Battle-tested

Titan hoping to carry strong play into Maritimes final with Islanders

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan is looking to carry momentum into the Maritimes Division final.

The Titan won their final two games of the nine-game New Brunswick round robin in overtime and double overtime, respectively, to book their spot in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) quarter-finals with the Charlottetown Islanders.

“That was a big confidence booster for us, and I think we can keep it rolling,” said Chad Arsenault, a 19-year-old goalie from St-Raphael.

He is one of four Islanders on the Titan. The roster includes defencemen Cole Larkin of Mermaid and Zach Biggar of Portage, plus Summerside forward Bennett MacArthur.

“We came off two pretty much Game 7s where we played in overtime and came out with the wins,” Biggar said. “We feel we got the experience now. We got our feet wet so we’re hoping to continue on with that.”

He said they had some great games with Saint John and Moncton, and they are now battle-tested.

“They gave us a big push,” he said. “We came out on top. We were very resilient and stuck to our game plan. It will be nice to take on Charlottetown now after hearing all the hype all year.”

The best-of-five series will be played in Shawinigan, Que., due to COVID-19 with Game 1 going today at 5 p.m. Atlantic.

Both Biggar and Arsenault said it will take a lot of work for them to beat the Islanders, but they are up to the task.

“We know they’re going to come to play, but we have to match that and outwork them,” Arsenault said.

He started the year at the Islanders training camp before heading to Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley for the junior A Wildcats’ camp. The Titan acquired him in October from the Islanders, and he played 19 regular season games and went 1-1 in two playoff games.

“It’s been a really good experience,” he said. “I’m glad I got the opportunity.”

The Titan did not make a trip to Prince Edward Island this season. The Islanders won the lone matchup, 4-2 on Oct. 31 in northern New Brunswick. Acadie-Bathurst (2110-1-1) finished the regular season fourth overall.

“We have a really close group,” Biggar said. “We play as a team, we’re not individuals. When we’re playing our best, we work hard. We want to win.”

Biggar, 18, has played mostly with veteran Jaxon Bellamy.

“He’s always keeping me positive and upbeat during the games,” he said. “He’s a very reliable guy for me to play with in my first year. It’s been a great fit for both of us.”

Another blue-liner to watch for on the Titan is Adam McCormick. The Woodstock, N.B., native was named the league’s top defensive defenceman in 2019-20 and has committed to play for the UNB Reds next season. He played the first four seasons of his QMJHL career with the Cape

Breton Eagles.

Biggar said he has tried to soak up a lot from the veteran, who he expects will play pro down the road.

“Just watching him day in and day out practising and (what he does) off the ice and what he does in games and how he keeps his composure, it’s been great.”

Mathieu Desgagnés, the Titan’s captain, led them in regular season points with 52. He added 10 points in the six games in the New Brunswick post-season round robin.

Biggar said it has been awesome sharing the experience with the other three Islanders this season.

“We have some pretty close friendships now with each other. It’s great having these memories and experiences with each other,” he said. “When our hockey careers are done, we’ll always remember it. Hopefully, we will come out on top and create some more memories up in Quebec.”