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Saint John Sea Dogs

Safin's Late Heroics Help Sea Dogs Earn Single Point in OT Loss at Val-D'Or

February 17, 2018 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


VAL-D'OR, QC - Ivan Kozlov scored 29 seconds into overtime to give the Val-d'Or Foreurs a 3-2 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs, Friday at Centre Air Creebec.

The goal came after Sea Dog forward Ostap Safin scored twice in the final two-and-a-half minutes to erase a 2-0 deficit.

Adam Cheezo and Nathan Hudgin had the other goals for Val-d'Or (19-32-2-2), which snapped an eight-game losing skid.

Safin's two goals for Saint John (13-32-8-2) extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with six goals in that span.

The Foreurs got on the board first with a goal four minutes into the game.

Maxim Mizyurin took a pass at the bottom of the right circle and found Cheezo alone in front. The third-year forward snapped it past the glove of Alex D'Orio in the Sea Dogs' goal.

Saint John's best chance of the period came shortly before that goal.

Zachary Leclerc took a pass on the left side to create a short 2-on-0 in the Val-d'Or zone. He fed the puck across the top of the crease to Tyler Smith, who was stymied by Foreurs' goalie Mathieu Marquis.

The Sea Dogs enjoyed multiple power play opportunities in the second period, but could not find the net.

It stayed a 1-0 game until fewer than five minutes remained in the third period when Hudgin doubled Val-d'Or's lead with a shot from the right circle that went off two Sea Dog defencemen and bounced past a helpless D'Orio.

Safin cued a Saint John comeback with just over two minutes left.

While shorthanded, the Edmonton Oilers' prospect worked a give-and-go with Robbie Burt. He took the return feed at the middle of the blueline, drove down the right wing and ripped a quick wrist shot under the blocker of Marquis.

The Sea Dogs pulled D'Orio for an extra skater with more than a minute to go.

Radim Salda fired a low wrist shot from the left point which was stopped. Burt threw the puck from the left side of the crease through the blue paint and out the other side. Safin was there to slide the loose puck past the sprawling netminder and tie the game at 2-2.

Kozlov's game-winner came on the opening shift of overtime after a turnover in the Saint John zone.

A slap shot from the high slot missed the net to the blocker side of D'Orio, but the puck came back to the side of the goal. Mizyurin tapped a short pass in front to Kozlov, who snapped it inside the left point to end the game.

Marquis made 35 saves for the win. D'Orio kicked out 33 shots in the loss.

Mizyurin was named first star with two assists while Kozlov's game-winner and assist made him second star. Cheezo's goal prompted a third-star selection in front of 1,616 fans in attendance.

Saint John's next game is Saturday, February 17th, at 8 p.m. against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at Iamgold Arena. Listen LIVE on 96.1 NewSong FM or newsongfm.ca. Watch LIVE on Neulion.

The Sea Dogs' next home game is Wednesday, February 21st, at 7 p.m. against the Moncton Wildcats at Harbour Station. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station Box Office and online. Buy before the day of the game and SAVE!

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2018


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