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 Saint John Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs Feel No Love in Loss to Oceanic

February 14, 2015 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


RIMOUSKI - Christopher Clapperton and Anthony DeLuca each scored twice to lead the Rimouski Oceanic to a 7-3 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Saturday at Colisee Financiere Sun Life.

Vincent Dunn, Jan Kostalek and Deven St-Hilaire also found the net for Rimouski (35-13-2-2), which swept the two-game season series.

Mathieu Joseph, Spencer Smallman and Braydon Blight replied for Saint John (28-19-2-6), which have lost two games in a row.

The Valentine's Day matinee saw 21 power plays between the two teams in a game that took nearly three hours to play.

The Sea Dogs got the first power play of the afternoon, but the Oceanic added to its league-best shorthanded goal total at the five-minute mark.

Clapperton intercepted a cross-ice pass at the Rimouski blueline and broke in alone. The Florida Panthers' prospect deked to his backhand and deposited a shot under the crossbar, beyond the glove of Saint John goalie Alex Bishop.

The home team struck again two minutes later when DeLuca, parked behind the Sea Dog goal, found a streaking Dunn on the right side of the low slot. Dunn, a draft choice of the Ottawa Senators, snapped a quick shot past Bishop's glove to make it 2-0.

Saint John cut its deficit in half with a shorthanded goal of its own just past the halfway point of the period.

Samuel Dove-McFalls won a race to a loose puck in the left corner of the Rimouski zone and dropped a pass into the faceoff circle. Joseph skated into the puck and ripped a wrist shot past the glove of goalie Louis-Philip Guindon.

But Rimouski restored its two-goal lead 1:25 later on the same man advantage.

DeLuca curled out of the right corner, along the top of the circle, and whistled a heavy wrist shot past Bishop's blocker to make it a 3-1 game.

The Oceanic extended its lead on a man advantage twelve minutes into the second period when Clapperton sent a one-timed slap shot from the right circle past Bishop's glove for his second goal.

Before the ensuing faceoff at centre, Sea Dogs' forward Bokondji Imama was assessed a minor penalty and ten-minute misconduct for unsportsmanlike conduct. As he was being led off the ice, further interaction with a linesman prompted a game misconduct penalty for abuse of officials.

Rimouski made it 5-1 with 10.1 seconds remaining in the period as the teams skated 4-on-4.

Kostalek snapped a shot from the right point that hit a Saint John stick and deflected inside the left post on a surprised Bishop.

The Oceanic opened the third period with a power play goal 61 seconds in.

DeLuca took the puck out of a scramble in the left circle and deked to his backhand, scoring his second goal of the game through the legs of Bishop.

The Sea Dogs responded with a power play goal two minutes later.

Luke Green rifled a shot from the right point that Smallman deflected past Guindon's blocker.

Animosity hit a fever pitch nearly seven minutes into the period when Oceanic defenceman Samuel Morin hit Samuel Dove-McFalls from behind in the Rimouski zone.

That led to a near-line brawl as Smallman fought Morin while Jason Bell went toe-to-toe with Oceanic forward Anthony Chapados. All ten skaters on the ice received penalties, including Morin. The gold-medal winner with Canada's world junior team was given a major for checking from behind and a game misconduct along with a fighting major.

Saint John would cut its deficit to 6-3 on a 4-on-3 power play.

Adam Marsh fed a pass from the right side to Braydon Blight in the slot. The blueliner stepped into a one-timer and beat Guindon on his blocker side.

The Oceanic wrapped up the scoring with under nine minutes left when St-Hilaire carried the puck on the right wing, and then swung around the net and buried a wraparound inside the post.

Guindon earned the win with 26 saves. Bishop made 36 stops in the loss.

Clapperton's two goals made him first star while DeLuca's two goals, three points and eight shots merited a second-star selection. Kostalek secured third star with a goal and assist along with nine shots on goal in front of 3,275 fans in attendance.

Saint John's next game is Wednesday, February 18th, at 7 p.m. against the Victoriaville Tigres at Harbour Station. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station Box Office, online at harbourstation.ca or by calling 657-1234.

Listen LIVE on 96.1 NewSong FM or newsongfm.ca. Watch LIVE on QMJHL Live (fee applies).


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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 14, 2015


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