Sea Dogs shoot down Rocket's comeback attempt
Published on March 25, 2008 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. --- In what proved to be a highly-dramatic, gritty affair, the Saint John Sea Dogs outlasted the P.E.I. Rocket in QMJHL playoff action on Tuesday night, earning a hard-fought 6-4 victory at the Charlottetown Civic Centre to remain undefeated in their first-ever President's Cup run.
The Sea Dogs built a comfortable 5-1 lead over the course of the opening 45 minutes of play, but three unanswered goals by the Rocket pulled the home team to within immediate striking distance of the visitors in the late-going. Team MVP Chris DiDomenico added an insurance marker for Saint John in the closing minutes however, capping off a three-point night with a short-handed tally that produced a two-goal win for his squad.
Saint John now holds a commanding 3-0 advantage in their best-of-seven opening round playoff series versus P.E.I., with the Rocket a single loss away from elimination. A win in Charlottetown tomorrow night will propel the Sea Dogs into Round #2 of the QMJHL post-season.
In addition to DiDomenico, Scott Howes (2), Keven Charland, Alex Grant, and David Stich also scored for the Sea Dogs on Tuesday, while Mathieu Tousignant, Matthew Lachaine, and Geoff Walker (2) replied for the Rocket.
Travis Fullerton earned the win between the pipes for Saint John, turning aside 35 of the 39 shots sent his way to improve his playpff record to a perfect 3-0. Meanwhile, Antoine Lafleur suffered the loss in goal for P.E.I., surrendering six goals on 43 shots faced to fall to 3-6 all-time in post-season play.
After the opening sixteen-and-a-half minutes of play failed to produce a goal for either side on Tuesday, a lengthy wrist shot by Yann Sauvé was frozen by Lafleur, prompting a face-off deep in P.E.I.'s zone. Chris DiDomenico won the ensuing draw cleanly, shovelling the puck to Scott Howes who promptly deposited the hard disk comprised of vulcanized rubber to the back of the Rocket net, giving the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead on his third goal of the playoffs.
Two minutes later, the Sea Dogs' highly-effective post-season power play struck for the first time on the evening, as a booming point shot off the stick of Alex Grant found its way to the back of the Rocket net via Lafleur's five-hole to earn the star defenseman his first career playoff goal.
Travis Fullerton played extremely well throughout the opening frame, making nine saves on as many shots faced to send Tuesday's contest into the first intermission with the visitors leading 2-0.
Saint John went up by three at the 7:28 mark of the second period when Chris DiDomenico hit Ryan Spraling with a nifty cross-ice pass deep in Rocket territory. Sparling's initial shot was denied, but line mate Scott Howes was there to pounce on the juicy rebound, tallying his second marker of the game to gain the team lead in post-season goal scoring with four.
A fourth Sea Dogs goal then came during a two-man advantage 15:41 into the middle frame. Coasting near the P.E.I. blue line, David Stich one-timed a Pascal Amyot pass over Lafleur's left shoulder, earning his first goal of the year on what a cannon of a slap shot that nearly burst through the twine on the Rocket's net.
Stich's goal proved to be the final marker of a penalty-filled second period, as Tuesday night's tilt reached the forty minute mark with Saint John seemingly fully in control by virtue of their four-goal advantage.
The Rocket put an end to Fullerton's shutout bid in the opening minute of the third period, as a Mathieu Tousignant one-timer from the slot managed to elude the veteran goaltender, pulling the home team to within three of the visitors in the process.
The four-goal Saint John lead was then restored by Keven Charland, who muscled in a loose puck during a five-on-four session to make the score 5-1 in favour of the visitors 5:33 into regulation's final frame.
The home team responded with a power play goal of their own, as Geoff Walker registered his sixth career playoff tally seven-and-a-half minutes later to make the score 5-2 in favour of Port City's major junior squad.
Things took a turn for the violent from there, with fights and cheap shots featuring prominently throughout the closing seven minutes of play.
Back-to-back goals by Matthew Lachaine and Geoff Walker then pulled P.E.I. to within one of the Saint John lead, but a short-handed goal by Chris DiDomenico restored the two-goal Sea Dogs advantage with 99 seconds remaining in the third.
Fullerton and the stellar Saint John defensive core were then able to prevent the Rocket from regaining any momentum in the closing minute-and-a-half, ultimately delivering a 6-4 win for the Sea Dogs in Game Three of their East Division Quarter-Final series.
Game Four gets underway at 7:00pm on Wednesday as Saint John looks to clinch a second round playoff berth with another win in the Garden Province.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from March 25, 2008
- Lewiston tops Cape Breton 2-1 - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- Sea Dogs shoot down Rocket's comeback attempt - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Olivier Fortier awarded the Guy-Carbonneau Trophy - QMJHL
- Bryce Swan Of The Halifax Mooseheads Named CHL Player Of The Week - QMJHL
- Coaches Suspended, Organizations Fined - QMJHL
- Jim Midgley Named Assistant Coach for Team Atlantic at 2009 World U-17 Hockey Challenge - Saint John Sea Dogs
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