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QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Late Goal Sinks Sea Dogs in Drummondville

October 23, 2013 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


DRUMMONDVILLE, PQ - Christophe Lalancette capped off a three-point night with a power play goal with under three minutes remaining, leading the Drummondville Voltigeurs to a 4-3 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action at Centre Marcel Dionne on Wednesday.

Nathan Noel and Oliver Cooper each contributed a goal and an assist for the Sea Dogs (5-9-0-1), which have lost six straight games.

Michael Abbott also scored.

Mitch Graham, Jerome Verrier and Olivier Caouette tallied for the Volts (8-6-0-1), helping Drummondville snap a two-game skid.

A full game summary can be found HERE.

Drummondville showed some early speed and created the first good chance of the game about four minutes in.

Verrier slipped in on the right wing side and snapped a hard wrister that Saint John goalie Sebastien Auger kicked out with his right leg.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring a short time later.

Cooper stole the puck just inside the Drummondville line on the left side and gave it Spencer Smallman, who sprung Noel on a short breakaway. The St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, native deked to his forehand and slid the puck through the legs of goalie Louis-Philip Guindon for his team-leading sixth goal of the season.

Drummondville tied it less than two minutes later.

Sergei Boikov fired a high shot from the left point that deflected downward into Auger, but the puck was loose and Graham tucked it inside the left post to make it 1-1.

The Volts, which came into the game with the QMJHL's top-rated power play, took their first lead of the game on a 5-on-3 man advantage just shy of the nine-minute mark.

Lalancette fed a pass from the left side of the net into the slot where Verrier rifled a wrister past Auger's blocker.

But the Sea Dogs fought back to tie the game at 2-2 on a power play of their own.

Olivier LeBlanc teed up Abbott for a one-timer from the left point, and the blast beat Guindon inside the right post.

Drummondville retook the lead with under four minutes left in the first period.

With the Volts shorthanded, Lalancette fed a pass from the right wing side near the Sea Dogs' blueline down into the low slot, where Caouette deked to his backhand and slid the puck past a sprawling Auger to make it a 3-2 game.

Auger kept it a one-goal game five minutes into the second when Lalancette cut in on a partial breakaway and ripped a spinning backhand shot that the goalie kept out with his right leg.

The Dogs tied the game with less than six minutes left in the middle frame.

Off a scrambled faceoff to Guindon's right, Noel put a pass in front that deflected right to Cooper, who went high, blocker side, to make it 3-3.

The game stayed tied well into the third period.

Saint John nearly took the lead ten minutes in when Stephen Anderson faked a shot from the right side, and instead sent a slap-pass in front to a wide open Matthew Highmore, but the second-year Sea Dogs' pivot could not beat Guindon.

Drummondville scored the eventual winner on another power play with 2:36 to go.

Verrier blistered a slap shot from the left wing circle that Auger stopped. Lalancette chopped in the rebound to give the Voltigeurs a 4-3 advantage.

Saint John pulled Auger with about forty seconds left.

Their best chance to score came when Smallman snapped a wrist shot through a screen that Guindon snared with his catching glove with a half-second left on the clock.

The Voltigeurs outshot Saint John 41-22.

Auger took the loss with 37 saves while Guindon made 19 saves for the victory.

Noel was named second star for his two-point performance.

The Sea Dogs continue their road trip against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar Friday, October 25th, at 8:30 p.m. at Centre Henry-Leonard. Listen LIVE on News 88.9 FM. Watch LIVE on TELUS (fee applies).

Saint John's next home game is November 1st at 7:30 p.m., against the Moncton Wildcats. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station box office, online at tickets.harbourstation.ca, or by calling 657-1234.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 23, 2013


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