Sea Dogs Win 18th Straight, 4-1 Over Rocket
Published on December 2, 2009 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI --- The #1 team in the QMJHL continued their extraordinary run on Wednesday night, as the Saint John Sea Dogs skated into the Charlottetown Civic Centre and defeated the P.E.I. Rocket by a score of 4-1 to register their 18th consecutive victory. Saint John is now tied with the 2008-09 Drummondville Voltigeurs for the fourth-best winning streak in league history.
Mike Hoffman (2), Michael Kirkpatrick, and Nick Petersen all scored for Saint John in the impressive road effort, while Marc-Antoine Gélinas turned aside 31 of the 32 shots sent his way by Rocket skaters to pick up his 18th victory of 2009-10. Gélinas was named First Star of the Game in recognition of his strong effort between the pipes for the Sea Dogs.
At the other end of the ice, Anaheim Ducks prospect Marco Cousineau (25 saves) suffered his tenth defeat of the year in net for P.E.I. while Jarrad Struthers tallied the lone marker of the evening for the ill-fated home team.
Saint John was awarded the first power play of the match when veteran Rocket defenseman Christopher Guay was called for hooking at the 4:55 mark of the first period. Star forward Mike Hoffman wasted littlie time in capitalizing on the man-up opportunity, hammering home a one-timer from the top of the slot 40 seconds into Guay's penalty to record his team-high 18th goal of the season.
The Sea Dogs' defensive special teams unit then went to work, skillfully killing off a five minute major penalty after Mike Thomas was assessed a game misconduct at the six minute mark of the game. Another successful PK for Saint John late in the stanza sent Wednesday's intradivisional showdown into the first intermission with the visitors in possession of a 1-0 lead.
Pittsburgh Penguins prospect Nick Petersen gave Saint John a two-goal advantage four-and-a-half minutes into the middle frame, taking a crisp pass from line-mate Stanislav Galiev at the side of Prince Edward Island's net and quickly firing a wrist shot through Cousineau's pads to pick up the 17th marker of his overage season.
The Rocket cut their opponents' lead in half 4:23 later when Jarrad Struthers redirected a Jordan Southorn pass/shot hybrid to the back of Saint John's net. Struthers' goal proved to be the final tally of the second period, as the forty minute mark was reached with the Sea Dogs leading 2-1.
Marc-Antoine Gélinas came up with a big stop early in the third period, stoning a crease-hovering Jarrad Struthers with a lightning-fast right pad save to keep his team's one-goal advantage in tact.
At the 13:01 mark of regulation's final frame, Mike Hoffman added an insurance goal for the visitors, ripping a high wrist shot past Cousineau's outstretched glove hand from a dozen feet out to score his second of the game. Veteran centre Michael Kirkpatrick put Saint John up 4-1 a minute later, tipping a Tomas Jurco shot across the Rocket goal line to net his seventh of the year.
The Sea Dogs would cruise to victory from there on in, with the Rocket taking several ill-advised penalties in the late-going to negate their ability to mount anything even resembling a comeback attempt.
Up next for the Port City's major junior squad is a Saturday night showdown with the Gatineau Olympiques at Harbour Station. The puck drops at 7pm as Saint John looks to equal Sidney Crosby's 2004-05 Rimouski Oceanic by winning their 19th straight game. Tickets to this match are available by calling the arena box office at (506) 657-1234.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 2, 2009
- Sea Dogs Win 18th Straight, 4-1 Over Rocket - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Sea Dogs Remain #2 On CHL's Top Ten List - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Jake Allen Invited To Canada's National Junior Team Selection Camp - Montreal Juniors
- Gormley Gets Invitation To National Juniors Selection Camp - Moncton Wildcats
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