Burns Scores Teddy Bear Toss Goal in 8-5 Loss to Moncton
December 9, 2022 - Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) - Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
The Saint John Sea Dogs (9-17-0-1) battled back from a multi-goal deficit, but came up short and had their three-game winning streak snapped, falling 8-5 to the Moncton Wildcats (14-11-0-2) on Friday night. Brady Burns sent the teddy bears flying with the first Sea Dogs goal of the night. Cam MacDonald led the Sea Dogs with a goal and two assists. Danny Akkouche scored his first QMJHL goal and Eriks Mateiko and Alexis Cournoyer hit the back of the net in the loss.
Charles Beaudoin and Maxim Barbashev led the Wildcats with four points each. Etienne Morin had two goals and an assist, while Preston Lounsbury scored twice and Vincent Labelle added a pair of helpers.
Vincent Filion made 34 saves to get the win for the Wildcats.
Nikolas Hurtubise made seven saves before being relieved by Ventsislav Shingarov who made 21 saves in two periods of work.
The Wildcats got on the board 29 seconds in as Beaudoin threw the puck on net off the right wing and Lounsbury redirected it past Hurtubise for the early 1-0 lead.
The Sea Dogs came close to responding four minutes later when MacDonald won a battle on the right wing boards and put a pass out to Pavel Simek all alone in front but Filion made a glove save on the ensuing shot.
Just under two minutes later, the Wildcats swarmed the Sea Dogs net and Francesco Iasenza almost jammed it home past the right pad of Hurtubise and the rebound came out to Miles Mueller in the high slot, but Hurtubise was up to the task with a great glove save.
Off the next faceoff however, Labelle put a point shot on that was stopped by Hurtubise but the rebound trickled out into the crease and Lounsbury put it home for his second of the game for a 2-0 Wildcats lead.
With 7:03 left in the first, the Sea Dogs on the powerplay, Burns put it top corner past Filion from the faceoff dot to cut the lead to 2-1 and sent the teddy bears to the ice.
Moncton restored the two-goal lead 38 seconds afterwards as Hugo Marcil put a high wrist shot on from the point that Mueller tipped past Hurtubise to make it 3-1.
MacDonald almost answered back with 3:47 left, taking a long stretch pass from Burns for a breakaway only to be denied by Filion.
Shots after the first period were 12-10 for the Sea Dogs.
Shingarov started the second period for the Sea Dogs, replacing Hurtubise in net.
The Wildcats scored another early period goal, this time a 1:18 into the second, as Beaudoin circled the Sea Dogs net and fed a perfect pass to Iasenza in front who put it past Shingarov to make it 4-1.
2:11 later, Barbashev walked into the right of the Saint John goal and dropped a pass to Morin in the high slot who ripped a shot past Shingarov to make it 5-1.
Eriks Mateiko came close to getting one back for Saint John three minutes later, getting in behind the Wildcats defence for a breakaway, but Filion would shut the door.
Two minutes later, Nicolas Paven toe-dragged a puck around the left side of the Sea Dogs net and snapped it over the shoulder of Shingarov to make it 6-1.
The Sea Dogs gained some life back before the end of the second. With 3:44 left in the period Danny Akkouche put a wrist shot through traffic for his first QMJHL goal to cut the Moncton lead to 6-2.
MacDonald followed with another 41 seconds later, making a great play to keep the play onside. Burns picked up the puck, fed Connor Trenholm in the middle of the ice, then Trenholm made a behind the back pass back to MacDonald, who out-waited Filion to put the puck home and cut the lead to 6-3.
Just 32 seconds after that, Cole Burbidge fired a wrist shot that rebounded out to MacDonald who put a slapshot towards the net that was tipped by Mateiko and past Filion to make 6-4 heading into second intermission.
Shots after the second period were 25-24 for the Wildcats.
After a quiet start to the third, the Sea Dogs kicked their momentum back in gear as Noah Reinhart drove the net, putting a backhand shot on that Filion would stop but Alexis Cournoyer cleaned up the rebound to make it 6-5 with 11:46 to go.
Just under five minutes later, the Wildcats responded on the powerplay with Beaudoin ripping a shot from the high slot past Shingarov to make it 7-5.
The Sea Dogs would not get any closer despite having an extended powerplay to end the game and Morin added an empty netter for Moncton to make it an 8-5 final.
Final shots in the game were 39-36 for the Sea Dogs.
Alpine 3 Stars
1 Maxim Barbashev (4A)
2 Cam MacDonald (1G, 2A)
3 Charles Beaudoin (1G 3A)
The Sea Dogs next welcome the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to TD Station on Sunday. Game time is 3 PM, doors open at 2 PM and you can purchase tickets at the TD Station box office and online.
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Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Stories from December 9, 2022
- Burns Scores Teddy Bear Toss Goal in 8-5 Loss to Moncton - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Preview: December 9 vs. Acadie-Bathurst Titan - Charlottetown Islanders
- December 8th 50/50 Draw on Hold - Halifax Mooseheads
- Sea Dogs Game Day: Sea Dogs vs Wildcats: 7 PM - Saint John Sea Dogs
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