GDT: Sea Dogs vs Rocket - January 18, 2008

[hockey1981]

4-1 SJ

[dogcatcher]

Please Note: Due to technical difficulties, tonight's Sea Dogs-Rocket game will NOT be televised on Rogers as previously scheduled.

[Judas In My Mind]

Good. No TV for the fair weather fans to fall back on.

And I'll say it's Mayer-Mayer-Fullerton this weekend.

[canucklehead]

jrsuperstar said:

Good. No TV for the fair weather fans to fall back on.

And I'll say it's Mayer-Mayer-Fullerton this weekend.

I see the logic behind this one as well if your thought is to give Fullerton a couple extra days off before playing Halifax in the game of the week ;D

[bjindaho]

i agree on mayer starting tonight...who knows, he might start a run

[canucklehead]

bjindaho said:

i agree on mayer starting tonight...who knows, he might start a run

He may start more often hard to say he has played very well in his last couple games since coming back from the juniors.

That being said he's not gonna be starting all 3 though

[bjindaho]

obviously...that would be stupid. but he could easily start 2 of 3.

[canucklehead]

bjindaho said:

obviously...that would be stupid. but he could easily start 2 of 3.

Come on BJ even you know that's not a run

[bjindaho]

4 games in a row isn't a run? How about say 6 of 7 or 7 of 8?

[canucklehead]

bjindaho said:

4 games in a row isn't a run? How about say 6 of 7 or 7 of 8?

Come on now he didn't start the other game against Shawinigan he relieved Fullerton so that one don't count so I guess if your counting the last game and today and tomorrow's game as your run ok fine.

[Superdog]

Good game by the are seadogs tonight.We were a little sloppy tonight.Latel,I will not comment on his actions .Big game on Sunday against the moose ,hopefully they pick there game up.Why was Hopper scratch tonight.

[canucklehead]

I honestly doubt they'd give up 6 goals if it was a closer game the D got alittle complacent after getting the big lead...IMO of course ;D

Great game though don't wanna take anything away from the win love to see guys like Kirkpatrick and Liske get their Hat tricks!

[markofthebeast]

Awesome win tonight guys sorry our boys couldn’t pull it out in CB to help you guys a little but all 4 teams at the top won tonight so no change.

Just wondering, not to stir shit, what was with the 6 goals against Mayer was it a combo of being used more then he’s used to lately (3 games in a row) and complacent D seeing how the score was so out of hand or something else? Just looking for a little insight on the situation. I'll probably watch this one tomorrow anyways, so again congrats on the big win and thanks for the help.

[Judas In My Mind]

markofthebeast said:

Just wondering, not to stir shit, what was with the 6 goals against Mayer was it a combo of being used more then he’s used to lately (3 games in a row) and complacent D seeing how the score was so out of hand or something else? Just looking for a little insight on the situation. I'll probably watch this one tomorrow anyways, so again congrats on the big win and thanks for the help.

Umm...a combination of some weak goals by Mayer, 2 or maybe 3 goals that actually went in off our own player, and a goal by Latal that I don't think any goalie in this league could have stopped.

I'd like to see Mayer start tomorrow against Val D'Or too just to see what kind of game he plays.

[dogcatcher]

SEA DOGS ROUT ROCKET AT HARBOUR STATION

Saint John Sets New Franchise Record For Goals In A Game During 12-6 Home Win

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Friday, January 18, 2008

SAINT JOHN, NB --- Offence reigned supreme at Harbour Station on Friday night, as the Saint John Sea Dogs continued their unrepentant dominance of the PEI Rocket, routing their divisional rivals by a score of 12-6 in front of over 4500 fans to improve to 29-12-1-2 on the season and remain atop the QMJHL East Division standings.

The 12 goals registered by Saint John establishes a new record for team scoring in a game, surpassing the old mark which was set during a 10-3 shellacking of PEI on December 2, 2007.

The Sea Dogs have now outscored the Rocket 34-14 this season, amassing a record of 4-0 in the process.

Saint John scored the game’s first three goals on Friday night and didn’t look back from there in a contest in which both goal judges saw plenty of flashing red all night long, particularly during a second period in which the two opposing squads combined for eight goals.

Michael Kirkpatrick (3), Scott Howes, Matthew Stoddard, Francois Gauthier (2), Steven Anthony, Payton Liske (3), and Chris DiDomenico all tallied markers for Saint John in the lopsided win, while Martin Latal, Myles Gomes, Bradley Gallant, Chad Locke, Jan Kana, and Matthew Lachaine replied for PEI.

Robert Mayer (30 saves) earned the victory in net for the Sea Dogs, while Marc-Andre Gelinas suffered the loss between the pipes for the Rocket after allowing nine goals on 28 shots over the course of the opening two periods. .

The Sea Dogs went on the power play just 0:48 into the first period on Friday when Jordan Southorn was assessed a two-minute minor for interference. The home team made the most of their early man-advantage opportunity, with Payton Liske netting his 9th goal of the season with Ryan Sparling and Alex Grant picking up assists on the play.

Just 1:15 after Liske’s goal, Scott Howes scored what was likely one of the easiest goals of his career, tapping a rebound into a wide open Rocket net after Gelinas was pulled badly out of position in blocking a booming shot off the stick of Alexandre Leduc.

The awesome lethality of the Sea Dogs’ power play was again put on display at the 7:26 mark of the match, with Francois Gauthier finishing off a beautiful tic-tac-toe passing play, banging home a one-timer from the side of the net after receiving a crisp cross-ice pass from Ryan Sparling, who had been set up perfectly by Alex Grant a split-second earlier.

Prince Edward Island then cut the Sea Dogs’ lead to two with 3:33 remaining in the opening frame, with Matthew Lachaine scoring a power play goal to make the score 3-1.

The Sea Dogs wasted little time in restoring their three-goal advantage however, as 1:18 after Lachaine’s power play marker, Steven Anthony beat Gelinas with a backhand shot from close range after picking up a loose puck, giving the rookie six goals on the season.

While he didn’t face an extraordinary amount of rubber in the first, Mayer was sound when called upon in net for Saint John, making six stops on seven shots during the twenty minute frame, a big save off of a Mathieu Tousignant wrist shot the slot in the fifteenth minute of play being one of the best.

Phoenix Coyotes prospect Martin Latal beat Mayer high, glove side with a laser of a wrist shot on an odd-man rush 1:33 into the second period, providing PEI with what would prove to be their lowest deficit of the match in doing so.

A highlight-reel goal by Payton Liske then made the score 5-2 in Saint John’s favour, as the 19-year old took a pass from Keven Charland in PEI territory and made some impressive stick-handling manoeuvres prior to tucking a backhand shot past a stretched-out Gelinas to earn his second tally of the night.

Some stellar work by Mayer midway through the middle frame kept the Sea Dogs up by three, as the 18-year old net minder made some acrobatic saves on a pair of back-to-back scrambles in Saint John’s zone to add a few notches to evening save tally.

Matthew Stoddward then put the home team up 6-2 with a breakaway goal at the 11:39 mark of the second, taking a pass from Mike Thomas near centre ice and bearing down upon Gelinas uncontested prior to finishing the play off with a hard wrist shot to the blocker side to register his fifth marker of 2007-08.

Saint John’s seventh goal of the night came just 1:04 later, as Chris DiDomenico got in on the action by netting his 30th of the season with Simon Despres and Ryan Sparling registering assists on the play.

The Sea Dogs then went up by an unconverted touchdown with 6:14 remaining in the middle frame when Michael Kirkpatrick fired a harmless-looking shot from an odd angle that deflected off of Gelinas’ left pad and rolled past the goal line to give the first-year centre eight goals on the season.

A goal by Myles Gomes with 25:46 remaining in regulation then pulled the Rocket within five, but just 2:04 later Kirkpatrick tallied his second of the night to make the score 9-3 in favour of the hosts. A mere 0:33 later, the Rocket struck for a fourth time on the evening, as Jan Kana beat Mayer with a well-placed shot to make the score 9-4 as Friday’s match reached the forty minute mark.

Mercifully, Gelinas was removed from the PEI net at the conclusion of the second period, with Evan Mosher taking over goaltending duties for the Rocket.

The 17-year old Newfoundlander faired no better in goal for the visitors however, surrendering hattrick-clinching goals to Michael Kirkpatrick and Payton Liske during the opening half of regulation’s final frame as the Sea Dogs’ offensive onslaught continued unabated.

Liske’s tally, the 11th of the night for Saint John, set a new team record for goals in a game, breaking the old mark of 10 which was set earlier this season, also against PEI.

At the 10:34 mark of the third, Francois Gauthier scored his second goal of the night on a play which saw Simon Despres register his fifth helper of the match and set a new team record for assists by a defenseman in a single game.

Chad Locke and Bradley Gallant each registered meaningless goals for PEI late in regulation, resulting in the final score reading SEA DOGS 12 – ROCKET 6.

Up next for Saint John is a Saturday night mach versus the Val-d’Or Foreurs. The action gets underway at 7:00pm as the Sea Dogs look to extending their winning streak to four games.