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QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Saint John Scores Four Unanswered Goals to Send Game Into

October 27, 2007 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


SAINT JOHN, NB --- Harbour Station bore witness to an event fraught with awesomeness on Saturday night, as the Saint John Sea Dogs earned their tenth win of the season in amazingly dramatic fashion, erasing a four-goal deficit in handing the St. John's Fog Devils a 6-5 shootout loss.

After falling behind 5-1 in the second period, Saint John charged back riotously, scoring four unanswered goals to send the game into overtime. After neither team scored in the sudden death session, a shootout was required to determine a winner, with Alex Grant ending things with a skate-off goal in the breakaway contest's third round.

"This was definitely a huge character-building win for our team," said the Sea Dogs Captain following the thrilling victory. "We didn't play our best game out there tonight, that's for sure, but we found a way to win and that's all that matters. Hopefully we can carry this momentum into Tuesday's game against Lewiston."

Grant also scored the game-tying goal late in the third period on Saturday; Chris DiDomenico, Alexandre Leduc (2), and Scott Howes all registered tallies for the Sea Dogs as well on the night. In a relief appearance, Travis Fullerton earned the victory in goal for Saint John - his fourth of the season.

Starting Sea Dogs goalie Robert Mayer was tested early on Saturday, coming up with a huge cross-crease glove save off of a Wesley Welcher one-timer 1:52 into the first period. Jeff McNeil then nearly put Saint John on the scoreboard a few minutes later, ringing a wrist shot off of the post of the Fog Devils' net.

With 8:32 remaining in the opening frame, Chris DiDomenico hit Payton Liske with a picture-perfect pass in Fog Devils territory; Liske fired a strong shot at the visitors' net, but starting St. John's goaltender Jake Allen managed to get a shoulder on the puck, keeping the score tied 0-0 in the process.

The Sea Dogs broke the scoreless tie at the 13:47 mark of the first period, as Alexandre Leduc scored his fourth goal of the season with Alexandre Picard-Hooper and Francois Gauthier both picking up assists on the play.

The Fog Devils tied things up 1-1 at the 3:49 mark of the second period, as Ryan Graham managed to beat Mayer with a well-placed snap shot, ending the Swiss net minder's impressive home shutout streak at 154:22. St. John's scored twice more in the middle frame's first half, with Olivier Guilbault and Taylor McDougall combining to put the visitors up by a score of 3-1.

St. John's continued to apply heavy pressure in Saint John's zone, with Pier-Antoine Dion's first goal of the season bringing an end to Mayer's night at the 14:34 mark of the middle frame.

With veteran Travis Fullerton installed between the pipes for Saint John, the Fog Devils went up by four when McDougall scored again, this time at the 17:56 mark of the second.

Scott Howes then pulled the Sea Dogs to within three of the Fog Devils' lead with 2:04 remaining in the middle frame, firing a shot that deflected off of a St. John's defenseman prior to finding the back of the net and earning the 20-year old winger his fourth tally of the season. Chris DiDomenico then scored on the power play with 24.3 seconds on the clock - unleashing a howitzer of a slap shot from the slot that put the home team right back in the game as the contest reached the forty minute mark.

The Sea Dogs moved to within one of the St. John's lead midway through the third period, as Alexandre Leduc notched a power play marker to make the score 5-4 with 11:06 remaining in regulation.

At the 17:03 mark of regulation's final frame the 3,590 fans in attendance at Harbour Station erupted into an unabashed frenzy as star defenseman Alex Grant led an odd-man rush into Fog Devils territory, beating Allen with a hard backhand shot to produce the equalizer and send Saturday's match into overtime.

Neither team was able to produce a goal in the extra frame, with DiDomenico and Grant providing the best scoring chances of OT and Jeff McNeil making a pair of impressive defensive plays in his own zone to send the game into a shootout.

The breakaway contest saw both teams failing to score in the opening round prior to T.J. Brennan and Chris DiDomenico exchanging goals in the second. After Travis Fullerton stymied Ryan Graham's attempt in the third round, the stage was set for the Sea Dogs to win the game as their third shooter took the ice - Alex Grant.

The Sea Dogs Captain did not disappoint on his scoring attempt, beating Allen with a nifty shot to earn the skate-off goal and complete the incredible comeback which had begun late in the second period.

The Fog Devils are now 8-8-1-2 on the season while the Sea Dogs improve to 10-4-0-1.

Saint John next hits the ice on Tuesday night at Harbour Station. The Sea Dogs will be looking to earn their third win of the season against the defending President's Cup Champion Lewiston MAINEiacs. The action gets underway at 7:00pm.

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from October 27, 2007


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