ROCKET SHUNNED IN WIN 21

STATION NATION POST-GAME
FINAL: Saint John 4, PEI 1

CHARLOTTETOWN – They can close the bridge, but they can’t close the history books. The Friday night affair on Prince Edward Island was delayed almost an hour after the Confederation Bridge was closed due to high winds. But that didn’t stop the Sea Dogs from picking up a 4-1 win – their twenty-first straight by the way.

Saint John was forced to abandon their big blue bus and escort across the bridge in vans where they then were sent to the Charlottetown Civic Centre. Despite the uncomfortable circumstances, Saint John still pulled off a dominating performance.

Scoring for Saint John was Nicholas Pard, Mike Hoffman, Nicholas Petersen, and Stephen MacAulay. Adam Polasek replied for the Rocket.

The Rocket have now been victims three times on the Sea Dogs’ massive 21 game streak. The win keeps them in third place all-time in the QMJHL.

The top line of Mike Hoffman, Nicholas Petersen and Stanislav Galiev had the best chance just seconds into the game. Hoffman threw the puck into the Rocket zone and fooled Marco Cousineau but rolled just wide. Then on the same shift, Galiev hit the side of the goal.

At 2:43 Danick Gauthier took a questionable checking from behind call. On the power play, import Adam Polasek made it 1-0 on a wrist shot one timer from inside the line. Saint John starter Marc-Antoine Gelinas was horribly screened on the shot.

The next shift Jordan Escott had a brilliant chance in front of the goal but was stopped by Gelinas.

Mike Thomas, who has amassed 21 penalty minutes in five games versus the Rocket this season, dropped the gloves with Brendan Wright at 5:41. Both tough guys got some shots in before the linesmen broke it up. The fight was the first for a Sea Dog player since October 25.

Chris Doyle fed Escott with a wide open cage but dinged a blast off the crossbar.

Then, Nicholas Pard broke in with Michael Kirkpatrick but fanned on it.

Benjamin Casavant took a tripping penalty at 9:16 but Saint John struggled on the power play. When the man advantage ended, Tomas Jurco had a good chance but was denied by the toe of Cousineau.

Eric Bouchard fired an innocent looking shot at Gelinas but was deflected. Gelinas made a quick move to swipe the puck away and luckily had a quick whistle from the official.

In the last minute of play, Samson Mahbod nailed Danick Gauthier along the boards to set up the second period.

The Rocket led in shots 10-9 after the first period.

Stanislav Galiev was robbed on a tip to open the period. Petersen picked up the puck but sent it wide on the open net. Then Jonathan Huberdeau was stoned silly by a ridicules toe save by Cousineau.

At 7:17 Jarred Struthers took a slashing penalty. The Sea Dogs tied it up thanks to Nicholas Pard who scored his fourth goal in his last three games. Galiev did all the work by dumping it in and finding the puck again. He fed a great pass to Pard who slipped it by Cousineau to make 1-1.

Following the goal, the pace slowed down a bit with both teams not scrambling as much. Kevin Gagne left Sunday’s game with a knee injury but had a good comeback game in this one.

With under six minutes to go in the frame, Nathan Beaulieu fanned on an open net. Pard took a goaltender interference penalty at 14:36 to give the Rocket another power play chance. Chris Doyle gave a pass to Maple Leafs prospect Joel Champagne but was denied by Gelinas. Saint John had a terrific penalty kill and kept their composure throughout.

Benjamin Lecomte shot the puck high and was then stopped in close on the next rush.

But at 19:40, Hoffman lit the lamp to give Saint John a 2-1 edge heading to the dressing room. Yann Sauve’s point shot hit something in front and laid there for Hoffman who scored into the empty the net.

Saint John outshot the Rocket big time in the middle stanza by a margin of 20-6.

Sauve took a holding penalty just 17 seconds into the third period. Gelinas came up big on the penalty kill with two big glove saves off of Mahbod and Champagne.

At 2:15 Chris Doyle took a hooking penalty and allowed Saint John to go on a dominating power play. Kirkpatrick and Hoffman both had several chances but were stopped by the Rocket goaltender.

Nicholas Petersen was stopped in close as he fired a high shot on Cousineau. Then a Rocket two-on-one was broken up nicely by Beaulieu.

A strange play occurred when Jordan Southorn took a hooking call at 11:16. Rocket head coach Eric Lavigne was called for a bench minor and gave the Sea Dogs a full two minute five-on-three power play. After Mike Hoffman’s blast was stopped by the glove of PEI's net minder, Saint John really didn’t have any solid chances.

But just as the two penalized Rocket players were stepping out of the box, Petersen batted in a rebound to make it 3-1 Saint John on a goal from the short side. The goal went under review as PEI argued that the net came off but the goal call would stand.

At 16:40, Pard tried to split the defense but was hauled down and awarded a penalty shot. Pard would come in and the shoot the puck high glove side to keep it 3-1 Sea Dogs.

Saint John iced the game at 17:39 as Stephen MacAulay ripped a shot into the empty net to make the final score 4-1 on this night. A scrum ensued after the goal but no penalties were given out.

Shots in the third period were 20-12 Saint John.

Marc-Antoine Gelinas picks up the win and improves to 20-3-0. He stopped 27 of 28 shots on the night. The Sea Dogs went 1/5 on the power play.

Marco Cousineau picks up the loss and falls to 9-12-0 on the year. He stopped 45 of 49 shots and was named first star. The Rocket went 1/4 on the man advantage.

NOTES: See Station Nation tomorrow for Sea Dogs Post-Game Notebook.

NEXT GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 7:00 pm at K.C. Irving Regional Centre.