drew the lone assists.

Game day: Round 2, Game 2 Islanders @ Remparts

Date: Sunday, April 12, 2015

Match: Charlottetown Islanders @ Quebec Remparts

Where: Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Que.

Time: 3 p.m. AST

TV: Webcast

Live Tweets: IslesLive

After a 7-2 loss in Game 1 on Friday, the Charlottetown Islanders will look to have a better Game 2 this afternoon and come out of the Colisée Pepsi with a split in the series before heading home.

The Remparts built up 3-0 and 6-0 period leads before going up 7-0 when the Islanders responded with two of their own.

A positive note to take from Game 1 was Charlottetown's short-handed time, only keeping the Remparts to two power plays. The Islanders took their first penalty of the game in the third period. 

Daryl MacCallum will be looking to have a bounce back game after allowing seven goals on 26 shots. MacCallum stats fall to a 2.73 goals against average and a 0.918 save percentage. 

In Charlottetown's first round series, they took the first game by an 8-2 score over Sherbrooke, before Sherbrooke responded with a 7-3 Game 2 victory. The Islanders will be fired up to return to favour to tie the series. A split in the first two games of a series can change everything.

Project Lineups

Charlottetown

Goulet - Chlapik - Sprong

Cooper - Rydstrom - Johnston

Cobbold - Kielly - Kennedy

Getson - O'Brien - Balmas

Rioux-Legault - MacKinnon

Henley - Weber

Thompson - Deschenes

Islanders fall 7-2 to Remparts in opening game

QUEBEC CITY, QUE. - Vladimir Tkachev and Adam Erne each scored a pair of goals to lead the Quebec Remparts to a 7-2 win over the Charlottetown Islanders Friday night in Game 1 of second round action at the Colisee Pepsi.

Tkachev ended the night with three points (2-1) as Remparts captain Kurt Etchegary also finished with three points, picking up three assists. Filip Chlapik and Alexandre Goulet tallied goals for the Islanders.

The Remparts lead the best-of-seven series 1-0.

The game’s first goal unfolded after an unusual turn of events. Erne scored around the eight minute mark, but neither referee saw the puck enter the net. The play resumed for a few minutes when Kameron Kielly scored at 10:53 to stop the play. Video review was used to call Erne’s goal good, which would override Kielly’s goal. Erne’s goal was credited at the 10:53 mark with Etchegary and Dymotro Timashov drawing assists. The goal was Erne’s seventh of the playoffs.

Just 21 seconds later the Remparts made it 2-0 with Anthony Duclair’s second goal of the playoffs. Marc-Olivier Roy and Guillaume Gauthier drew assists.

Ross MacDougall gave the Remparts a 3-0 lead at 16:04 with an unassisted tally for his first of the playoffs.

Game day: Round 2, Game 1 Islanders @ Remparts

Date: Friday April 10, 2015

Match: Charlottetown Islanders @ Quebec Remparts

Where: Colisée Pepsi, Quebec City, Que.

Time: 8 p.m. AST

TV: Webcast

Live Tweets: IslesLive

Hockey in April for the Charlottetown Islanders? Sounds weird to most Islanders fans but it is something the Islanders definitely earned after their Game 6 overtime victory over Sherbrooke on Monday night.

The Islanders will be in for a tough one against the Quebec Remparts, who are hosting the 2015 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

Quebec didn't easily get out of the first round though. They were up against a real good Cape Breton Screaming Eagles club who finished the season 13th overall. The Eagles took 1-0 and 2-1 series lead on the Remparts before tying the series 3-3 with an overtime victory in Game 6 on Monday. The two teams combined for 49 goals, with the Remparts outscoring the Eagles 27-22 in the process. Only Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda combined for more goals in a series this year.

Spenser Cobbold. Photo by Darrell Theriault.

Charlottetown has been getting a majority of its offense from its third line of Spenser Cobbold, Kameron Kielly and Bradley Kennedy who have combined for nine goals and 19 points. The second line, also known as the "Crash Line" of Oliver Cooper, Filip Rydstrom and Ross Johnston have been big physical presences in the playoffs and kept the Sherbrooke hemmed in their own end when they were on the ice. They move and cycle the puck well and haven't been shy of scoring either as the trio has combined for five goals and 17 points. 

Daryl MacCallum has provided stellar goaltending in net since taking over for the injured Mason McDonald. He sits No. 1 among goaltenders with a 1.70 goals against average and a 0.952 save percentage. Since coming in for McDonald, MacCallum has allowed seven goals in four games (with overtime included) and has posted one shutout.

The Remparts started backup Callum Booth in their series versus Cape Breton. Since being pulled in Game 3, the Remparts have gone with veteran Zachary Fucale. Fucale is no stranger to the QMJHL playoffs as he has appeared in 54 playoffs games to date and has posted a 2.60 goals against average and a 0.901 save percentage. He has a Presidents Cup, Memorial Cup and a World Junior Gold medal to his name.

Recap: Islanders vs. Phoenix Round 1 advanced statistics

Daryl MacCallum. Photo by: Darrell Theriault

 
General Overview 

The Islanders were victorious in their six-game stint against the Sherbrooke Phoenix. Special teams held true to regular season performance varying only slightly. Goals Per Game however jumped to 4.17 while Goals Against Per Game dropped to 2.67. Both Shot and Save Percentages both jumped to 12.25 per cent and 92.45 per cent respectively. Is this a result of a relatively healthy lineup putting everything together at the right time or are these numbers too high to carry over into Quebec.

 Shots:

The Islanders had no problem getting shots against the Phoenix.  The negative is that the Phoenix was able to do the same. The volume of shots varied very little whether in wins or losses. Looking closer we see that the Phoenix shoot at a significantly worse rate (7.55 per cent) than their season average of (10.74 per cent) despite seeing an increase in shots themselves. This can be attributed to the superb play of Daryl MacCallum and to the Islanders team which lead the series in "Dangerous Shots" and and had 52.5 per cent of shots considered dangerous in the series. It is important to note that the Islanders spent almost twice as much time in the penalty box as the Phoenix and that even strength numbers should favor the Isles.

Highest Shooting Percentages:
Spenser Cobbold (26.1 per cent) Guillaume Rioux Legault (28.6 per cent) Filip Rydstrom (28.1 per cent)
Lowest Shooting Percentages:
Alexandre Goulet (6.7 per cent) Filip Chlapik (0 per cent) Johnston (6.7 per cent)

Chlapik named to Rookie All-Star team at league awards ceremony

Photo by: Darrell Theriault.

Charlottetown Islanders forward Filip Chlapik was named to the QMJHL Rookie All-Star team last night at the Golden Puck Awards in Montreal, Que.

Chlapik, 17, enjoyed a fantastic rookie season with the Islanders scoring 33 goals and 75 points in 64 games. His 33 goals and 75 points set new franchise records for most goals and points by a rookie in a single season. He currently has two assists in five playoff games.

The Islanders drafted Chlapik with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 CHL Import Draft in July.

Goaltender Evan Fitzpatrick (Sherbrooke Phoenix), defencemen Samuel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes) and Jakub Zboril (Saint John Sea Dogs) along with forwards Dmytro Timashov (Quebec Remparts) and Evgeny Svechnikov (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles) were also named to the team.

Chlapik has been ranked as the 18th overall North American skater in Central Scouting's final rankings which were released yesterday.

Handful of Islanders make Central Scouting final rankings

Five Charlottetown Islanders skaters have been listed in Central Scouting's 2015 final rankings among North American Skaters for the upcoming 2015 NHL Entry Draft.

Filip Chlapik, Daniel Sprong, Kameron Kielly, David Henley and Alexandre Goulet have been named on the list which includes 211 skaters.

Chlapik is the highest ranked Islanders skater at No. 18. The 17-year-old Czech native set a new franchise record for most goals (33) and points (75) by a rookie in a single season. Charlottetown drafted the centreman with the 11th overall pick in the 2014 CHL Import Draft.

Sprong comes in two spots behind Chlapik at No. 20 overall. Sprong, who turned 18 last month, lead the Islanders in scoring for the second straight season with 39 goals and 88 points in 68 games.

Chlapik and Sprong are both potential NHL first round draft picks.

McDonald to miss rest of playoffs with knee injury

Charlottetown Islanders goaltender Mason McDonald will not be returning to the Islanders lineup for the playoffs.

The team announced today that the 18-year-old, Halifax, N.S., native will miss the rest of the post-season after suffering a knee injury in the first round against the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

The injury occurred just under five minutes into Game 3 at the Eastlink Centre.

In a team statement, Islanders General Manager Grant Sonier both the Islanders' and Calgary Flames medical teams have detected an injury that will sideline McDonald for upwards of eight weeks.

"Mason is a very resilient athlete and we expect a full recovery from him."

The Islanders have relied on goaltender Daryl MacCallum since the injury. In four playoff games, the Charlottetown, P.E.I., native currently sits as the No. 1 goalie in the league with a 1.70 goals against average and a 0.952 save percentage.

The Islanders begin their second round playoff series against the Quebec Remparts on Friday April 10 in Quebec City, Que.

Second round schedule can be found here.

Second round schedule released

The schedule for the second round of the playoffs has been released.

Like expected, the format is 2-3-2 with Games 1 and 2 starting at the Colisee Pepsi on Friday and Sunday respectively. Games 3 to 5 will be in Charlottetown, then Games 6 and 7 in Quebec City if needed.

Schedule:
Friday April 10, 8 p.m. AST @ Quebec Remparts
Sunday April 12, 3 p.m. AST @ Quebec Remparts
Tuesday April 14, 7 p.m. AST vs. Quebec Remparts
Thursday April 16, 7 p.m. AST vs. Quebec Remparts
Friday April 17, 7 p.m. AST vs. Quebec Remparts*
Monday April 20, 8 p.m. AST @ Quebec Remparts*
Tuesday April 21, 8 p.m. AST @ Quebec Remparts*

Islanders will face Quebec Remparts in second round

The Charlottetown Islanders will go head-to-head against Zach Fucale and the Quebec Remparts in the second round of the QMJHL Playoffs.

Quebec won its best-of-seven series against Cape Breton 4-3 after a 6-3 Game 7 victory. The QMJHL hockey world had to await the winner of the Halifax and Shawinigan series in order to determine the final three match-ups. Halifax won game 7 in overtime by a 3-2 score and take the series 4-3.

Charlottetown and Quebec met each other twice this season, and much like against the Phoenix this season, each team won in the other's home rink but each game was decided by a goal.

Oct. 25, 2014 was the first meeting between the two teams at the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown, P.E.I. The Remparts skated away with a 4-3 win with former Islanders goalie Eric Brassard between the pipes.

Fast forward to the trading period when the Remparts traded Brassard to Halifax for goaltender Zachary Fucale and defenceman Matt Murphy. Forward Anthony Duclair returned to the Remparts after the 2015 World Junior Championships.

Cobbold’s OT goal sends Islanders to second round

SHERBROOKE, QUE. - Spenser Cobbold was the overtime hero scoring 13:34 into the extra frame to send the Charlottetown Islanders to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The Islanders eliminate the Sherbrooke Phoenix in six games and now await their second round opponent.

Alexandre Goulet led the offensive charge for the Islanders with a goal and two assists. David Storto scored a pair of goals for the Phoenix in the loss.

The Phoenix put themselves on the board first at the 15:46 mark of the first period with David Storto’s second of the playoffs. Daniel Audette drew the lone assist.

The score would remain that way until the 10:18 mark of the second period when Alexandre Goulet tied the game at one with his first of the playoffs. The goal came unassisted.

Just 40 seconds later, Filip Rydstrom gave the Islanders a 2-1 lead with his second goal of the playoffs. Oliver Cooper drew the lone assist.

Sherbrooke tied it with Storto’s second of the game at 12:39 with Audette and Cameron Darcy drawing assists.

Game day: Game 6 Islanders @ Phoenix

Date: Monday April 6, 2015

Match: Charlottetown Islanders @ Sherbrooke Phoenix

Where: Palais des Sports Leopold-Drolet, Sherbrooke, Que.

Time: 8 p.m. AST

TV: Webcast

Live Tweets: IslesLive

With the Charlottetown Islanders holding a 3-2 series lead, they will be looking to end the series tonight and move onto the second round for the first time since 2004.

The Islanders are coming off a 4-0 win on Friday in Game 5 that gives them their third lead in the series. Daryl MacCallum was fantastic between the pipes making 43 saves for his first career QMJHL shutout.

In a statement by the Islanders, Mason McDonald did not travel with the team to Sherbrooke, Que. McDonald was hurt five minutes into Game 3 last Monday. The team left for Sherbrooke at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

Sherbrooke has had a goaltending carousel of its own. The Phoenix started with Alex Bureau in Game 1 but was pulled in relief of Evan Fitzpatrick. After a Game 3 loss by Fitzpatrick, the Phoenix has gone back to Bureau.

Like every game this series, the Islanders will have to minimize their short-handed time and stay out of the box, especially on the road in an important game. Despite being on the penalty kill 33 times, the Islanders have only allowed six power play goals against and have the fifth best penalty kill in the playoffs at 81.1 per cent. On the other hand, the Islanders need to capitalize on its power plays.

MacCallum, Islanders blank Phoenix 4-0

It was a Good Friday for the Charlottetown Islanders.

Daryl MacCallum posted a 43-save shutout to lead the Charlottetown Islanders to a 4-0 win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix in Game 3 at a sold-out Eastlink Centre Friday night.

The Islanders take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.

MacCallum said he’s feeling really confident between the pipes.

“Seeing the fans tweet at me, they’re all behind me and it means a lot to me. Not much pressure, I just feel like I’m going to have a good game and have some fun.”

It was a pretty special moment for the 18-year-old Charlottetown, P.E.I. goaltender when 3,718 fans were chanting his name in the final minute.

“It meant a lot to me,” said MacCallum. “Overall I’m pretty happy to get that win. It’s a huge win so go to Sherbrooke and hopefully win there and finish the series off.”

Islanders forward Oliver Cooper, who’s first period goal stood as the winner, described MacCallum’s play as of late ‘unbelievable.’

“He’s risen to the occasion and he keeps getting better every game. It’s great to see. He’s been working hard all year and it’s paying off for him.”

It was a huge home win with it being the last home game of the series, said Cooper.

“It’s definitely a game we wanted to win heading up to Sherbrooke.”

The team is happy with the win but there’s nothing to celebrate just yet, said Cooper.

“There’s still lots of time for the series to be decided and we’re not satisfied.”

Game day: Game 5 Phoenix @ Islanders

Date: Friday April 3, 2015

Match: Sherbrooke Phoenix @ Charlottetown Islanders

Where: Eastlink Centre, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Time: 7 p.m. AST

TV: Webcast

Live Tweets: IslesLive

It's now a best-of-three series.

The Phoenix was 2-1 winners Wednesday night to even the series a two games apiece with the final game in Charlottetown tonight.

Both teams will be hungry for the win to take that 3-2 lead into Game 6 in Sherbrooke on Monday.

The team that has scored first has won each game, so that all important first goal has been a factor during the series. It has been a fairly high scoring series up until Game 4 on Wednesday. Game 1's first period and Game 4's third period are so far the only periods with scoring so far. 

Charlottetown and Sherbrooke have combined for 30 goals through four games, with only 10 of those goals coming in the last pair of games. 

Islanders strength:

Playing 5-on-5 - The crash line of Cooper - Rydstrom - Johnston has been hammering on the smaller Phoenix players this series and it's showing on the forecheck.

"We just try to play North and play our style," said Islanders captain Ryan MacKinnon in a post-game interview on Wednesday. "Sherbrooke is obviously a great team and we're just trying to play our style and not limit our turnovers and keep it simple and it seems to be working 5-on-5."

Phoenix strength:

Power play - Power play has definitely been a factor for both teams. Both of Sherbrooke's goals came on the power play on Wednesday. They generate most of their offensive pressure on the man advantage.

Phoenix edges Islanders 2-1 to tie series

Tim Wieser’s second-period goal off a bad bounce stood as the winner as the Sherbrooke Phoenix took a 2-1 victory in Game 4 Wednesday night at Eastlink Centre.

A dump-in bounced of the back board, with Islanders goaltender Daryl MacCallum halfway out to play the puck, and bounced to the stick of Wieser who came in on a partial breakaway, made a move and shot the puck past a sprawling MacCallum who was able to make it back in time into the crease.

“They’ll get their bounces and we’ll get ours,” said Islanders defenceman Luc Deschenes who scored the Islanders’ lone goal. “So we just have to capitalize when we get ours.”

The best-of-seven series is now tied 2-2 with Game 5 remaining in Charlottetown on Friday.

It was a tough loss, said Deschenes.

“We obviously wanted to take that (3-1) lead staying at home but they’re a good team and if we give them their chances they’re gonna take them.”

Islanders captain Ryan MacKinnon said the Islanders worked ‘extremely hard’.

“Especially after they got a quick one early and I felt like we answered great.”

MacKinnon credits Sherbrooke goaltender Alex Bureau with having a great game after making 38 saves.

“It’s something you keep trying and smiling at. Sometimes you can shoot as much as you want and it doesn’t want to go in. You can beat the goalie but sometimes a red post is there.”

Game day: Game 4 Phoenix @ Islanders

Date: Wednesday April 1, 2015

Match: Sherbrooke Phoenix @ Charlottetown Islanders

Where: Eastlink Centre, Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Time: 7 p.m. AST

TV: Webcast

Live Tweets: IslesLive

One team will be looking to take a 3-1 series lead, while one team will look to even the series and make it a best-of-three series.

A big blow to Islanders came Monday night in Game 3 when goaltender Mason McDonald left the game with what appeared to be a knee injury just under five minutes into the game. McDonald will be seeing doctors today and will not be playing tonight. Daryl MacCallum came in and stopped 30 of 32 to lead the Islanders to a 5-2 lead. It is most likely MacCallum will get the start tonight.

Islanders have called up goaltenders Nicholas Dawe and Luke House.

Islanders took four less penalties on Monday night, compared to the 10 they took Saturday night in Sherbrooke. Islanders have not been given many power play opportunities, but have scored three times on seven chances.

Sherbrooke has only scored four times on 23 power play chances. Sherbrooke has spent two periods and a bit on the power play during the series.

Keys to Success:
Staying out of the box. Islanders are the bigger and better team when playing 5-on-5.

Projected Lineups:
Charlottetown
Goulet - Chlapik - Sprong
Cooper - Rydstrom - Johnston
Cobbold - Kielly - Kennedy
Getson - O'Brien - Balmas

Rioux-Legault - MacKinnon
Henley - Weber
Deschenes - McFadden

MacCallum

Scratches: McDonald, Thompson, Chaddock, Guilbault