Sea Dogs Defeat Oceanic 3-2 In Overtime Thriller
Published on February 21, 2010 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- A season-high 6,128 fans witnessed the Saint John Sea Dogs capture their 48th win of the year in thrilling fashion on Sunday afternoon, as the Port City's major junior squad defeated the Rimouski Oceanic by a score of 3-2 in overtime at Harbour Station.
After sixty minutes of hard-hitting, back-and-forth action produced a 2-2 deadlock, superstar sniper Mike Hoffman netted his 13th game-winning goal of the year in the opening minute of OT to give the Sea Dogs a dramatic, sudden-death victory. Pittsburgh Penguins prospects Nick Petersen and Simon Després also scored for Saint John in the gritty home ice effort, with sophomore goaltender Karel St-Laurent improving to 16-4 on the year after turning aside 27 of the 29 shots sent his way by Oceanic skaters on the afternoon.
At the other end of the ice, Patrick Delisle-Houde and Ryan Kavanagh each tallied markers for the visitors, while overage net minder Matthew Dopud suffered his 35th career loss despite turning in a highly-impressive 44-save performance for Rimouski.
Dopud was pounded with vulcanized rubber in the early-going, with the Sea Dogs registering the first five shots on goal as the ice surface appeared to be tilted towards the Oceanic's net in the opening minutes of play. Saint John defenseman Yann Sauvé also administered a bone-crunching body check upon star Rimouski forward Petr Straka early in the first period, setting the tone for the afternoon in doing so.
Nick Petersen gave the home team a 1-0 lead at the 4:33 mark of the opening frame, beating Dopud from close range on a low wrist shot during a four-on-four session. Mike Hoffman and Pierre Durepos both picked up assists on Petersen's marker, his 35th of the year.
Rimouski tied things up at one apiece midway through the second period, with Patrick Delisle-Houde knocking home a rebound produced by a Casey Babineau point shot to improve his 2009-10 goals total to 16. Superstar blue-liner Simon Després put the hosts back on top late in the middle frame, carrying the puck into Oceanic territory and ripping a high wrist shot past Dopud's blocker to send Sunday's showdown into the second intermission with the Sea Dogs ahead 2-1.
Ryan Kavanagh re-tied the match up in the opening minute of period number three, firing home a net-seeking missile of a long-range wrist shot to tally his 13th man-up marker of the year. Neither team was able to add to their respective goal totals over the course of the closing 19:08 of regulation, as the sixty minute mark was reached with the score deadlocked at two apiece.
It didn't take long for overtime to produce a winner, as Mike Hoffman fired a loose puck past a sprawling Dopud 35 seconds into the extra frame to make the 38th goal of his season of the skate-off, game-winning variety. Up next Saint John is a mid-week tilt with the Gatineau Olympiques at the Robert Guertin Arena. The puck drops at 8:30pm AST on Wednesday night as the Sea Dogs look to open their final Quebec road trip of the season with a victory over the Telus West Division's third-place occupants.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 21, 2010
- Rio Gets Second Straight Shut Out As Cats Dominate Shawinigan - Moncton Wildcats
- Rivalry starts between Juniors and Olympiques - Montreal Juniors
- Sea Dogs Defeat Oceanic 3-2 In Overtime Thriller - Saint John Sea Dogs
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