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Perfect script for Islanders’ 20-year-olds

The Charlottetown Islanders’ three 20-year-old players could not have written a better script for their final regular-season home game in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

All three players – goaltender Jakob Robillard, defenceman Jérémie Biakabutuka and forward and team captain Keiran Gallant of Covehead, P.E.I. – figured significantly in the Islanders’ 4-3 comefrom-behind win in overtime over the Saint John Sea Dogs on March 24.

Biakabutuka scored the winning goal on a breakaway at 3:55 of overtime, Gallant assisted on Peter Repcik’s game-tying goal with 1:26 remaining in regulation time and Robillard stopped 34 of 37 shots to earn the goaltending win before a sold-out crowd of 3,680 fans at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown.

Charlottetown concluded the regular season with a 10-5 road loss to the Halifax Mooseheads (49-11-4-3) on March 25.

The Islanders finished the regular season in eighth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 26-33-6-3 (won-lost-overtime lossesshootout losses).

Halifax (50-11-4-3), which scored five power-play goals against the Islanders and outscored Charlottetown 19-5 in two games last week, including a 9-0 decision on March 22, finished second in the Eastern Conference and overall standings.

The Islanders will face the regular-season-champion Quebec Remparts (53-12-1-2) in the opening-round playoff series. Games 1 and 2 are in Quebec City on March 31 and April 1.

The Islanders wore specially-designed jerseys to honour the Charlottetown Islanders’ 1981 and 1984 Hardy Cup championship teams against Saint John.

Against the Sea Dogs took a 2-0 lead into the second intermission after the teams played a scoreless first period.

Lucas Romeo and Kiefer Lyons scored for the Islanders to tie the game 2-2, but Danny Akkouche restored Saint John’s lead with 3:32 to go.

Peter Reynolds (1-1) and Alex Drover also scored for the Sea Dogs (24-38-5-1), who received an assist from defenceman and team captain Charlie Desroches of Richmond.

Joel Marchon, Marcus Kearsey, Sam Bowness of Cornwall and Michael Horth earned assists for the Islanders.

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2023-03-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-03-27T07:00:00.0000000Z

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