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QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Kirkpatrick Records 200th Career Point as Sea Dogs Down MAINEiacs 6-2

December 3, 2010 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SAINT JOHN, NB --- In a battle between two of the top ten teams in the Canadian Hockey League the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Lewiston MAINEiacs by a score of 6-2 at Harbour Station on Friday night, improving to 14-0-0-1 on home ice and 23-3-0-2 overall in the process.

Michael Kirkpatrick, Simon Després, Tomas Jurco, Mike Thomas, Danick Gauthier, and Jonathan Huberdeau all scored for Saint John in Friday's impressive home win while second-year forward Zack Phillips dished out three assist to register his fifth consecutive multi-point game. Meanwhile, between the pipes, veteran net minder Frédéric Piché made 28 saves on 30 shots faced in picking up his 11th victory of the season.

At the other end of the ice, Cole Hawes and Jess Tanguay each tallied markers for the MAINEiacs in a losing effort while Nicholas Champion stopped 34 shots in suffering his fifth defeat of the year.

The visitors struck first on Friday as rookie centre Cole Hawes buried a close-range one-timer 6:35 into the match to improve his 2010-11 goals total to three. Saint John drew even midway through the opening frame, with freshman forward Ryan Tesink nicely setting up a crease-hovering Jonathan Huberdeau for a tap-in marker. Zack Phillips also picked up an assist on Huberdeau's man-up marker, the fifth such tally of his season.

Saint John pulled ahead 2-1 at the 2:15 mark of the second period when Danick Gauthier finished off a picture-perfect tic-tac-toe passing play which involved Steven Anthony and Gabriel Bourret by firing home his fifth goal of the year. Star centre Michael Kirkpatrick gave the Sea Dogs a two-goal advantage 13:44 later, carrying the puck into MAINEiacs territory and hammering a slap shot past Champion from the high slot area to register the 200th point of his career in spectacular fashion.

Another sensational three-way passing play produced the fourth Sea Dogs goal of the evening early in the third period, with import winger Tomas Jurco banging home the 15th tally of his sophomore season with Michael Kirkpatrick and Stanislav Galiev each drawing well-earned helpers. Superstar blue-liner Simon Després further added to the hosts' scoreboard advantage 8:45 into regulation's final frame, rifling a wrist shot to the back of Lewiston's net shortly after accepting a feed from Zack Phillips near Lewiston's blue line.

After MAINEiacs forward Jess Tanguay batted in the second marker of the night for the visitors in the 54th minute of play, Sea Dogs Captain Mike Thomas jammed the seventh offensive strike of his overage campaign across Lewiston's goal line a moment later to put his team up 6-2. Thomas' even-strength marker proved to be the final offence either team would produce on the night as the home team ultimately took the decision by a four-goal margin.

Up next for the Port City's major junior squad is a Saturday night showdown with the Gatineau Olympiques at Harbour Station (puck drop: 7pm). Tickets to this contest can be obtained by calling the arena box office at (506) 657-1234, or by visiting www.tickets.harbourstation.ca .

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 3, 2010


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