GDT: Sea Dogs vs Fog Devils - January 26, 2008

[dogcatcher]

SEA DOGS VS FOG DEVILS TONIGHT - 7:00PM!!

Tonight, the Sea Dogs take on their expansion cousin's the St. John's Fog Devils, in what could well be the last time that we see the Fog Devils at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs sit at the top of the Eastern Divison with 66 points (31-12-1-3), while the Fog Devils are in 6th place with 49 points (22-23-1-4).

Tonight's game has been designated ‘Hockey Night in Saint John’.

A special pre-game ceremony honouring local minor hockey volunteers will be staged at centre ice prior to the puck drop on Saturday. The Southern New Brunswick Minor Hockey Board of Directors will be on hand to partake in the ceremony, as will the various presidents of local minor hockey associations.

Traditional old-time hockey music will be played on an organ throughout Saturday’s game, while fans attending the match are encouraged to wear their favourite all-time hockey jerseys from the amateur or professional ranks.

Additionally, local minor hockey teams are able to purchase special ticket packages to the 7:00pm game, which is sponsored by C.A.A. Information on these one-time-only team packages can be obtained by calling the Sea Dogs office at (506) 657-DOGS (3647).

Fans can catch the action live by logging onto News 88.9 FM at www.news889.com/, the official QMJHL webcast at qmjhl.mytelus.com/, or by watching the game on Rogers Television Cable 10 in New Brunswick. Tickets are available by calling the Harbour Station Box Office at [phone].

[dogcatcher]

GAME DAY
Saint John Sea Dogs vs St. John's Fog Devils

Published Saturday January 26th, 2008
Appeared on page C14
Saint John Sea Dogs

Record

31-12-1-3

Streak: 1W

NHL Draft Picks

D Alex Grant (Pittsburgh Penguins), F Chris Di Domenico (Toronto Maple Leafs)

Players to Watch

F Michael Kirkpatrick, F Scott Howes, D Yann Sauve

N.B. Players

G Travis Fullerton (Riverview), F Mike Thomas (New Maryland)

Did You Know?

Alex Grant needs one more goal to tie the franchise record for most goals by a defenceman in a season with 12.

St. John's Fog Devils

Record

22-23-1-4

Streak: 2W

NHL Draft Picks

G Timo Pielmeier (San Jose Sharks), F Jean-Simon Allard (Buffalo Sabres), F Mario Kempe (Philadelphia Flyers), D T.J. Brennan (Buffalo Sabres), F Matt Fillier (Los Angeles Kings)

Players to Watch

F Luke Adam, F Kempe, D Brennan

N.B. Players

G Jake Allen (Fredericton), D Mathieu Labrie (St-Quentin), F Taylor MacDougall (Fredericton), F Nick Layton (Wheaton Settlement)

Did You Know?

After three season in St. John's, the Fog Devils will be moved to Verdun, Que. next season.

[tostitos]

The old folks will be having heart attacks left right and centre tonight. As of 10am this morning, there was just over 4,000 tickets sold for tonights game.

[dogbert]

Damn I want to go to this one, but I have another game to go to. It'll be interesting to see how the Fog play after all the news this week and after the thrashing they gave us in NL. I bet they'll come out hard and fast. It'll also be interesting to see how the Dogs play. I'm expecting a very intense battle.

[Dogs 08-09]

tostitos said:

The old folks will be having heart attacks left right and centre tonight. As of 10am this morning, there was just over 4,000 tickets sold for tonights game.

Just looking at ticket sales on Harbor Station's website. Looking good so far should be a big crowd. I would guess 5000+ for tonight.

[elementz]

Good Good...like Frank White said earlier I think, this game could be a benchmark on what our future attendence could be like. If we shit the bed, the casual fans are going to have a ugly taste in their mouth.

[tostitos]

As of 3:30pm ... over 4,500 tickets have been sold.

[berner]

Awesome - let's go guys, put on a good show and make this a turning point in attendance and atmosphere!

[canucklehead]

5600+ fans and bam!

The ref was a joke on both sides but he really blew it at the end why the hell was the foggies called for hauling down the Dog when he was breaking in at the end at least be consistent FFS!

[ontariohockeyfan]

Tough loss 5-4,officials pretty bad but there was some positives attendence close to 5700 fans,Saint John down 4-1 after 2 make a game of it in the third out scoring the Fog Devils 3-1.
Question the Howes 5 minute major (slash ) in the third period is it an automatic 2 game suspension or it reviewable for possible more like in the O.

[canucklehead]

ontariohockeyfan said:

Tough loss 5-4,officials pretty bad but there was some positives attendence close to 5700 fans,Saint John down 4-1 after 2 make a game of it in the third out scoring the Fog Devils 3-1.
Question the Howes 5 minute major (slash ) in the third period is it an automatic 2 game suspension or it reviewable for possible more like in the O.

I don't think it was intentional they may review it but personally I don't see a suspension being warranted the 5 and a game was enough and the Foggies are damn lucky it happened it actually saved their ass

[canucklehead]

I don't mind losing it happens it just is a bit of a bummer because we had so many people there tonight this was a chance to really show people the product we have and how very good our team is!

[dogcatcher]

SEA DOGS COMEBACK FALLS JUST SHORT AT HARBOUR STATION

Saint John Drops 5-4 Decision to St. John’s In Front of Season-High 5,657 Fans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Saturday, January 26, 2008

SAINT JOHN, NB --- The last-ever regular season contest between the St. John’s Fog Devils and Saint John Sea Dogs was certainly a memorable affair, as a season-high 5,657 spectators witnessed an exciting back-and-forth hockey game between the expansion cousins at Harbour Station.

St. John’s scored three unanswered goals to open the game and held a 4-1 advantage at the second intermission. Saint John fought back valiantly however, scoring three of the four third period goals to pull to within one of the visitors’ lead. The Sea Dogs were unable to net the ever-important tying goal in the late-Going however, and the Fog Devils emerged victorious with a 5-4 win.

Scott Howes, Payton Liske, Chris DiDomenico, and Alex Grant all scored for the Sea Dogs on Saturday, while Jean-Simon Allard, Mario Kempe, Wesley Welcher, Luke Adam, and Nick Layton tallied markers for the Fog Devils.

Rookie goaltender Robert Mayer (19 saves on the night) suffered the loss in net for Saint John in a relief appearance, while Jake Allen earned the victory between the pipes for St. John’s after stopping 29 of the 33 shots fired upon him.

The Fog Devils struck first on Saturday, with Jean-Simon Allard netting a highlight-reel goal 3:54 into the opening frame. The 18-year old centre made a serried of impressive stick handling manoeuvres in the Sea Dogs’ zone prior to beating starting Sea Dogs goalie Travis Fullerton with a low backhand shot.

The visitors went up 2-0 eight-and-a-half minutes later, when a charging Nick Layton pounced on a loose puck just outside the Sea Dogs’ goal crease and wired a high shot over Fullerton’s shoulder to earn his 17th goal of 2007-08.

Robert Mayer took over goaltending duties for Saint John following Layton’s mid-period goal, as the Sea Dogs coaching staff hoped a change between the pipes might negate the early momentum grabbed by St. John’s.

After a goal by Mario Kempe put St. John’s up by three with just under six minutes remaining in the opening frame, Sea Dogs enforcer Brett Gallant took it upon himself to seize some much-needed momentum for the home team, challenging left winger Matt Boland to a bout of fisticuffs at centre ice. The rugged Saint John forward took the decision handily, punishing his opponent with a serious of vicious right hands that struck Boland’s temple with tremendous force.

Gallant’s efforts paid off handsomely for Saint John, as with 1:55 remaining in the first, overage winger Scott Howes banged home his 30th goal of the season to put the Sea Dogs on the scoreboard and pull them to within two of the Fog Devils.

Saint John was awarded a two-man advantage early in the second period, but were unable to capitalize on their 5-on-3 power play as St.John’s’ penalty killing unit was able to thwart the best attempts of the Sea Dogs’ top offensive specialists.

At the 10:49 mark of the middle frame, the Fog Devils went up 4-1 when Luke Adam ended an odd-man rush/scramble with a snap shot into a wide open cage past a sprawling Robert Mayer.

Neither team was able to add to their respective goal totals in the latter half of the second, and Saturday’s contest reached the forty-minute mark with the visitors up by a score of 4-1.

The Sea Dogs went on another lengthy double-PP early in the third period, and while the Fog Devils once again came out on top in the special teams battle, Chris DiDomenio was able to one-time a Keven Charland pass to the back of the St. John’s net immediately after the expiration of the second penalty, giving the 18-year old sniper 33 goals on the season and pulling the home team back to within two of the visitors’ lead.

The Fog Devils’ advantage was then reduced to one 1:02 later by Alex Grant, who unleashed a rocket of a shot from the point during a power play that Allen was unable to block, giving the Sea Dogs Captain 12 goals on the season as Harbour Station’s biggest crowd of the year erupted in applause as their team had pulled to within immediate striking distance of Newfoundland’s major junior squad.

The home team continued to apply heavy pressure in the St. John’s zone, with a pair of spectacular saves by Allen off of Michael Kirkpatrick and Scott Howes from point-blank range preventing the Sea Dogs from producing the tying goal shortly after Grant’s tally.

The visitors then scored their fifth goal of the game on the power play, as a wrist shot by Wesley Welcher beat Mayer high and put St. John’s back up by two.

The Sea Dogs’ power play then responded, as Payton Liske knocked in a rebound at the end of a lengthy scramble to earn his 13th goal of the year at an extremely opportune time, as Saint John trailed by a single tally once again with 8:12 left to play in the third period.

Saint John continued to attack the St. John’s net with extreme ferocity, but Allen and the Fog Devils’ defensemen were able to keep the Sea Dogs from netting the equalizer, as their precarious one-goal advantage somehow managed to remain in tact as the match reached its sixtieth minute, giving the expansion cousins a 4-4 split on their season series by virtue of a 5-4 win for St. John’s.

Up next for Saint John is a Tuesday night road contest versus the PEI Rocket. The Sea Dogs next play at home on Thursday, January 31 when they face the Victoriaville Tigres at Harbour Station.

[elementz]

Ughh tough loss. Awful start by the Dogs and Fullerton to get down 3-0 in the first 15 minutes of the game. Had some awesome momentum until Howes got the 5 and a game which allowed to the Foggies to score the winning goal.

Not much to say about officiating.

Nice atmosphere and intensity tonight though. Felt like a playoff game.

[dogbert]

I got to see Gallant's bout before I went out. How's his hand? It looked like hamburger