Charlottetown's MacCallum helps rescue Islanders in QMJHL playoffs

Mason McDonald was injured on what looked like an innocuous pad save. There was no big collision, no contact and no writhing in pain when the goaltender left some five minutes into Game 3 of the Charlottetown Islanders’ QMJHL first-round playoff game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix.

On the bench, coach Gordie Dwyer had no idea how bad the injury was though he was concerned since McDonald – one of the top young goalies in the league – was a huge part of Charlottetown’s regular-season success.

Further down the bench, backup goalie Daryl MacCallum was quickly coming to the realization that he’d have to protect the Islanders’ fragile two-goal lead with almost a full game to go.

MacCallum, a rookie, came into the game with a goals against average of 4.65 and a save percentage of .859 – not exactly all-star stats.

“When I found out (McDonald) was injured, I was nervous,” said the 19-year-old, who played in 23 regular season games. “When I entered the net I had butterflies, but after the first couple shots I felt pretty comfortable.”

On Wednesday, the Islanders announced that McDonald had suffered a knee injury that would preclude him from playing in the rest of the playoffs. The recovery time for the Calgary Flames’ prospect – upwards of eight weeks – means it’s now MacCallum’s crease to defend.

“He’s a hard worker,” said Dwyer of MacCallum. “It’s about seizing that opportunity and obviously Daryl is quietly going about his business and he works extremely hard every day. He was ready for the opportunity and he took advantage of it.

“Daryl played big for us and was a big factor in the series win.”

That moment of nervousness in Game 3 now seems like a lifetime ago for MacCallum, who backstopped the Islanders to a six-game victory over the Phoenix. The final game was on the road at Sherbrooke’s Palais des Sports Léopold-Drolet, the first time MacCallum had ever played in that arena.

When the game headed into overtime, with the series on the line, the pressure mounted until Islanders forward Spenser Cobbold fired a shot from the right circle that evaded Sherbrooke goalie Alex Bureau.

“It was a relief,” said MacCallum. “I’m not going to lie, I was really nervous in the overtime. As soon as I saw the red light I was so, so happy. I was so proud of (Cobbold). We all celebrated and it was a great moment.”

Since taking over the net for the Islanders, the one-time backup has surprisingly become the top goaltender in the QMJHL heading into the second round. He leads the league with a 1.70 goals against average and a .952 save percentage. In his four playoff games he's allowed a total of seven goals on 145 shots, a far cry from his regular-season numbers.

So what changed?

“I feel like our goalie coach Paul Drew has helped me a lot this season,” said MacCallum. “He’s kind of prepared me for the playoffs, but my play is much better. I’m a lot more square to the puck and my confidence is a lot higher than it was during the season since it’s my first year in the league.”

It was the first time since 2004, that the P.E.I franchise had made it to the second round.

Making it even more special was the fact that the Charlottetown native grew up watching the team. It was his grandfather, Don MacCallum, who would take him to watch the then-PEI Rocket play, planting the seed that one day starting in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League could be a reality.

“I was probably six or seven years old when I started going to games,” said MacCallum, who figures he had about a dozen family members at their last game in Charlottetown. “So it was a dream come true and it’s awesome to be playing at home.”

With the Islanders off to the second round, the netminder will have a few more chances to play in front of his friends and family. The Islanders – the ninth seed in the playoffs – face the Memorial Cup host Quebec Remparts who needed a Game 7 to dispose of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Round One. They’ll begin their series against Quebec – the QMJHL’s fourth seed – on Friday at the Colisée Pepsi.

Regardless of what happens in that series, MacCallum will have already helped his hometown reclaim a bit of history. He’s the first PEI-born goalie since Drew MacIntyre (2002-03 with Sherbrooke) to win a playoff round.

“I couldn’t have done it without my teammates; it’s an awesome achievement for everybody,” said MacCallum.

“It was a special moment for me. I’m very proud.”