Post by dogcatcher on Feb 4, 2008 8:16:41 GMT -4
Sea Dogs win on road despite rocky finish
Hockey Saint John gives up four power-play goals in 6-5 win in Moncton
Andrew McGilligan
Telegraph-Journal
Published Monday February 4th, 2008
Appeared on page B8
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs did their best impression of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Moncton Wildcats in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
The Sea Dogs played two strong periods of hockey and built a four-goal lead before surrendering three in final period and hanging on for a win.
Alexandre Picard had three goals for the Sea Dogs while Scott Howes, Alexandre Leduc and Yann Sauve added singles. Jesse Biduke had a pair of goals for Moncton while Adam Bezak, Mark Barberio and Rothesay native Chris Morehouse had one apiece.
"We had a big lead and it was the fourth game of the week so I think we were a little tired mentally and made some mistakes in the end," Picard said.
The Sea Dogs came into the contest having suffered a 3-1 road loss to the Lewiston Maineiacs on Friday. Danick Paquette, Marc-Andre Daneau and Stephan Chaput scored for Lewiston while Alex Grant replied for Saint John. Grant's marker set a new franchise record for most goals in a season by a defenceman with 13.
Sea Dogs forward Brett Gallant served an automatic one-game suspension Sunday after being assessed his fifth game misconduct of the season.
On Sunday, the Sea Dogs dug an early hole for themselves after defenceman David Stich was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind 21 seconds into the game.
The Wildcats cashed in 18 seconds later when a puck redirected off the head of Bezak and past Saint John starter Robert Mayer.
It was 2-0 less than a minute later when Barberio snapped a shot low blocker side by Mayer at 1:09.
Saint John forward Mike Thomas tried to spark his team by dropping the gloves with one of the toughest players in the QMJHL in Kyell Henegan. Neither player landed any big shots, but the Sea Dogs seemed to gain some life from the fight and began testing Wildcats starter Nicola Riopel.
The Sea Dogs kept the pressure up and were rewarded with a power-play marker of their own. A rebound off a Grant wrist shot was banged in by Picard at 10:23 to cut the lead to 2-1. It was the first of five-straight goals for the Sea Dogs.
Saint John tied the game 2-2 at 17:58. An errant pass between two Wildcats defencemen was picked off in the slot by Leduc and ripped by Riopel.
The second period began with a highlight reel goal by Picard, his second of the game. The 20-year-old picked up the puck in front of the Moncton goal and made several quick moves, tucking the puck by the pad of Riopel for a 3-2 Saint John edge.
The lead doubled to 4-2 when Howes, in his first game back from a three-game suspension, banged in a rebound from a Pascal Amyot point shot at 14:32.
Picard completed the hat-trick with a power-play tally at 18:49 to make it 5-2 in favour of Saint John.
The Sea Dogs dominated the middle frame firing 21 shots at Riopel to hold a 40-12 edge in shots heading into the third.
Saint John made it six-straight goals when Sauve banged in his fifth of the season off a scramble in front of the goal for a 6-2 lead.
Moncton ended the goal-scoring streak, and went on one of their own, with a pair of man-advantage markers from Biduke less than a minute apart to cut the lead to 6-4.
The Wildcats clawed to within one-goal at 16:00 on Morhouse's 13th of the year.
That was as close as the Wildcats came, as the Sea Dogs held on for the win to improve their record to 34-13-1-3.
Despite the win, head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu wasn't happy with the penalty kill and goaltending.
"Obviously our (penalty kill) is not up to snuff with four power-play goals, you won't win a lot of games when you give up that many," he said. "We've got to get quality goaltending and we're not getting it."
FIRED: The Victoriaville Tigres fired head coach Martin Bernard on Saturday after being defeated 7-3 by the Prince Edward Island Rocket on Friday.
Hockey Saint John gives up four power-play goals in 6-5 win in Moncton
Andrew McGilligan
Telegraph-Journal
Published Monday February 4th, 2008
Appeared on page B8
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs did their best impression of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in Sunday's 6-5 win over the Moncton Wildcats in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
The Sea Dogs played two strong periods of hockey and built a four-goal lead before surrendering three in final period and hanging on for a win.
Alexandre Picard had three goals for the Sea Dogs while Scott Howes, Alexandre Leduc and Yann Sauve added singles. Jesse Biduke had a pair of goals for Moncton while Adam Bezak, Mark Barberio and Rothesay native Chris Morehouse had one apiece.
"We had a big lead and it was the fourth game of the week so I think we were a little tired mentally and made some mistakes in the end," Picard said.
The Sea Dogs came into the contest having suffered a 3-1 road loss to the Lewiston Maineiacs on Friday. Danick Paquette, Marc-Andre Daneau and Stephan Chaput scored for Lewiston while Alex Grant replied for Saint John. Grant's marker set a new franchise record for most goals in a season by a defenceman with 13.
Sea Dogs forward Brett Gallant served an automatic one-game suspension Sunday after being assessed his fifth game misconduct of the season.
On Sunday, the Sea Dogs dug an early hole for themselves after defenceman David Stich was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking from behind 21 seconds into the game.
The Wildcats cashed in 18 seconds later when a puck redirected off the head of Bezak and past Saint John starter Robert Mayer.
It was 2-0 less than a minute later when Barberio snapped a shot low blocker side by Mayer at 1:09.
Saint John forward Mike Thomas tried to spark his team by dropping the gloves with one of the toughest players in the QMJHL in Kyell Henegan. Neither player landed any big shots, but the Sea Dogs seemed to gain some life from the fight and began testing Wildcats starter Nicola Riopel.
The Sea Dogs kept the pressure up and were rewarded with a power-play marker of their own. A rebound off a Grant wrist shot was banged in by Picard at 10:23 to cut the lead to 2-1. It was the first of five-straight goals for the Sea Dogs.
Saint John tied the game 2-2 at 17:58. An errant pass between two Wildcats defencemen was picked off in the slot by Leduc and ripped by Riopel.
The second period began with a highlight reel goal by Picard, his second of the game. The 20-year-old picked up the puck in front of the Moncton goal and made several quick moves, tucking the puck by the pad of Riopel for a 3-2 Saint John edge.
The lead doubled to 4-2 when Howes, in his first game back from a three-game suspension, banged in a rebound from a Pascal Amyot point shot at 14:32.
Picard completed the hat-trick with a power-play tally at 18:49 to make it 5-2 in favour of Saint John.
The Sea Dogs dominated the middle frame firing 21 shots at Riopel to hold a 40-12 edge in shots heading into the third.
Saint John made it six-straight goals when Sauve banged in his fifth of the season off a scramble in front of the goal for a 6-2 lead.
Moncton ended the goal-scoring streak, and went on one of their own, with a pair of man-advantage markers from Biduke less than a minute apart to cut the lead to 6-4.
The Wildcats clawed to within one-goal at 16:00 on Morhouse's 13th of the year.
That was as close as the Wildcats came, as the Sea Dogs held on for the win to improve their record to 34-13-1-3.
Despite the win, head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu wasn't happy with the penalty kill and goaltending.
"Obviously our (penalty kill) is not up to snuff with four power-play goals, you won't win a lot of games when you give up that many," he said. "We've got to get quality goaltending and we're not getting it."
FIRED: The Victoriaville Tigres fired head coach Martin Bernard on Saturday after being defeated 7-3 by the Prince Edward Island Rocket on Friday.