Islanders rally past Mooseheads for 5-3 win at Eastlink Centre
Posted Jan 9, 2026 09:59:12 PM.
Last Updated Jan 10, 2026 01:34:06 PM.
A strong first period wasn’t enough for the Halifax Mooseheads as they fell 5-3 to the Charlottetown Islanders at Eastlink Centre on Friday.
The Mooseheads opened the scoring just 18 seconds into the game when Samuel Rousseau intercepted a pass and found Shawn Carrier, who ripped it past Islanders netminder Donald Hickey for his 21st goal of the season. Nathan Leek tied the game for Charlottetown at 16:58, firing a shot from the right-wing faceoff circle past Nick Cirka.
Owen Philips restored the Halifax lead at 8:44 of the second period, controlling the puck behind the Islanders’ net and banking a backhand shot off Hickey. Leek tied it again, deflecting the puck into the Mooseheads’ net. Jude Herron then gave Charlottetown its first lead, firing a shot that hit Cirka’s glove before bouncing in.
In the third, Marcus Kearsey added his league-leading 10th goal by a defenceman, beating Cirka from the right-wing faceoff circle. Malik L’Italien scored his second of the year, sending a missile past Hickey and into the Islanders’ goal to put Halifax within one, but Kearsey sealed the win with his second of the night into an empty Mooseheads net.
With the loss, Halifax falls to 18-16-1-2 on the season.
Leek earned first star for the Islanders with a pair of goals. Second star went to Herron with a goal, while Mooseheads forward Carrier was awarded third star with a goal.
Halifax is back in action Saturday, Jan. 10, when they host the Gatineau Olympiques at Scotiabank Centre.
Puck drop is set for 7 p.m., with live coverage on 95.7 NewsRadio. Garreth MacDonald hosts the pre-game show beginning at 6:30 p.m.
