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.”


The Islanders opened the scoring just 2:33 into the contest with Ross Johnston netting his four of the playoffs with a power play goal. MacKinnon and Filip Chlapik drew assists.

The Remparts responded with a power play goal of their own from Raphael Maheux at 8:51. Maheux fired a shot between the blue line and hashmarks that beat MacCallum for his second of the post-season. Adam Erne and Kurt Etchegary drew assists.

In the second period, Gauthier gave Quebec a 2-1 lead at 4:49 with his first of the game and fourth of the playoffs. Marc-Olivier Roy and Matt Murphy drew assists.

The Remparts made it 3-1 with Gauthier’s second of the game at 10:04. Roy and Anthony Duclair picked up assists.

Daniel Sprong scored his seventh of the playoffs on the power play at 18:49 to bring the Islanders within a goal. Chlapik and Johnston drew assists.

In the third period, Gauthier completed the hat-trick just 2:30 into the period for a 4-2 Remparts lead. Roy and Nikolas Brouillard drew assists.

The Remparts put the nail in the coffin with an empty-net goal from Murphy at 19:19.

MacKinnon skated his last QMJHL shift when the empty-net goal was scored.

That one hurt, said MacKinnon.

“I tried to hold my head high. No matter when you get beat out, at the end of the day you have to be proud of what you did and what everyone else did. I couldn’t be prouder of the guys in our dressing room. We battled all year.”

Zachary Fucale made 27 saves in the win for Quebec. MacCallum made 36 saves in the loss for Charlottetown.

Quebec’s opponent for the semi-final round is not yet determined.