QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Dogs Miss Chance to Clinch

Published on March 11, 2012 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SHAWINIGAN, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will have to wait to clinch a third straight Quebec Major Junior Hockey League regular-season championship after losing 6-2 to the second-place Shawinigan Cataractes Sunday.

Saint John could have solidified the No. 1 spot and home ice advantage throughout the President's Cup playoffs, but the Cataractes got two goals and three assists from Anton Zlobin to keep their hopes of winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy alive. Jonathan Narbonne, Michael Chaput, Kirill Kabanov and Michael Bournival added singles for the Cataractes, who climbed to 44-15-3-4 with Alex Dubeau making 28 saves in the win.

Stanislav Galiev and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Sea Dogs. Mathieu Corbeil made 30 saves on 35 shots before giving way to Sebastien Auger, who stopped 13 of 14 in relief. Saint John fell to a record of 47-15-0-3. The defeat ended a streak of 18 games without a loss in regulation time, the longest in the Canadian Hockey League this season.

Click HERE to view a complete scoresheet from Sunday's game. For interviews and highlights, visit Sea Dogs TV, the team's official YouTube channel .

After a 35-minute delay to start the game, Galiev opened the scoring on an early Sea Dogs power play. Kevin Gagne set everything up with an excellent pass to Galiev in the right wing slot area, who went high blocker side on Dubeau for his 11th of the year at 2:51. Pierre Durepos had the other assist on the play.

Narbonne tied it up from the point at 4:12 of the opening frame. The Sea Dogs penalty kill got a major workout, with back-to-back two-man advantages for Shawinigan in the latter part of the first. Corbeil made an excellent pad save on a dangerous Bournival chance to keep the game tied in the first rash of penalties, and excellent defensive zone play kept it scoreless despite over five straight minutes of penalty kill time. Saint John finished a perfect 7-for-7 on the penalty kill.

The Sea Dogs started the second period on fire. Furious pressure gave them three dangerous scoring chances within the first two minutes of play, but Dubeau shut the door. The constant physical play finally came to a head when Grant West and Mathieu Gagnon dropped the gloves for a dance at centre ice at 5:03. The short tussle ended with only a couple of blows each way. Zlobin gave the Cataractes the lead at 6:12, scoring on the counter-attack after over a minute of sustained offensive pressure by the Sea Dogs. Just after two huge pad saves by Corbeil, Kabanov scored to make the lead 3-1 at 9:26.

The Sea Dogs pulled back within one at 11:47 with a critical man-advantage goal by Huberdeau. The power play line of Zack Phillips, Charlie Coyle and Huberdeau worked its magic as Huberdeau took the pass out front from Coyle on the left wing side, and wired home his 29th goal between the legs of Dubeau. Phillips, who had the other assist on the play, exchanged blows in a rare scrap with Peter Sakaris at 13:09 of the second.

Corbeil made possibly his save of the year on a bad clearing attempt late in the second. Kabanov skated in on Corbeil with no stick just past the 15-minute mark and the overage netminder came up with an unreal glove save on the wily Russian while spread eagled on the ice. But the Cataractes kept coming, with Chaput scoring as the trailer on a feed from Zlobin to give the two-goal lead back to Shawinigan at 19:04.

Bournival put the lead up to 5-2 for the Cataractes on a sharp angle shot at 2:59 of the final frame, ending Corbeil's night. On the following faceoff, the rough stuff continued with Nathan Beaulieu and Mitchell Maynard dropping the gloves for a spirited tilt ended by a big right-hand blow from Beaulieu.

Zlobin notched his second goal of the game at 5:50 of the third, sealing the win.

Auger made the best of his relief efforts with a big pad save on Kabanov near the 11-minute mark, but the Dogs could not mount a third-period comeback in front of the rookie goalie.

The Sea Dogs remain on the road for the rest of the regular season with a game in Halifax on Wednesday, followed by two in Cape Breton. Tim Roszell will have the call on News 88.9 FM and fans can also catch all the action online via the official TELUS QMJHL webcast (click HERE to order; charges apply).

The Sea Dogs return home on March 23 to kick off their playoff run. Tickets are available now at the Harbour Station box office, by calling 506-657-1234 or online at www.tickets.harbourstation.ca.

Check out the Saint John Sea Dogs Statistics

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 11, 2012


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