Rocket defeat Sea Dogs 5-4 in OT thriller
Published on March 12, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
P.E.I. Rocket News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- The P.E.I. Rocket narrowly avoided a season-series sweep at the hands of the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night, earning a 5-4 OT road win to finish the year 1-5 versus Harbour Station's primary tenants.
After falling behind 3-0 over the course of the opening twenty minutes of play, the Sea Dogs fought back violently in the second and third periods, eventually tying things up 4-4 late in regulation to force an extra frame. In the third minute of overtime however, Rocket forward Geoff Walker scored on a breakaway to produce a sudden-death victory for P.E.I.
Martin Latal, Chris Doyle, and Jan Kana (2) scored the visitors' regulation markers, while Saint John's offensive production came courtesy of Francois Gauthier (2), Ryan Sparling, and Scott Howes.
In a relief appearance, Travis Fullerton suffered the loss between the pipes for Saint John despite playing incredibly well during his 49 minutes of action. The overage goalie made 36 saves on the night, many of which were highlight-reel-worthy, to earn Second Star of the Game honours. Meanwhile, Antoine Lafleur earned the win in net for P.E.I. to improve his 2007-08 wins total to 13.
The Sea Dogs are now 39-22-4-3 on the season following their mid-week defeat while the Rocket improve to 29-35-2-2 with the win. By picking up a single point in the OT loss, Saint John moves to within two points of Halifax in the race for first place in the QMJHL East. The Mooseheads dropped a 3-2 decision to the Lewiston MAINEiacs on Wednesday night at the Halifax Metro Centre.
Saint John was awarded no fewer than three power plays in the opening half of the first period, but some acrobatic goaltending by Lafleur in conjunction with some bad bounces for the Sea Dogs kept the home team from capitalizing on their multiple man-up opportunities despite registering some high-quality scoring chances.
In the eleventh minute of play, the Rocket were able to convert in transition, as a big save by Lafleur on a Scott Howes backhand shot at the west end of the ice was quickly turned into a breakaway for Jon Kana at the east end. The 17-year old made no mistake on his attempt, firing a wrist shot over starting Sea Dogs goaltender Robert Mayer's left shoulder to register his 23rd goal of the season.
Kana, who would later be named the First Star of the Game, scored his second of the night on the power play 12:54 into the game on the tail end of a lengthy scramble in the Sea Dogs' zone. A goal by Martin Latal forty seconds later prompted a goaltending change for Saint John, as Mayer was pulled in favour of veteran Travis Fullerton at the 13:34 mark of the opening frame with the Sea Dogs trailing 3-0.
Fullerton played well in his 6:26 of first period action, making seven saves on as many shots to keep the Sea Dogs within comeback range as Wednesday night's contest entered the first intermission.
Three-and-a-half minutes into the second period, Saint John earned a glorious scoring chance during a Rocket power play when Ryan Sparling and Chris DiDomenico broke into the visitors' zone on a two-on-one rush following a P.E.I. turnover. DiDomenico's one-timer sailed just wide of the Rocket net however, as the home team continued to trail by a field goal.
Saint John's deficit was then reduced to two by Francois Gauthier, who wired a hard wrist shot past Lafleur midway through the middle frame to tally his 14th goal of the season. Team Captain Alex Grant and picked up an assist on the short-handed marker, which propelled Gauthier into the team-lead for SHG with four.
The Rocket responded on the power play one minute later however, with Chris Doyle beating Fullerton with a well-placed shot to improve his seasonal goals total to 26. Martin Latal and Myles Gomes both earned helpers on P.E.I.'s second man-up tally of the evening.
With 2:34 remaining in the second, Scott Howes became the first Sea Dog to score 40 goals in a single season when he picked up a loose puck at the side of the Rocket net and roofed a hard shot over Lafleur to pull Saint John to within a pair of P.E.I. Howes now has 41 goals on the season overall, having registered 1G-5A-6P with Drummondville prior to being traded east in October.
Howes' historic goal proved to be the final marker of the second period, and Wednesday's match reached the forty minute mark with the visiting squad from the Garden Province leading 4-2.
The Sea Dogs pulled to within a single goal of the Rocket's lead 1:09 into the third period, as Ryan Sparling netted his 29th tally of the year on a feed from rookie defenseman Simon Despres. Saint John then produced the equalizer when Francois Gauthier pounced on a rebound in the slot and ripped a wrist shot past a sprawling Lafleur at the 6:44 mark of regulation's final frame.
A huge pad save by Travis Fullerton on a backhand shot off the stick of Geoff Walker with 6:31 remaining in the third kept the score knotted at four apiece, as the 20-year old New Brunswicker continued to perform well in net for Saint John.
After the hosts were unable to capitalize on a late-frame power play session, extra time was required to determine a victor in Wednesday's match.
Midway through the overtime period, Geoff Walker was able to force a turnover in the neutral zone prior to scoring on a breakaway to make his 38th goal of the year of the skate-off variety.
Up next for Saint John is a Friday night home game versus the Moncton Wildcats. The action gets underway at 7:30pm as the Sea Dogs look to lock-up second place in the division with a win over their archrivals.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 12, 2008
- Rocket defeat Sea Dogs 5-4 in OT thriller - P.E.I. Rocket
- Playoff tickets on sale March 18 - Halifax Mooseheads
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