Post by dogcatcher on Sept 26, 2007 6:22:55 GMT -4
Sea Dogs seek consistency
QMJHL Saint John looks to climb above .500 Thursday against the P.E.I. Rocket at Harbour Station
Andrew Mcgilligan
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday September 26th, 2007
Appeared on page B7
SAINT JOHN - The good, the bad and the ugly.
That sums up the Saint John Sea Dogs home opening weekend in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The good came Sunday - a dominating 6-1 defeat of the defending Presidents Cup champion Lewiston Maineiacs. The bad and the ugly represented pretty much everything about Friday's home opening 6-1 setback to Cape Breton.
So which team is the real Sea Dogs? Fans hope it's the squad that dominated Lewiston and captain Alex Grant said the team is determined to prove it is.
"It's tough when you get blown out in the home opener," he said. "It's frustrating with a packed house to come out flat and not wake up through the whole game."
The third-year blueliner took it upon himself to call a team meeting to get the guys focused and hash out why the loss happened. The meeting was for the players only and head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu isn't exactly sure what was said.
As for actually transpired, Grant didn't get specific.
"We had everyone speak up and say what we should do differently," he said.
What it translated into was a squad that attacked Lewiston relentlessly on offensive, played with determined energy throughout and closed up nagging holes on defence.
"The guys responded and I think we can play even better than that," Grant said.
While the Dogs got back on the right path, Beaulieu said not everything is where it needs to be. Take for instance the 10-goal swing between the two games. Not exactly the model of consistency the head coach is looking for.
"If we stick to the game plan, play with energy and be a little more disciplined, we're going to be fine," he said.
The team also needs to step up the physical play according to the bench boss.
"The (defence) has got to hit more, the forwards need to finish their checks. They are finishing maybe 10 per cent right now," he said. "That's one thing we'll be working on this week."
If the team needs a physical spark, they need look no further than New Maryland native Mike Thomas. Getting Brett Gallant back in the line up won't hurt in the grit department. He is finished his two-game suspension stemming from a high stick against the Prince Edward Island Rocket on Sept. 16.
Thomas said he's doesn't go out looking to put anyone through the boards, but admits he likes throwing body checks "a lot."
"I make the hits when they're there and play the game the way it's meant to be played," Thomas said.
With Gallant and Thomas taking care of the physical side of things, Beaulieu said he was pleased with the emergence of a new scoring threat in the line of Alexandre Leduc, Francois Gauthier and newcomer Alexandre Picard. Gauthier who played with Leduc for portions of last season, said he was surprised by the way the trio gelled in two games.
"I'm used to playing with (Leduc), even on the penalty kill, but Picard just got here, so I guess he's just and easy guy to play with," Gauthier said.
Placing Picard on a different line from Chris Di Domenico, the team's leading scorer, was a conscious decision by Beaulieu.
"We didn't want to put them together because we wanted to have two lines teams need to account for," he said.
Saint John will get the chance to prove to the Harbour Station crowd the real Sea Dogs were the ones who beat Lewiston when the Prince Edward Rocket come to town Thursday at 7 p.m.
NEW TITAN: The Acadie-Bathurst Titan signed free agent Raymond Leroux of Manitouwage, Ont. Leroux was playing with the Vaudreuil Mustangs of the Quebec Junior AAA hockey league.
OLD IS NEW AGAIN: Andrew Cromwell will be back as the Saint John Sea Dogs English public address announcer at Harbour Station. Fans won't be hearing Cromwell's voice right away as Paul Jensen will fill-in for the next two home games.
Mark Gamble, community services manager and responsible for game-night promotions, said the organization is happy to have Cromwell back in the fold. Cromwell was the public address announcer for the first two years of the club.
TOP BACKSTOP: Quebec Remparts goaltender Kevin Desfossés is the ADT Canadian Hockey League goaltender of the week. The Beauport, Que. native registered back-to-back shutout victories against the Val-d'Or Foreurs and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Martin Jones of the Calgary Hitmen and Adam Courchaine of the Ottawa 67's were also considered for the award.
QMJHL Saint John looks to climb above .500 Thursday against the P.E.I. Rocket at Harbour Station
Andrew Mcgilligan
Telegraph-Journal
Published Wednesday September 26th, 2007
Appeared on page B7
SAINT JOHN - The good, the bad and the ugly.
That sums up the Saint John Sea Dogs home opening weekend in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The good came Sunday - a dominating 6-1 defeat of the defending Presidents Cup champion Lewiston Maineiacs. The bad and the ugly represented pretty much everything about Friday's home opening 6-1 setback to Cape Breton.
So which team is the real Sea Dogs? Fans hope it's the squad that dominated Lewiston and captain Alex Grant said the team is determined to prove it is.
"It's tough when you get blown out in the home opener," he said. "It's frustrating with a packed house to come out flat and not wake up through the whole game."
The third-year blueliner took it upon himself to call a team meeting to get the guys focused and hash out why the loss happened. The meeting was for the players only and head coach and general manager Jacques Beaulieu isn't exactly sure what was said.
As for actually transpired, Grant didn't get specific.
"We had everyone speak up and say what we should do differently," he said.
What it translated into was a squad that attacked Lewiston relentlessly on offensive, played with determined energy throughout and closed up nagging holes on defence.
"The guys responded and I think we can play even better than that," Grant said.
While the Dogs got back on the right path, Beaulieu said not everything is where it needs to be. Take for instance the 10-goal swing between the two games. Not exactly the model of consistency the head coach is looking for.
"If we stick to the game plan, play with energy and be a little more disciplined, we're going to be fine," he said.
The team also needs to step up the physical play according to the bench boss.
"The (defence) has got to hit more, the forwards need to finish their checks. They are finishing maybe 10 per cent right now," he said. "That's one thing we'll be working on this week."
If the team needs a physical spark, they need look no further than New Maryland native Mike Thomas. Getting Brett Gallant back in the line up won't hurt in the grit department. He is finished his two-game suspension stemming from a high stick against the Prince Edward Island Rocket on Sept. 16.
Thomas said he's doesn't go out looking to put anyone through the boards, but admits he likes throwing body checks "a lot."
"I make the hits when they're there and play the game the way it's meant to be played," Thomas said.
With Gallant and Thomas taking care of the physical side of things, Beaulieu said he was pleased with the emergence of a new scoring threat in the line of Alexandre Leduc, Francois Gauthier and newcomer Alexandre Picard. Gauthier who played with Leduc for portions of last season, said he was surprised by the way the trio gelled in two games.
"I'm used to playing with (Leduc), even on the penalty kill, but Picard just got here, so I guess he's just and easy guy to play with," Gauthier said.
Placing Picard on a different line from Chris Di Domenico, the team's leading scorer, was a conscious decision by Beaulieu.
"We didn't want to put them together because we wanted to have two lines teams need to account for," he said.
Saint John will get the chance to prove to the Harbour Station crowd the real Sea Dogs were the ones who beat Lewiston when the Prince Edward Rocket come to town Thursday at 7 p.m.
NEW TITAN: The Acadie-Bathurst Titan signed free agent Raymond Leroux of Manitouwage, Ont. Leroux was playing with the Vaudreuil Mustangs of the Quebec Junior AAA hockey league.
OLD IS NEW AGAIN: Andrew Cromwell will be back as the Saint John Sea Dogs English public address announcer at Harbour Station. Fans won't be hearing Cromwell's voice right away as Paul Jensen will fill-in for the next two home games.
Mark Gamble, community services manager and responsible for game-night promotions, said the organization is happy to have Cromwell back in the fold. Cromwell was the public address announcer for the first two years of the club.
TOP BACKSTOP: Quebec Remparts goaltender Kevin Desfossés is the ADT Canadian Hockey League goaltender of the week. The Beauport, Que. native registered back-to-back shutout victories against the Val-d'Or Foreurs and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.
Martin Jones of the Calgary Hitmen and Adam Courchaine of the Ottawa 67's were also considered for the award.
