Saint John Improves to 30-12-1-2 On The Season With Home Victory
Published on January 19, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- The Saint John Sea Dogs won their fourth straight game on Saturday night, besting the Val-d'Or Foreurs by a score of 4-3 in front of 4,188 fans at Harbour Station.
Saint John amassed a 4-1 lead over the course of the opening 46 minutes of play on Saturday and were able to withstand a third period rally by Val-d'Or, resultantly gaining sole possession of first place in the QMJHL East by simultaneously earning their 62nd and 63rd points of the season.
Scott Howes, Mike Thomas, Chris DiDomenico, and Alexandre Picard-Hooper scored for Saint John in the win, while Derek Famulare, Jonathan Hazen, and Jason Legault tallied markers for Val-d'Or in a losing effort.
Veteran goaltender Travis Fullerton earned the victory in net for the Sea Dogs, making 28 saves on 31 shots to improve his individual record to 17-9 on the season. Meanwhile, Raffeale D'Orso was credited with a loss between the pipes for the Foreurs despite an impressive 41-save performance.
Saint John struck first on Saturday night, with Scott Howes banging in his own rebound from just outside the Val-d'Or goal crease to earn his 28th goal of the season. Alexandre Leduc and Alexandre Picard-Hooper both picked up assists on Howes' tally, which came at the 1:17 mark of the first period.
Fullerton made his first big save of the game near the 8:30 mark of the first, stoning Sebastien Savoie with a quick pad save on a wrist shot from point-blank range to preserve the one-goal Sea Dogs advantage.
The home team then went on a double power play near the midway mark of the opening frame, but were unable to capitalize on their 5-on-3 opportunity.
With 4:07 remaining in the first, Howes nearly scored his second of the night after being set up all alone in front of the Foreurs' net by Chris DiDomenico. The 20-year old winger's backhand attempt was blocked by D'Orso however, as the score remained 1-0 in favour of the host squad, which was how the first period ended.
The Sea Dogs then went up 2-0 at the 3:53 mark of the second period when Alexandre Picard-Hooper emerged from the penalty box after serving a two-minute minor and broke in on a two-on-one rush with Alexandre Leduc. After D'Orso made a pair of big saves in rapid succession off of both players, Picard-Hooper was able to fire a rebound to the back of the Val-d'Or net, earning his 12th goal of the season in the process. Just forty seconds later, a wraparound goal by Chris DiDomenico put Saint John up by three as the Sea Dogs' offence continued to roll.
In the twelfth minute of play, Fullerton made a pair of huge saves, first on a Maxime Sauve one-timer and then a Derek Famulare backhand from close range. A moment later Famulare was able to sneak a rebound past the veteran goalie however, putting the visitors on the scoreboard with a power play tally.
The Foreurs' attack continued to press from there; a tremendous glove save by Fullerton off of a Marc-Andre Cote wrist shot, unleashed from near the side of the net was all that kept the visitors from pulling to within one of the Sea Dogs at the sixteen minute mark of the second.
After a late-period power play chance for Saint John failed to yield any quantitative production despite some solid scoring chances, Saturday's contest reached the forty minute mark with the home team leading 3-1.
Some exciting end-to-end action accompanied the start of the third period, with both teams registering early scoring chances as they diligently sought to add to their respective goal tallies.
An incredible individual effort by Alex Grant then put the Sea Dogs up 4-1 at the 6:00 mark of regulation's final frame. The Saint John Captain burst into the Foreurs' zone with a full head of steam prior to out-manoeuvring a Val-d'Or defender with a nifty between-the-legs move and getting off a shot which D'Orso blocked but was unable to control the rebound of, as Mike Thomas pounced on the loose puck and managed to muscle it across the goal line to earn his 7th tally of 2007-08.
Val-d'Or went on a 5-on-3 power play shortly after Thomas' goal when Steven Anthony and Matthew Stoddard were both assessed minor penalties within 28 seconds of one another. The Forerus were able to capitalize on their two-man advantage, with a Jason Legault slap shot from the point eluding a screened Fullerton as the Sea Dogs' lead was cut to two.
Saint John's lead was then reduced to a single tally 23 seconds later when Jonathan managed to beat Fullerton with a high backhand shot to make the score 4-3 midway through the third period.
That would be as close as the visitors would get however, as Fullerton and Saint John's defence were able to thwart all subsequent scoring attempts by Val-d'Or's forwards, resulting in the attainment of a hard-fought one-goal victory.
The Sea Dogs next hit the ice on Sunday afternoon in Halifax when the take on the second-place Mooseheads in a 4:00pm contest. Saint John's next home game is scheduled to take place on Thursday, January 24, and will see Port City's major junior squad play host to the visiting Drummondville Voltigeurs.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 19, 2008
- MAINEiacs close out weekend homestand with 2 points against the Victoriaville Tigres - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- Deschamps added to Home Hardware Top Prospects Game roster - QMJHL
- Saint John Improves to 30-12-1-2 On The Season With Home Victory - Saint John Sea Dogs
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