Sea Dogs Burned By Red Hot Titan
Published on February 17, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- The high-flying Acadie-Bathurst Titan got the better of the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station, as the star-laden squad from northern New Brunswick managed to erase an early two-goal deficit en route to earning their ninth win of February by a final score of 6-4. Acadie-Bathurst has now won five consecutive road games.
Saint John amassed a 4-2 lead over the course of a wildly exhilarating opening fifteen minutes of play, but the red hot Titan stormed back to take a 5-4 lead into the second intermission prior to adding an insurance marker early in the third period.
Both teams were .500 on the power play on Sunday, with Saint John going 4-for-8 with the man-advantage and Acadie-Bathurst scoring thrice on six opportunities.
Tomas Svoboda scored four times to lead the Titan to victory, with Dany Masse and Spencer Jezegou also tallying markers for the visitors. Ryan Sparling (2), Francois Gauthier, and Payton Liske replied for the Sea Dogs in a losing effort.
Nicolas Champion earned the win in net for Acadie-Bathurst, making 15 saves on 19 shots to improve his record to 16-9. Meanwhile, rookie goaltender Robert Mayer suffered the loss for Saint John, surrendering a quintet of goals in thirty minutes of action to fall to 15-8 on the season.
Despite Sunday's defeat, the Sea Dogs still lead their season series with the Titan, having won four of the seven games played between the geographical adversaries to date.
First-place Saint John is now 36-17-2-3 on the year, and remains two points up on the idle Halifax Mooseheads in the race for top spot in the QMJHL East. Acadie-Bathurst now has 67 points on the season, which places them fifth in the division - one point behind the defending league champs, the Lewiston MAINEiacs, for fourth.
The bad blood which exists between the Sea Dogs and Titan was put on display early on, as Saint John enforcer Brett Gallant and Acadie-Bathurst winger Raymond Leroux squared off in a bout of fisticuffs just three seconds after the opening face-off. Gallant won the fight handily, adding yet another win to his highly-impressive 2007-08 record.
At the 0:52 mark of the game, Acadie-Bathurst took a 1-0 courtesy of Tomas Svoboda, who registered his 25th goal of the year on the power play with Mathieu Perrault and Maxime Renaud picking up assists on the play.
The home team then pulled even on a power play goal of their own, as Ryan Sparling bore down upon the Titan net with a full head of steam and fired a rocket-powered wrist shot over Champion's right shoulder to earn his 24th goal of the season 3:23 into the first period.
Saint John pulled ahead 2-1 with a second power play marker, as Francois Gauthier netted his 13th tally of 2007-08. Alexandre Leduc and Pascal Amyot drew assists on the successful scoring play, which gave the Sea Dogs their first lead of the game at the 5:03 mark of the opening frame.
Just twenty seconds later, Acadie-Bathurst scored the equalizer however, as Tommy Svoboda's second goal of the period made the score 2-2 as the exciting end-to-end action continued at an intense pace.
Yet another man-up tally was then netted by the Sea Dogs, with Ryan Sparling pouncing on a loose puck right in front of Champion and sliding a low, well-placed shot to the back of the Acadie-Bathurst net to earn his second PPG of the match at the 10:34 mark of the first.
Port City's major junior squad very nearly went up by two 12:43 into the contest, as a Scott Howes one-timer from the slot beat Champion high, but clanged off the crossbar, redirecting out of play to afford the Titan a lucky bounce.
With 5:42 remaining in the first, Payton Liske gave Saint John a 4-2 lead, banging in a rebound from beside the Titan net to give the Sea Dogs their fourth power play goal of the afternoon, as the home team's offensive special teams unit continued to execute with machine-like precision.
The Titan then pulled to within one of the Sea Dogs at the 17:44 mark of the first, as Dany Masse tallied his 25th goal of the year with Drew Paris and Jonathan Laberge each earning helpers.
The visitors continued to press for the game-tying goal in the closing minutes of the first, with a huge glove save by Mayer on a wrist shot by Tomas Svoboda with 13 seconds remaining in the period ensuring that Saint John entered the first intermission leading on the scoreboard 4-3.
After an early second period goal by Spencer Jezegou squared things up at four apiece, the Titan re-took the lead when Svoboda raced into the Sea Dogs' zone and beat Mayer with a high backhand shot, both clinching his afternoon hat trick and prompting a change between the pipes for Saint John. Travis Fullerton took over goaltending duties for the Sea Dogs following Svoboda's third goal of the day, which came near the midway point of the match.
Fullerton was tested frequently during his 9:47 of playing time in the second, turning aside all six shots sent his way by the talented Titan forwards as he exhibited unequivocal command of his net in the face of constant attack. Overall, Acadie-Bathurst out-shot Saint John 12-3 over the course of the middle frame.
Saint John's veteran goalie came up huge in the opening minute of the third period, denying Mathieu Perreault on a breakaway attempt to keep the Sea Dogs within immediate striking distance of the Titan.
Another power play goal by Acadie-Bathurst then gave the visitors a 6-4 lead, as Svoboda scored his fourth of the day with Mathieu Perreault and Tomy Joly picking up assists on the pivotal insurance marker.
The Sea Dogs were unable to mount an effective attack throughout the vast majority of regulation's final frame, as the Titan were able to keep Saint John from gaining any kind of discernable offensive rhythm, cruising to a 6-4 win as Champion stopped all five shots fired upon him in the closing twenty.
Up next for Saint John is a Wednesday night road match versus the Moncton Wildcats. The next Sea Dogs home game is scheduled to take place on Sunday, February 24, as Jonathan Bernier and the Lewiston MAINEiacs invade Harbour Station for a 4:00pm contest.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2008
- Sea Dogs Burned By Red Hot Titan - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Mooseheads send Goyens home - Halifax Mooseheads
- Voracek, Pelletier cop January awards - Halifax Mooseheads
- Francis Filion suspended one game - QMJHL
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