Sea Dogs double up Juniors
Published on January 9, 2010 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- The Saint John Sea Dogs evened their season series with their expansion cousins at one win apiece on Saturday night, besting the Montreal Juniors by a score of 4-2 before a crowd of 4,064 at Harbour Station.
For the second consecutive night, the Port City's major junior squad was perfect (6-for-6) on the penalty kill while netting a pair of power play goals in laying claim to victory. Superstar winger Nick Petersen led the Sea Dogs' attack on Saturday, registering 1G-2A-3P in earning First Star of the Game honours.
Michael Kirkpatrick, Mike Thomas, and Tomas Jurco all chipped in with single markers for the hosts, while Ottawa Senators prospect Mike Hoffman dished out a pair of assists. David Rose and Louis-Marc Aubry, meanwhile, scored goals for Montreal in a losing effort.
Between the pipes, sophomore net minder Karel St-Laurent outdueled Los Angeles Kings draft pick J-F Bérubé in picking up his 13th win of the year. Both goalies made 23 saves on the night.
Saint John struck first on Saturday, with import winger Tomas Jurco one-timing a Nick Petersen pass to the back of Montreal's net from point-blank range exactly three minutes into the first period. The Juniors responded 3:15 later when David Rose banged a rebound past St-Laurent, registering the first goal of his major junior career in the process.
The Sea Dogs generated several scoring chances throughout the duration of the opening frame, but some outstanding work by Bérubé in net for the visitors kept the score tied at one apiece as Saturday's showdown reached the twenty minute mark.
Montreal took their first lead of the evening early in period number two, with Louis-Marc Aubry finishing off an odd-man rush by netting the eighth marker of his season. The hosts then retied the match at the 4:35 mark of the middle frame when Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nick Petersen redirected a Nathan Beaulieu point shot past Bérubé to improve his 2009-10 goals total to 26.
Karel St-Laurent came up with a huge stop near the game's midway mark, robbing Guillaume Asselin with a lightning-fast glove save during a four-on-four session to keep things all square on the scoreboard. Team Captain Mike Thomas then put the Sea Dogs up 3-2 a moment later, taking a pass from Pierre Durepos in the neutral zone and charging into Montreal territory prior to ripping a wrist shot over Bérubé's left shoulder to make the fifth goal of his season of the go-ahead variety.
Veteran centre Michael Kirkpatrick added an insurance goal for the home team 13:06 into the third period, pouncing on a loose puck deep in the Juniors' zone and knocking it past a sprawling Bérubé to pick up his 14th goal of the year.
The Sea Dogs cruised to victory from there on in, taking the match by a final score of 4-2 and improving their league-best record to 36-7-1-0.
Saint John's next game will be played on Saturday, January 16 at 7pm versus the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station. Tickets to this intraprovincial showdown are available by calling the arena box office at (506) 657-1234 or by visiting www.tickets.harbourstation.ca.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from January 9, 2010
- Wildcats take easy 6-2 win over Titan - Moncton Wildcats
- Sea Dogs double up Juniors - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Sea Dogs powers past Juniors 4 to 2 - Montreal Juniors
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