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QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Overtime Magic Sends Dogs to Memorial Cup Final

May 23, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - The Saint John Sea Dogs won yet another important game in overtime, as Jonathan Huberdeau scored in the extra frame to seal a 3-2 win over the Owen Sound Attack Monday. The win also sealed Saint John's spot in Sunday's championship game at the MasterCard Memorial Cup.

Tomas Jurco had a goal and an assist for the Sea Dogs, Stanislav Galiev also scored, and Jacob DeSerres made 47 saves for the win before 5,429 fans at the Hershey Centre in Mississauga, Ont. It was Saint John's fifth win in five post-season overtimes, and first since capturing the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship with a double-overtime win in Game 6 on May 15.

Matt Petgrave and Andrew Shaw scored for Owen Sound and Jordan Binnington made 41 saves in the loss.

The national major junior championship tournament runs through May 29 in Mississauga. Saint John wraps up its round-robin schedule Tuesday against the Western League champion Kootenay Ice, an 8 p.m. Atlantic Time start. Tim Roszell will have the call on News 88.9 FM. The games will also be televised nationally by Rogers Sportsnet and a webcast is available at http://mastercardmemorialcup.insinc.com/

Saint John seemed to have the early momentum in the first period, particularly on strong shifts by the lines of Alexandre Beauregard - Mike Thomas - Stephen MacAulay and Galiev - Zack Phillips - Huberdeau. But Owen Sound took the early lead when Petgrave's long shot deflected off a defender and past DeSerres at 6:36 of the first.

The Attack got another fortuitous bounce with Gabriel Bourret in the box for hooking when Mike Halmo's long shot hit a stick on the way through and bounced down and through DeSerres. Shaw was credited with the marker at 14:23 of the first.

DeSerres made an incredible save in the dying seconds of the opening frame, diving to his left to rob Cameron Brace on a rebound chance.

The Dogs got on the board on a second-period power play thanks to some great work by Jurco. After almost scoring on a highlight-reel move, the slick Slovakian picked up the puck behind the net, curled to the left-wing corner, and fired a cross-ice pass to Galiev, who beat Binnington with a one-timer.

The penalty killing then kicked in, surviving a 5-on-3 power play for Owen Sound later in the frame. The Attack also had a good chance at even strength with two minutes to go in the second, when Shaw and Brace came in on a 2-on-1, but Pierre Durepos stuck out a glove to intercept the pass, one of several good defensive plays by the defender Sportsnet named one of the "Steady Eddies" of Canadian junior hockey.

Saint John had a couple of great chances to equalize shortly thereafter. On a 4-on-4 with just over a minute left, Huberdeau fed Simon Despres, who walked into the slot and fired a shot that beat the goalie but struck iron. The Sea Dogs generated another chance when Galiev danced in off the left wing and fired a dangerous shot, but Kevin Gagne couldn't corral the rebound.

Michael Kirkpatrick was involved in several good chances early in the third, hitting the side of the net on a Galiev setup, then being robbed by Binnington on a Huberdeau setup. Playing with Jurco and Huberdeau on another shift about nine minutes in, the line generated a couple more close calls buzzing around the net.

It was Jurco who finally found the equalizer with 3:27 to play in regulation. Perched just to the left of Binnington, Jurco corralled an Eric Gelinas point shot off the back boards, deftly switched to his forehand and flicked a skill shot over the down-and-out netminder.

Kirkpatrick then found his way on the scoresheet for the final goal in the extra frame, setting up Huberdeau with a pass from the right wing that the 17-year-old star buried at 17:35 to set off a celebration at centre ice.

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