MacAulay scores winner in 5-4 victory over Lewiston in semifinal Game 1
Published on April 22, 2011 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs overcame a two-goal deficit late in the third period on the way to a 5-4 overtime win over the Lewiston Maineiacs in Game 1 of their best-of-seven President's Cup semifinal series.
Simon Despres set up Stephen MacAulay for the winning goal at 2:59 of the extra frame to send the Harbour Station crowd of 5,762 home happy. Steven Anthony and Tomas Jurco had a goal and an assist each, Stanislav Galiev tallied two assists and Pierre Durepos and Nathan Beaulieu added singles. Starting goalie Jacob DeSerres made 13 saves on 17 shots, while Mathieu Corbeil stopped all 13 shots he faced for the relief win in just under 12 minutes of work.
Matthew Bissonnette, Jess Tanguy, Kirill Kabanov and Antoine Houde-Caron scored for Lewiston. Nicholas Champion made 26 saves in a losing cause.
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff series continues with Game 2 Saturday, a 7 p.m. start back at Harbour Station.
Durepos opened the scoring on a high shot from the left point that found its way through traffic at 10:16 of the first period. Jurco and Anthony assisted on the goal, the first of the playoffs for Durepos. Anthony then made it 2-0 on a power play at 13:40, finishing a highlight-reel no-look pass from Galiev behind the net. Kevin Gagne picked up the other assist on Anthony's fifth post-season marker.
Then, after Lewiston broke up a great chance for Jurco, the Maineiacs came down the other way and Bissonnette finished a 2-on-1 with Fournier at 19:18 of the first. DeSerres made an impressive blocker save on Michael Chaput in the final minute of the frame to keep it 2-1.
But the Maineiacs would not be denied in the second period. Tanguy banged in a rebound on a 4-on-4 to tie it at 1:33, then Kabanov notched a power-play marker at 6:15 of the middle frame. DeSerres made an incredible right pad save sliding across on a cross-ice pass shortly thereafter to keep it 3-2, then the fans thought they had a tying goal from Jurco. Jurco fired a shot from the left-wing circle that beat Champion high glove side but bounced off the crossbar and post. Video review confirmed the puck did not cross the line. DeSerres delivered another great save with less than five minutes to go, robbing Houde-Caron with the left pad in a full split on a wraparound attempt.
The Maineiacs had a goal disallowed at 4:20 of the third, when Tanguy was ruled to have knocked it in with a high stick. Video review again confirmed the call. Houde-Caron made it 4-2 with a short-handed goal on a 2-on-1 with Samuel Henley, faking the pass and beating DeSerres with a high shot at 6:02.
With 8:50 to go, Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant decided to shake things up, switching goaltenders during the mandatory media timeout. Gallant went to Corbeil, whose last appearance was a shutout in the opening-round clincher against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles March 30. The move seemed to spark the Sea Dogs, who got back within one on Beaulieu's goal at 14:28. Zack Phillips faked a shot in the right-wing circle, then slid a pass across to Beaulieu sneaking in from the point. Beaulieu beat Champion with a wrist shot for his second of the playoffs, with Galiev picking up the other assist. Jurco then tied it at 15:42 as Champion came out of his net to clear the puck and the slick Slovakian intercepted it and deposited it into the open cage. The Dogs survived a late penalty kill for a too-many-men penalty, with Corbeil delivering a huge glove save on a deflected shot to preserve the 4-4 score into overtime. In the dying seconds, Jonathan Huberdeau had a 2-on-1 with Michael Kirkpatrick, who was taken down hard into the boards by Ian Saab and had to go to the dressing room for repairs.
Lewiston survived the penalty kill in overtime, and even had a chance of their own at the penalty expired, but Corbeil stopped Chaput and Etienne Brodeur from point blank range. That set the stage for MacAulay's winner as Despres carried the puck down the right wing and found MacAulay to Champion's right, where he banged it in before being mobbed by his teammates in the corner.
Tickets for Game 2 can be obtained by calling the Harbour Station box office at (506) 657-1234, or by visiting www.tickets.harbourstation.ca.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from April 22, 2011
- MacAulay scores winner in 5-4 victory over Lewiston in semifinal Game 1 - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Sea Dogs Come Back to Win Game One, 5-4 in Overtime - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- QMJHL Semi-finals: Notes and Stats - QMJHL
- Take 5 With Lewy's Legion - Road Report from Saint John - Lewiston MAINEiacs
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