SUBWAY GAME RECAP: Burns Passes Huberdeau in Overtime Loss to Islanders
Brady Burns passed Jonathan Huberdeau for the all-time franchise record for points with his 258th, but unfortunately, the Saint John Sea Dogs (24-37-5-1) fell a point short of clinching a playoff spot as they couldn’t hold off the Charlottetown Islanders (26-32-6-3), dropping a 4-3 decision in overtime on Friday night.
Jérémie Biakabutuka potted the winning goal with 1:05 left in overtime and added an assist to lead Charlottetown to the win.
Peter Reynolds led the Sea Dogs with a goal and an assist as well.
Jakob Robillard made 34 saves to get the win in net for the Islanders while Ventsislav Shingarov made 34 stops of his own in net for Saint John.
The Islanders had the first close chance just under three minutes in as Michael Horth got the puck off a Sea Dogs turnover and tried to put a close-range shot short side on Shingarov but couldn’t find any room.
Kiefer Lyons came close 90 seconds later, firing a hard shot off the rush and batting his own rebound out of mid-air back toward the goal, but Shingarov tracked it well and made the save.
Charlottetown kept the pressure on with under nine minutes left in the first as Horth drove with the puck all the way down the left wing and behind the Sea Dogs net where he centered the puck to Kieran Gallant for a one-time shot but again Shingarov was up to the challenge.
The Sea Dogs got some offense going on the power play with under six to play in the frame, the best chance coming from Burns who received a great pass from Alex Drover in the middle of the slot, but his ensuing shot hit a stick and went high.
Burns came close once more before the intermission, skating in on a 2-on-1 with Luka Benoit which he kept and made a move to the outside that he couldn’t squeeze past Robillard. Leaving the two teams scoreless after 20 minutes.
Shots after the first were 13-8 for Charlottetown.
1:10 into the second period Burns put a shot on through traffic that Robillard kicked out right to Reynolds who threw the puck right back on from just above the goal line and just under the pad of Robillard for the 1-0 lead.
With the assist on the goal, Burns passed Jonathan Huberdeau for the all-time points leader in franchise history with 258.
Just over three minutes later, with the Sea Dogs on the powerplay, Joseph Ianniello laid the puck to Drover off the rush who caught Robillard cheating off his post and put it top corner to make it 2-0.
Charlottetown found some life towards the end of the second and almost got on the board as Joel Marchon fed Giovanni Morneau in the slot, only for Shingarov to stand tall once more.
Saint John almost extended their lead as a shot from Nicolas Bilodeau sat momentarily in the crease as Robillard lost track of it, but he found it just enough time to throw his right pad out to deny a streaking Drover and keep the deficit at 2-0 heading into the third.
Shots after the second were 27-26 for the Islanders.
The Islanders finally got on the board 1:44 into the third as Marchon floated a backhand pass towards the slot from the right half-boards that Lucas Romeo got a stick on and redirected through the five-hole of Shingarov to cut the lead to 2-1.
Four minutes later, Biakabutuka put a shot on net and the rebound came to Lyons at the side of the goal who got two whacks at it, putting the second one past Shingarov to tie the game 2-2.
The two teams battled back and forth until under four minutes to play in regulation when Reynolds skated the puck in up the left wing, put a cross-ice pass over to Noah Reinhart who fed it back to a trailing Danny Akkouche who completed the tic-tac-toe play to put the Sea Dogs up 3-2 with 3:32 to go.
The Islanders did not go away though and with 1:26 left in the third Peter Repcik found the puck amidst a goalmouth scramble and banged it in to tie the game once more at 3-3 and send the game to overtime.
Shots after the third were 37-36 for the Sea Dogs.
Mere seconds into overtime, Shingarov’s stick broke and with the Sea Dogs unable to get a whistle he had to play without one for the duration of overtime.
Biakabutuka capitalized, skating in on a breakaway and putting it five-hole on the disarmed Saint John goaltender to win it 4-3 for Charlottetown with just 1:05 left in the extra frame.
Final shots were 38-37 for the Islanders.
Alpine 3 Stars
1 Jérémie Biakabutuka (1G 1A)
2 Keiran Gallant (1A)
3 Jakob Robillard (34 saves)
The Sea Dogs head back to TD Station tomorrow for their final regular season home game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Puck drop for Fan Appreciation Night is at 4PM AST and you can get your tickets at the TD Station Box Office and online. Be sure to get to the rink early for $4.50 beers during Happy Hour from 3-4 PM in the Moosehead Light Ice Bar and at the concourse beer portals! Our 50/50 jackpot is already at over $17,000 and counting so be sure to get your tickets here!
This is also the last game to redeem any unused flex vouchers so be sure to redeem them at the TD Station Box Office!
