Huskies Win Dog Fight At Harbour Station, 5-4 In Ot
Published on February 15, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- A near-capacity crowd was treated to a highly-entertaining hockey game at Harbour Station on Friday night, as two of the best teams in the Canadian Hockey League, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, squared off in a heavyweight showdown of epic proportions.
In a back-and-forth affair that saw countless changes in momentum and notable performances being turned in from players on both sides, the Huskies were able to prevail by a single marker, netting the win-clinching tally two minutes into overtime after the Sea Dogs had scored late in the third period to tie the match up 4-4.
Scott Howes and Alexandre Picard-Hooper both scored twice for Saint John, while Maxime Macenauer, Jeff Desjardins, Michael Dubuc, and Yannick Riendeau all tallied markers for Rouyn-Noranda in regulation. Tyler Hawes scored the sudden-death, game-winning goal in the sixty-third minute of play.
Travis Fullerton (30 saves) suffered the loss in net for Saint John after playing brilliantly in the third to force an extra frame and earn his team a single point. Meanwhile, Maxim Gougeon earned the win between the pipes for Rouyn-Noranda, turning aside 24 of the 28 shots sent his way to improve his 2007-08 wins total to 17.
The Huskies were awarded an early power play on Friday when Chris DiDomenico as assessed a two minute minor for hooking in the opening minute of play. Rouyn-Noranda capitalized on their numerical advantage in dynamic fashion, as Maxime Macenauer deflected a Brett Morrison pass/shot between the pads of Fullerton to give the visitors a 1-0 lead 2:16 into the first period.
Saint John then went on a power play of their own forty-one seconds after Macenauer's goal, as Hugo Carpentier was sentenced to two minutes in the sin bin for checking from behind. The Sea Dogs were unable to capitalize on their initial man-up advantage however, as the Huskies' penalty killing unit proved victorious in the special teams showdown.
A second power play for the home team was awarded a moment later, as Rouyn-Noranda incurred a second checking from behind call. The Sea Dogs made no mistake on their second man-up opportunity, with Ryan Sparling feeding Scott Howes with a perfect cross-ice pass deep in Huskies territory that the 20-year old winger quickly deposited to the back of the net, earning his 36th goal of the year in the process.
The home team struck again just 0:51 later, as Alexandre Picard-Hooper banged in a loose puck following a lengthy scramble in front of Gougeon, giving the star forward 20 goals on the season. Payton Liske and David Stich both picked up assists on the play, which put the Sea Dogs up 2-1.
A second man-up tally for the Sea Dogs, again off the stick of Scott Howes, gave Saint John a 3-1 lead midway through the opening frame, as Port City's major junior squad continued to play with unabashed intensity and gritty determination against their highly-regarded opponents.
Some impressive work by Fullerton during a late-period penalty kill, particularly in stoning Michael Dubuc on a snap shot from close range, kept the hosts up by a pair of goals as Friday's match reached twenty minute mark.
Rouyn-Noranda pulled to within one of the Sea Dogs 4:11 into the second period, with Jeff Desjardins roofing a shot over Fullerton's shoulder from point-blank range to earn his 19th tally of 2007-08. The visitors pulled even a moment later, as Dubuc beat Fullerton through the five-hole on a rebound to make the score 3-3 five-and-a-half minutes into the middle frame.
With Jeff McNeil in the penalty box, the Huskies scored the go-ahead goal midway through the second, as Yannick Riendeau finished off a highly-impressive one-man rush with a laser-guided wrist shot that beat Fullerton high, blocker side to give the 19-year old winger 18 goals on the season and a go-ahead PP marker on the night.
In the thirty-eighth minute of play, Scott Howes came incredibly close to tying the match up at four apiece, ringing a snap shot off of the left post of Rouyn-Noranda's net after a flurry of action in the visitors' zone had taken place during a Saint John power play.
The Sea Dogs continued to apply heavy pressure in the Huskies' zone throughout the duration of the middle frame, but were unable to net the equalizer as the game entered the second intermission with Rouyn-Noranda leading by a score of 4-3.
Four-and-a-half minutes into the third period, Ryan Sparling was sent in on a breakaway courtesy of an air-mail pass from Chris DiDomenico during a Sea Dogs penalty kill, but was unable to fool Gougeon on a deking attempt as the visiting squad from north western Quebec continued to cling to their precarious one-goal advantage.
Francois Gauthier earned a strong scoring chance near the twelve minute mark of regulation's final frame, dancing into the Huskies' zone while exhibiting his impressive stick handling ability prior to getting off a hard wrist shot that Gougeon managed to get a glove on as the score remained 4-3 in Rouyn-Noranda's favour.
With 6:17 remaining in the third, Alexandre Picard-Hooper scored his second goal of the night, re-directing a pass from rookie defenseman Simon Despres past Gougeon to tie the score up at four apiece and send the nearly six thousand fans in attendance into a frenzy as their team had finally pulled even with the TELUS Division powerhouse after several minutes of near-misses and bad bounces.
At the other end of the ice, Travis Fullerton played exceptionally well throughout the final twenty minutes of regulation, turning aside all 13 shots sent his way during the third period to force an overtime period in the highly-anticipated inter-divisional contest.
The Huskies dominated play for the majority of the extra frame however, with Tyler Hawes scoring the victory-clinching goal 125 seconds into overtime shortly after Fullerton had blocked a Pier-Luc Giguere one-timer with a spectacular pad save.
With the OT loss, Saint John now has 77 points on the season while Rouyn-Noranda improves their total to 81 with the victory.
The Sea Dogs will next hit the ice on Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm when they host the surging Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 15, 2008
- MAINEiacs humbled at home 7-1 by Titan - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- Huskies Win Dog Fight At Harbour Station, 5-4 In Ot - Saint John Sea Dogs
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
