QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Jonathan Huberdeau Scores Two Goals as Saint John Takes 2-0 Series Lead

Published on April 3, 2010 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SAINT JOHN, NB --- The Saint John Sea Dogs took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven quarter-final playoff series with the Gatineau Olympiques on Saturday night, earning a 7-2 victory in front of over four thousand fans at Harbour Station.

Jonathan Huberdeau (2), Stephen MacAulay, Mike Hoffman, Zack Phillips, Tomas Jurco, and Stanislav Galiev all scored for Saint John in the highly-impressive home win, with Alexander Beaton and Adam Janosik responding for Gatineau.

Between the pipes, Sea Dogs goaltender Marco Cousineau (30 saves) outdueled his counterpart, Olympiques net minder Maxime Clermont (34 saves), in picking up his sixth win of the '10 post-season. The Anaheim Ducks prospect is now 20-8 in his playoff career.

Saint John opened the scoring on Saturday near the midway point of the first period, with superstar sniper Mike Hoffman setting up Stanislav Galiev for a close-range one-timer on a stellar two-on-one rush into Olympiques territory. The first-year forward made no mistake on the prime scoring opportunity, firing the puck to the back of Gatineau's net in registering the fifth goal of his post-season.

Another highlight-reel assist from Hoffman produced the second goal of the game for the Sea Dogs as the Ottawa Senators prospect set import winger Tomas Jurco up for a tap-in-tally during a late-stanza power play on a crisp, cross-ice feed from deep in the visitors' zone.

The home team went up 3-0 on a great individual effort from Jonathan Huberdeau. The 16-year old offensive dynamo took a pass from Nick Petersen on the fly and danced around an Olympiques defender prior to beating Clermont on a low wrist shot to improve his post-season goals total to six in the twenty-fifth minute of play.

Marco Cousineau stopped all 11 shots fired upon him during an overtly-physical middle frame, resultantly sending Saturday's showdown into the second intermission with his team's three-goal lead in tact.

Saint John's fourth goal of the night came courtesy of Jonathan Huberdeau, who converted on a breakaway early in period number three, beating Clermont on a sensational backhand-forehand deke to tally his second marker of the game. Gatineau then broke Cousineau's shutout bid at the 5:05 mark of regulation's final frame, with Alexander Beaton netting a power play goal to reduce the visitors' deficit to three.

The Sea Dogs' four-goal advantage was restored six-and-a-half minutes later when a Mike Hoffman shot found its way across the Olympiques' goal line during a Saint John power play. Sophomore centre Stephen MacAulay then got in on the action, burying his first of the playoffs during another man-up situation for the hosts at the 13:03 mark of the third.

Gatineau's Adam Janosik and Saint John's Zack Phillips rounded out the scoring late in regulation, with the Sea Dogs ultimately taking the decision by a 7-2 final. Game 3 of this second round series will be staged at the Robert Guertin Arena on Tuesday night (puck drop - 8:30pm AST). The fourth game will take place the following evening - same time, same location. If necessary, Game 5 will go next Friday night, also in Gatineau.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from April 3, 2010


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