Sea Dogs Earn Thrilling 5-4 Shootout Win
February 6, 2010 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
MONCTON, NB --- The Saint John Sea Dogs emerged victorious from an incredibly-entertaining hockey game on Saturday night, skating into the Moncton Coliseum and earning a 5-4 shootout win over the Moncton Wildcats in a contest brimming with intensity throughout.
After sixty-five minutes of highly-combative, back-and-forth action produced a 4-4 deadlock, the Sea Dogs laid claim to victory by way of the shootout. All three Saint John shooters converted in the breakaway contest, with veteran goalie Marco Cousineau stopping one of the two Wildcats skaters he faced in the dramatic skills challenge.
Cousineau also made 31 saves during regulation and overtime in picking up his 18th win of the year. Moncton net minder Nicola Riopel (25 saves), meanwhile, suffered the third defeat of his overage campaign after going 0-for-3 in the game's decisive segment.
Michael Kirkpatrick, Mike Hoffman, Yann Sauvé, and Nick Petersen all scored for the Sea Dogs during regulation play on Saturday, with Randy Cameron, Brandon Gormley, Daniel Petterson, and Mark Barberio replying for the Wildcats. Saint John now leads the season series between these two star-laden squads four-wins-to-two, while Moncton owns a 14.5 - 10.5 advantage in the Brunswick News Rivalry Cup Challenge standings.
The lone goal of Saturday's opening frame came off the stick of superstar Saint John sniper Mike Hoffman. Carrying the puck into Moncton territory in the 14th minute of play, the Ottawa Senators prospect deftly utilized a Wildcats defender as a screen as he wired a low wrist shot past Riopel to register the 34th goal of his season.
Michael Kirkpatrick doubled the visitors' lead 2:36 into period number two, taking a pass from Tomas Jurco on the fly near the Moncton slot prior to unleashing a wicked backhand shot that successfully eluded Riopel on its netward journey.
The Wildcats briefly pulled to within immediate striking distance of the Sea Dogs midway through the second stanza when defenseman Brandon Gormley converted on a short-handed breakaway chance. A crease-hovering Nick Petersen restored the Sea Dogs' two-goal advantage just 34 seconds later however, burying a loose puck at the end of a lengthy scramble in Moncton's zone to improve his 2009-10 goals total to 33.
Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Mark Barberio then produced the hosts' second goal of the evening, beating Cousineau on a well-placed snap shot to once again reduce his team's deficit to one late in the middle frame. Barberio's power play tally proved to be the final offensive strike of the period, as Saturday's showdown reached the forty minute mark with Saint John ahead on the scoreboard by a one-goal margin.
Yann Sauvé put the Sea Dogs up 4-2 at the 2:13 mark of the third period, setting a new career high by netting his seventh goal of the year on a crisp point shot that Riopel was unable to impede the forward progress of. The Wildcats responded five minutes later, with Daniel Petterson sneaking a wrist shot past Cousineau from a tough angle to pull the home team to within one goal of their opponents' total yet again.
Moncton then tied the match up at four apiece at the 11:17 mark of regulation's final frame when veteran forward Randy Cameron pounced on a self-produced rebound deep in Saint John territory, muscling the puck across the Sea Dogs' goal line to pick up the 32nd man-up marker of his career.
Neither team was able to find the back of the net during the final 8:43 of regulation, sending Saturday's match to an abbreviated extra frame. Five minutes of overtime also failed to produce any further offence, with a winner-take-all shootout resultantly becoming necessary.
The awesome lethality of the Sea Dogs' dynamic contingent of shootout specialists was utilized to full effect in the penalty shot showdown, as Mike Hoffman, Tomas Jurco, and Jonathan Huberdeau all exhibited sublime composure in beating the reigning league M.V.P. on their individual breakaway attempts. Scott Brannon was able to convert on his chance, while Ted Stephens came up empty against Cousineau as Saint John won the skater-versus-goalie competition 3-1. The Sea Dogs are now 8-0 in shootouts this season.
Up next for the Port City's major junior squad is a Wednesday night home game versus the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The puck drops at 7pm as Saint John looks to complete a sweep of their season series with their neighbours to the north. Tickets to this mid-week matchup are available by calling the Harbour Station Box Office at 657-1234 or by visiting www.tickets.harbourstation.ca.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 6, 2010
- Voltigeurs shock Juniors 4 to 1 - Montreal Juniors
- Sea Dogs win 5-4 shootout - Moncton Wildcats
- Sea Dogs Earn Thrilling 5-4 Shootout Win - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Pregame Notes - Montreal Juniors
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