Sea Dogs Tie Series Up 2-2 With A Thrilling Overtime Road Win
Published on May 7, 2010 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
MONCTON, NB --- The Moncton Coliseum was at the epicenter of intensity on Friday night as the Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats staged one of the greatest games in the history of either franchise, battling one another with unbridled tenacity throughout a back-and-forth match brimming with excitement.
After sixty minutes of incredibly-entertaining major junior hockey produced a 2-2 deadlock, the archrivals squared off in a sudden-death overtime period from which the visitors emerged victorious as Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nick Petersen found the back of the net 12:43 into the extra frame to deliver his team an instant victory. The New Brunswick-based clubs' best-of-seven league championship series is now tied at two wins apiece.
Yann Sauvé and Michael Kirkpatrick also scored for Saint John in Friday's dramatic road win, with Cole MacMillan and Marek Hrivik each tallying markers for Moncton in a losing effort.
A battle of epic proportions was waged between the pipes in Game Four, as overage goalies Marco Cousineau (42 saves) and Nicola Riopel (31 saves) at times seemed as if they were both defying the laws of physics in keeping the puck out of their respective nets. Cousineau ultimately took the decision in what was truly a classic duel, picking up his 14th victory of the post-season in the process.
Veteran blue-liner Yann Sauvé gave the Sea Dogs an early 1-0 lead on Friday, rifling a long-range wrist shot to the back of the Wildcats' net at the 0:47 mark of the first period. All-star forwards Nick Petersen and Mike Hoffman both picked up assists on Sauvé's marker, his fourth of the post-season.
Saint John dominated in the shot clock throughout the entirety of the opening frame, outshooting their provincial adversaries 11-4 during the stanza as play took place largely in Moncton's zone during the first twenty minutes of the game.
Friday's second period saw innumerable bone-crunching body checks being administered at either end of the ice with both goaltenders turning in highlight-reel-save-after-highlight-reel save during an overtly-intense twenty minutes of action.
The first goal of the middle frame came off the stick of the league's leading post-season scorer - Sea Dogs centre Michael Kirkpatrick. The 19-year old offensive specialist buried his 13th of the playoffs after deftly stealing the puck from a Wildcats defender in enemy territory during a man-down situation in the 37th minute of play.
Moncton responded quickly, as import winger Marek Hrivik fired a close-range one-timer past Cousineau at the 17:17 mark of period number two. The home team then tied things up at two apiece early in the third when Cole MacMillan knocked home his second of the playoffs to bring an abrupt end to a scramble in Sea Dogs territory.
Saint John came up with an incredibly-clutch 3-on-5 penalty kill a few minutes later, with Pierre Durepos, Simon Després, Mike Hoffman, and Marco Cousineau managing to keep the Wildcats' top offensive guns from capitalizing on the prime opportunity during a frantic stretch of action which saw several scoring chances being registered in the visitors' end. Cousineau came up with one of the best saves in Sea Dogs history during the sequence, somehow managing to stop a point-blank snap shot with a flailing blocker whist perched on his back along the goal line.
Cousineau was sensational throughout the duration of regulation, as was his counterpart Nicola Riopel. Neither team was able to pull ahead during the second half of the third period, resultantly sending Game Four into sudden-death overtime.
After a dozen minutes of extra time failed to produce a resolution, 20-year-old sniper Nick Petersen hammered a loose puck through Riopel's pads at the 72:43 mark of the match to give Saint John an incredible 3-2 win.
Game 5 of the President's Cup Finals will be staged at Harbour Station on Saturday night at 7pm. Fans attending this contest are encouraged to wear their Bell Aliant FibreOP QMJHL Finals t-shirt or another piece of team apparel as a sign of support for the Port City's major junior squad.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from May 7, 2010
- Sea Dogs tie series with overtime win - Moncton Wildcats
- Sea Dogs Tie Series Up 2-2 With A Thrilling Overtime Road Win - Saint John Sea Dogs
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