Sea Dogs Seize Semifinal Stranglehold
April 26, 2011 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
LEWISTON, Me. - Thanks to a four-goal second period and solid goaltending from Mathieu Corbeil, the Saint John Sea Dogs are within one win of returning to the President`s Cup final.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Ryan Tesink, and Mike Thomas all scored on the way to a 5-2 win over the Lewiston Maineiacs in Game 3 of their best-of-seven Quebec Major Junior Hockey League semifinal series. Huberdeau also set up Tesink`s game-winning goal, and Zack Phillips had three assists, including one on Stanislav Galiev`s late empty-netter. Corbeil made 28 saves to win his third straight decision in the Saint John goal.
Kirill Kabanov and Christophe Lalonde scored for Lewiston. Nicholas Champion made 18 saves on 22 shots through two periods and Andrey Makarov stopped seven shots in relief.
Saint John will look to complete the sweep when the series continues with Game 4 in Lewiston on Wednesday, an 8 p.m. Atlantic Time start.
Click HERE http://en.lhjmq.qc.ca/schedule/show/game/58561 for a complete score sheet from Tuesday's matchup.
Lewiston started off with a flurry, generating several good chances in the opening minutes, but Corbeil and the Sea Dogs defense corps were able to weather the storm.
After a scoreless first period, the Sea Dogs broke though on Huberdeau's power play marker at 1:56 of the second. Michael Kirkpatrick sent a pass from behind the net out front to Huberdeau, who buried his league-best 12th. Phillips picked up the other assist. The Dogs ran the lead to 2-0 shortly thereafter thanks to Steven Anthony, who picked Olivier Dame-Malka's pocket as the defenseman was coming around his own net. Anthony set up Jurco, who was waiting in the slot to have his way with Champion for his sixth of the playoffs. Tesink then added an insurance marker at 7:01, directing the puck past Champion for the eventual game-winner while being dumped to ice by Jonathan Parisien. Huberdeau set up the rookie`s second with a pass from the right-wing corner, and Phillips collected the other helper.
Corbeil made arguably his best save of the night on an Antoine Houde-Caron breakaway midway through the second, sliding to his right in the splits to deny the veteran with a huge right pad save. Lewiston did get on the board at 11:23 of the second on a 4-on-4 on a strange play that bounced in off Kabanov to make it 3-1. But Mike Thomas extended the lead back to three goals, jamming the puck home in a goalmouth scramble to make it 4-1 at 18:26. Scott Oke picked up the lone assist on the goal, the second of the post-season for Thomas.
The Maineiacs switched goaltenders to open the third, and it seemed to provide an early spark, as Lalonde got a deflection past Corbeil just 23 seconds in. The Dogs, however, held them off the rest of the way. The Maineiacs pulled the goalie with about two minutes to go and Galiev bagged the empty netter, with a nice assist from Phillips, to make it 5-2. Simon Despres picked up the other helper on Galiev`s ninth, which came at 18:15 of the final frame.
The series continues with Game 4 in Lewiston on Wednesday, an 8 p.m. Atlantic Time start. Tim Roszell will have the call on News 88.9 FM http://www.news889.com/ Fans can also catch all the action online via the official TELUS QMJHL webcast. Game 5, if necessary, would be back at Harbour Station on Friday, April 29 at 7 p.m.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from April 26, 2011
- Saint John Wins Game Three, 5-2 in Lewiston - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- Sea Dogs Seize Semifinal Stranglehold - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Take 5 With Lewy's Legion - Game Three in Lewiston Tonight - Lewiston MAINEiacs
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