HOFFMAN DOES IT AGAIN

STATION NATION POST-GAME
Bathurst – Mike Hoffman has done it again. For the second straight game the sniper has almost single handedly won the game for the Sea Dogs. He netted a hat trick on Thurday night in Saint John’s 5-2 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Stanislav Galiev assisted on all three of Hoffman’s goals. Also scoring for Saint John was Danick Gauthier and Nicholas Pard.

The Titan replied with goals from Cameron Critchlow and Eric Faille.

It was a crazy first period play with four goals getting by the two team’s goaltenders.

Mike Hoffman opened the scoring at 10:14. Yann Sauve took a blast from the point that was tipped by the Kitchener native to make it 1-0.

Just ten seconds later Hoffman was at it again. He went in on a breakaway and beat Nicholas Champion five hole to make it 2-0 Sea Dogs.

But the Titan started their climb back at 13:41 when Cameron Critchlow scored on the doorstep. That was Critchlow’s first goal of the season.

Bathurst tied it just 49 seconds later when Julien Tremblay’s strong play allowed Eric Faille to score his fifth of the season. Sea Dogs center Michael Kirkpatrick thought it had hit the score clock but the officials call stood tall.

Following the pair of goals the Sea Dogs went to the power play but were denied by Champion. Steven Anthony was stopped and then Nicholas Petersen ripped a shot off the Titan net minder’s head.

Saint John outshot Bathurst 15-6 in the first period.

Mike Thomas, wearing his freshly stitched ‘C’ on is sweater, got into a bout of fisticuffs with fellow New Brunswicker Marshall Worden. Thomas through continuous right hands and won the fight in the battle of heavyweights. Thomas knocked out Worden in a fight last season at Harbour Station.

At 11:27 Saint John scored to make it 3-2. Who else but Mike Hoffman blasted a shot from the top of the right faceoff circle for his first Sea Dogs hat trick. The goal was on a two man advantage and had News 88.9’s Tim Roszell calling his shot a “bazooka.”

Saint John got back their two goal lead with a goal by Danick Gauthier at 14:54. A pass from Petersen was deflected and went right to Gauthier for his fifth of the season.

Following the goal Bathurst’s Vincent Arseneau took a trip to the sin bin at 15:59. On the ensuing power play Petersen ripped a shot square off the post and right to Michael Kirkpatrick but he couldn’t connect.

Shots were 11-8 in favour of Saint John in the second period.

Saint John continued their strong offensive display in the third with a number of quality scoring chances.

Mike Hoffman had a good chance to get his fourth goal of the game but could not beat Champion. Following the play he was tripped up but no call was made.

Near the end of the third period Michael Kirkpatrick left the game with an unknown injury. He went down the K.C. Irving Regional Centre tunnel with athletic therapist Jeff Kelly.

A few minutes later referee Tim Conners was hit in the mouth by a deflected puck from Jonathan Lessard. He left the game immediately and was bleeding badly from his jaw region.

With the Sea Dogs shorthanded Bathurst pulled Champion from his net. Stephen MacAulay could have iced the game but the post of the empty cage.

Than a two-on-one for the Titan gave the Dogs a bit of a scare but was broken up by Kevin Gagne.

Nicholas Pard secured the win for Saint John when he blasted a shot from inside the right circle. That made it 5-2 and would be the final.

Saint John outshot the Titan 40-19 through three periods. Sea Dogs goaltender Marc-Antoine Gelinas was never really tested but still got the win and improved to 8-3-0. Nicholas Champion took the loss and fell to 5-7-0.

NOTES: The attendance was a dismal 1,003 at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre on Thursday night… Saint John went 2/4 on the power play while Bathurst went 1/4… Galiev had four assists. Three on Hoffman’s goals and the other on Pard’s… Mike Hoffman’s two goals in ten seconds is a new franchise record… no player in Sea Dogs history has had more than three goals in one game… Kirkpatrick left the game and never returned… the win puts Saint John a point ahead of Moncton for top spot in the Atlantic division… with the loss Bathurst falls below the .500 mark in regulation wins and losses… Saint John is now tied for first place in the QMJHL with Quebec and Drummondville. The Volts were named the #1 team in the entire CHL this past week… it’s obvious now that this Hoffman kid can play and the chemistry is starting to show. Losing Kirkpatrick would be a big loss for the Sea Dogs.

NEXT GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Halifax Mooseheads. Saturday, October 24, 2009 at 7:00 pm at Halifax Metro Centre.