Sea Dogs Open Road Trip With Win Over Gatineau
February 25, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
GATINEAU, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs survived a scare against the Gatineau Olympiques, holding on for a 4-3 win Friday to win their first of three road games in three nights.
Michael Kirkpatrick and Zack Phillips scored on the first two shifts of the game, and Jonathan Huberdeau took over in the third period, setting up goals for Nathan Beaulieu and Stanislav Galiev. Jacob DeSerres made 23 saves for the win as Saint John became just the fourth team in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League history to win 50 games in back-to-back seasons.
Jacob Conrad, Mitchell Porowski and Hubert Labrie scored for Gatineau. Maxime Clermont allowed two goals on eight shots in the first period before giving way to Francois Lacerte to start the second. Lacerte stopped 20 of 22 shots the rest of the way.
The league-leading Sea Dogs, winners of 15 straight, sit 50-5-1-2, including a 21-0-1 mark in their last 22 games. Gatineau fell to 34-17-3-5.
The Sea Dogs scored on the first shift of game, as Kirkpatrick banged in his own rebound for his 28th of the year just 30 seconds in. Former Olympique Jason Seed, who was booed by some in the crowd, but also had a section of family and friends supporting him, picked up an assist. Steven Anthony had the other.
On the next shift, Phillips threw a shot from just inside the blueline that took a bad bounce off Clermont and into the net at 1:24. Galiev was awarded an assist on the goal, the 33rd of the year for Phillips.
The Olympiques changed goaltenders to start the second period, and were able to cut the lead in half in the middle frame. After a wild bounce off the back boards, Conrad took advantage and deposited it amid a goalmouth scramble for his first of the season.
Beaulieu restored the two-goal lead on a power play at 1:50 of the third. Huberdeau broke in on Lacerte with an incredible spin move around a defender. Lacerte stopped his shot, but Beaulieu followed up on the rebound for his 12th of the year. Phillips had the other assist.
Huberdeau was the catalyst again on Saint John's fourth goal, wrapping around the net and sending a pass across the goalmouth for Galiev, who tapped in the finish at 4:36 to make it 4-1. Gabriel Bourret also assisted on the goal, Galiev's 29th.
Porowski made it 4-2 with a shot from the slot at 8:07 of the third. The crowd of 3,066 then came back to life on a Gatineau power play late in the third. First Saint John forward Danick Gauthier was hauled down on a breakaway, and awarded a penalty shot. Gauthier made a great deke to the forehand but couldn't get it over the outstretched right pad of Lacerte. The next shift, Gatineau's Jean-Gabriel Pageau received a penalty shot call, but DeSerres was equal to the task.
Then with just seven seconds remaining in the penalty, Olympiques captain Hubert Labrie, returning from a knee injury for his first game of the season, beat DeSerres to make it 4-3. With less than four minutes to play, DeSerres kept it that way, stopping Philippe Halley point blank on a chance directly in front of the net.
The Olympiques pulled their goalie with less than two minutes to play, then Huberdeau was called for hooking on a stick lift with 52.8 seconds left, giving Gatineau its seventh power play to Saint John's two. But the Sea Dogs penalty killers managed to weather the storm and hang on for the one-goal victory.
The road trip continues with visits to the Victoriaville Tigres at 5 p.m. Saturday and the Shawinigan Cataractes at 5 p.m. Sunday.
Tim Roszell will have the call on News 88.9 FM. Fans can also catch all the action online via the official TELUS QMJHL webcast.
Saint John's next home game is March 4 against the Moncton Wildcats, where the Brunswick News Rivalry Cup will be presented to the Sea Dogs for the first time. Tickets can be obtained by calling the Harbour Station box office at (506) 657-1234, or by visiting www.tickets.harbourstation.ca. The Sea Dogs would like to remind fans holding flex tickets to cash them in soon to avoid being disappointed by waiting until the last minute. These tickets do not carry over to playoffs and are redeemed on a first come, first served basis.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 25, 2011
- Juniors fall to Oceanic - Montreal Juniors
- Sea Dogs Open Road Trip With Win Over Gatineau - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Voltigeurs Double Up MAINEiacs, 4-2 - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- Road Report from Drummondville - Lewiston MAINEiacs
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