Sea Dogs' Winning Streak Hits 20 Games With 8-3 Victory Over Lewiston
Published on December 6, 2009 under Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
SAINT JOHN, NB --- The league-leading Saint John Sea Dogs seized sole possession of the third-best winning streak in QMJHL history on Sunday afternoon, defeating the Lewiston MAINEiacs by a score of 8-3 at Harbour Station to capture their 20th consecutive victory.
Michael Kirkpatrick (2), Tomas Jurco, Mike Hoffman, Nick Petersen, Nicholas Pard, Danick Gauthier, and Jonathan Huberdeau all scored for the Sea Dogs in the impressive home win, with Marc-Antoine Gélinas (33 saves) earning his league-best 19th victory of the season between the pipes for the Port City's major junior squad.
At the other end of the ice, the visitors received offensive production from J-F Plante, Billy Lacasse, and =C9tienne Brodeur on the day while Adrien Lemay (38 saves) suffered the loss in net.
After the two teams exchanged goals early in the first period, veteran centre Michael Kirkpatrick quickly tallied back-to-back markers to put the Sea Dogs up 3-1 midway through the opening frame. Saint John went up by three late in the stanza, as superstar sniper Mike Hoffman finished off a magnificent give-and-go passing play with line-mate Nick Petersen by wiring his twentieth goal of the year past a sprawling Lemay.
Sea Dogs Captain Mike Thomas came close to further adding to his team's lead early in period number two, ringing a close-range wrist shot off of a Lewiston post as the #1 team in the Q continued to apply significant pressure upon their American-based adversaries.
The MAINEiacs showed signs of life at the 7:31 mark of the second, with J-F Plante burying a rebound produced by a Francis Beauvillier shot at the end of a two-on-one rush into Saint John territory. Another odd-man rush produced Lewiston's third marker of the match, as Billy Lacasse got the puck past Gélinas during a mid-period power play to pull Lewiston to within immediate striking distance of the home team.
Nick Petersen and Mike Hoffman combined to restore the Sea Dogs' two-goal advantage late in the middle frame. Following a successful face-off win by Hoffman in the visitors' zone, Petersen skated hard to the net and knocked in the 18th goal of his overage season on a perfectly-executed draw play.
Nicholas Pard put Saint John on top 6-3 at the 1:34 mark of period number three, beating Lemay from between the hash marks to pick up the third goal of his weekend. The Sea Dogs went up by four five minutes later, with Danick Gauthier sneaking a wrist shot past Lemay from the slot to improve his 2009-10 goals total to nine.
After a two-on-one rush by rookies Tomas Jurco and Zack Phillips was broken up by Lewiston defenders, fellow freshman Jonathan Huberdeau jumped up into the play and one-timed a cross-ice feed from Jurco to the back of the MAINEiacs' net to put the hosts up 8-3 at the 52:13 mark of the match, recording his seventh career offensive strike in the process.
Huberdeau's tally proved to be the final goal of the day, as the Sea Dogs cruised to victory in the late-going to take the decision by a five-goal margin.
Up next for the Sea Dogs (28-4-1-0) is a Friday night road game versus the P.E.I. Rocket. The puck drops at 7pm as Saint John looks to make it 21 straight at the Charlottetown Civic Centre.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from December 6, 2009
- Foreurs down Juniors 4 to 1 - Montreal Juniors
- Sea Dogs' Winning Streak Hits 20 Games With 8-3 Victory Over Lewiston - Saint John Sea Dogs
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