Sea Dogs Suffer First Loss Of 2010-11 In Verdun
Published on September 24, 2010 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
VERDUN, QC --- The Saint John Sea Dogs suffered their first loss of the 2010-11 campaign on Friday night, dropping a 4-1 decision to the Montreal Juniors at Verdun Auditorium. Saint John is now 4-1-0-0 on the year.
Trevor Parkes, Philippe Fontaine, and David Rose all found the back of the net for Montreal in Friday's home win, as did freshman forward J-C Laflamme. Meanwhile, skating in his first game of the season after being reassigned to the QMJHL by the NHL's Vancouver Canucks earlier this week, 19-year-old forward Steven Anthony scored Saint John's lone goal of the evening.
Between the pipes sophomore net minder Etienne Marcoux made 23 saves in backstopping his team to their second victory of the year, with veteran Sea Dogs goalie Karel St-Laurent stopping 32 shots in suffering the first defeat of his overage season.
Montreal drew first blood on Friday night when David Rose found himself on a breakaway courtesy of a fortuitous bounce in the neutral zone in the fifth minute of play. The second-year winger made no mistake on the prime scoring chance, beating St-Laurent on a high wrist shot after making a subtle shoulder fake as he bore down upon the Saint John net.
The Juniors took a 2-0 lead when Trevor Parkes also converted on a breakaway at the 13:30 mark of the opening frame. Parkes slid a backhand shot past St-Laurent's outstretched right pad after making an impressive deke at the end of his solo down-ice voyage.
Veteran forward Steven Anthony then cut Saint John's deficit in half at the 19:46 mark of the first period, pouncing on a loose puck and rifling home his first of the year on a high snap shot that brought an abrupt end to a lengthy scramble in Montreal territory. Star centre Michael Kirkpatrick picked up an assist on Anthony's power play goal, tying Ryan Tesink and Jonathan Huberdeau for the team lead in points with nine in the process.
Montreal restored their two-goal advantage 7:19 into the second period when J-C Laflamme found himself in an opportunistic position after a clearing attempt by the Sea Dogs caromed awkwardly off of the visitors' backboards, allowing the rookie winger to deposit his first career QMJHL marker into an open Saint John net. Laflamme's luck-induced tally proved to be the sole offensive strike of the middle frame as the Juniors took a 3-1 lead over their opponents into intermission number two.
The hosts went up by a field goal early in the third period when Philippe Fontaine buried a cross-ice feed from Denis Kindl past a sprawling St-Laurent to improve his 2010-11 goals total to two. Montreal very nearly took an insurmountable lead late regulation's closing stanza when a crease-hovering forward had a wide open net to shoot at during a Juniors power play, but Karel St-Laurent came up with a sensational diving stick save to keep his team's comeback hopes alive.
Saint John vehemently pursued their second goal of the game throughout the duration of the third, but Marcoux and the Juniors' star-laden defence were able to thwart their opponents' efforts as Montreal ultimately took the match by a 4-1 final.
Up next for the Sea Dogs is a Saturday night showdown with the Drummondville Voltigeurs at the Marcel Dionne Centre. The puck drops as 7pm EDT / 8pm ADT as Saint John looks to rebound from Friday's loss and pick up two points at Drummondville's expense.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from September 24, 2010
- Saulnier brothers lead Wildcats to 2nd straight win - Moncton Wildcats
- Acadie-Bathurst Defense Leaves MAINEiacs Frustrated - Lewiston MAINEiacs
- Juniors triumph over the Saint-John Seadogs - Montreal Juniors
- Sea Dogs Suffer First Loss Of 2010-11 In Verdun - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Take 5 with Lewy's Legion - Lewiston MAINEiacs
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