QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs

Sea Dogs fall to Rocket 5-2 in regular season finale

Published on March 15, 2009 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release


CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI --- The fourth regular season in Saint John Sea Dogs history came to an end on Sunday afternoon, with the Port City's major junior squad dropping a 5-2 decision to the P.E.I. Rocket at the Charlottetown Civic Centre in a match of relative unimportance.

With their playoff position having been firmly established, star Sea Dogs players such as Yann Sauvé and Michael Kirkpatrick were rested on Sunday in anticipation of the impending post-season. Saint John (34-30-2-2) will kick off their quest for the 2009 President's Cup with an opening round matchup versus Cape Breton (46-18-3-1), set to get underway next weekend in Sydney, NS.

Rocket skaters Jason Legault (2), Jarrad Struthers, Christopher Guay, and Chris Doyle all scored in Sunday's home win, with 18-year old net minder Evan Mosher picking up his fourth career victory after stopping 26 of the 28 shots sent his way by Sea Dogs players.

Benjamin Lecomte and Nicholas Pard both scored for Saint John in the three-goal loss, while Team Captain David Stich registered two assists on the afternoon to reach the 60-point mark for his QMJHL career. Goaltender Karel St-Laurent, meanwhile, suffered the sixth loss of his freshman campaign despite making a career high 45 saves in net for the Sea Dogs in their season-ended road defeat.

St-Laurent was exceptionally sharp in the early-going, backstopping a successful three-on-five penalty kill in the fourth and fifth minutes of play by virtue of some truly impressive acrobatics between the pipes for the visiting squad from south western New Brunswick.

Rookie forward Nicholas Pard knocked in his eleventh goal 12:36 into the first period, depositing a loose puck to back of open P.E.I. net after a David Stich slap shot caromed off of the back boards and landed in a favourable position for the talented winger to pounce upon.

The home team responded by scoring a pair of power play goals late in the opening frame, with Jason Legault and Jarrad Struthers both striking within 93 seconds of one another to send Sunday's match into the first intermission with the Rocket leading 2-1.

A bizarre goal for P.E.I. opened period number two, as a dump-in attempt by veteran defenseman Christopher Guay ricocheted off of the Civic Centre boards awkwardly prior to finding its way across the Saint John goal line as St-Laurent had skated behind the net in anticipation of the puck travelling along a normal trajectory.

Benjamin Lecomte then pulled the visitors back to within one of their opponents, unleashing an absolute howitzer of a slap shot from the point that beat Mosher low to give the sophomore defenseman seven goals on the season.

The Rocket restored their two-goal advantage at the 14:18 mark of the middle frame, as Jason Legault beat St-Laurent on a well-placed shot to tally his second goal of the game and give his team a 4-2 lead as Sunday's match reached the forty minute mark.

A rebound goal off the stick of New York Rangers prospect Chris Doyle proved to be the lone marker of the third period, as the Sea Dogs were unable to mount a late-match comeback in the Garden Province's capital city, ultimately falling by a score 5-2.

Saint John's full opening round playoff schedule will be announced on Monday. Tickets to the Sea Dogs' first two home playoff games (dates and times to-be-determined) are on sale now at the Harbour Station Box Office (657-1234).

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Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 15, 2009


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