SEA DOGS POST-GAME NOTEBOOK

SEA DOGS – MOOSEHEADS GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Saint John 7, Halifax 1
Saint John Goals: Mike Thomas (4), Stephen MacAulay (5), Nicholas Petersen (22), Mike Hoffman (22, 23), Nathan Beaulieu (6), and Tomas Jurco (9)
Halifax Goals: Linden Bahm (6)
Winning Goaltender: SNB – St. Laurent, Karel (11-2-0)
Losing Goaltender: HAL – Corbeil, Mathieu (8-20-0)
News 88.9 Top Dog: Stephen MacAulay

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Mooseheads 0/2, Sea Dogs 1/4
Shots on Goal: Mooseheads: 8+12+8=28, Sea Dogs: 13+10+10=33
Attendance: 4,789

SCRATCHES
Tomas Knotek (world juniors), Konrad Abeltshauser (world juniors B pool), Steve Gillard (charley horse) and Garrett Clarke (groin) did not dress for the Mooseheads. Forward Jordan Costello dressed but did not see any shifts because of a broken thumb.

Saint John scratched Olivier Ouellet (not with team) and Benjamin Lecomte (healthy). Lecomte, on the eve of the trade period, did not travel with the team to Halifax and was reported as being healthy. Also, Nicholas Pard played in the first period but did not return after the intermission.

REDEMPTION
There is no easy way to say it, the Sea Dogs were embarrassed by their efforts on Thursday in Saint John. They fell 4-2 to the last place team in the QMJHL in an effortless battle at Harbour Station.

"I'm really glad we responded because (Thursday night) we played a team that - nothing against them, they play hard - but they're at the bottom of the standings and they came into our building and they beat us 4-2 and outworked us,” said Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant to the Telegraph-Journal. “We were a little embarrassed and tonight we battled back.''

The Halifax Mooseheads knew that the Dogs would put in a better effort on Friday night.

"They’re supposed to be the second-best team in the country so after we beat them last night you kind of expected them to come with a little more fire than they did yesterday," said Halifax forward and former Sea Dog Matthew Stoddard to the Chronicle Herald.

"A lot of the time I felt the calls and the bounces didn’t go our way but sometimes that happens and there’s not much you can do about it."

SHORT BENCH
The Sea Dogs coaching staff could have sat down on the bench during the third period. Nicholas Pard left after the first period, then Mike Thomas after two fights on the night. Stephen MacAulay and Yann Sauve were escorted off the ice after fights in the third period as well. That left the Sea Dogs’ bench with enough room for goaltender Mac-Antoine Gelinas to move off his folding chair and join his team mates.

GOOD LUCK
Jonathan Huberdeau will join Team Quebec on December 26 for the World Under 17 Hockey tournament in Timmins, Ontario. He will miss the next five games.

Also leaving are Sea Dogs affiliate players Tyrone Sock and Aiden Kelly. They’ll join Halifax forward Brent Andrews on Team Atlantic.

WELCOME HOME
Stephen MacAulay gave his fan section a lot to cheer about on Friday at the Halifax Metro Centre. The 17-year-old Dartmouth native had a goal, an assist, and a fight for the Gordie Howe hat trick. He took on Charles Bety in a short but spirited bout before the Sea Dog forward fell backwards.

TREY LEWIS
Playing in just his second game in the QMJHL, 16-year-old Trey Lewis decided to fight heavyweight and Saint John captain Mike Thomas. He held his own in a good scrap. Lewis doesn’t even have his name stitched on the back of his jersey above the number six.

Many people did not like the fight as the veteran Thomas took on a rookie in just his second game. Mooseheads coach Cam Russell evened the score by sending out his goons late in the third period to take on Mike Hoffman and Stanislav Galiev. Dogs coach Gerard Gallant said Russell had “no class” after the game.

CANADIAN PRESS RECAP
Sea Dogs 7 Mooseheads 1
At Halifax, N.S., Mike Hoffman scored back-to-back goals as Saint John trounced the Mooseheads.

Mike Thomas opened scoring for the Sea Dogs (31-6-1), while Stephen MacAulay, Nicholas Petersen, Nathan Beaulieu and Tomas Jurco added goals.

Linden Bahm was the lone scorer for Halifax (8-28-3).

JOHN MOORE ON THE MOOSEHEADS’ LOSS


NOTES
After Linden Bahm scored at 11:36 of the first period, teddy bears came raining down on Teddy Bear Toss night at the Metro Centre. According to Scott Briggs of the Telegraph-Journal, the bears caused a six minute delay… before the game, Tim Roszell named Mike Hoffman and Marc-Antoine Gelinas the Sea Dogs’ MVP’s for the first half on “The Drive” on News 88.9. He also said he expects to see a trade for a veteran defenseman… Jeff Lansing did the colour on News 88.9 FM last evening. He has improved greatly and knows the Mooseheads quite well… John Moore, the voice of the Mooseheads, reported on his Twitter page that the Sea Dogs bus arrived late… there were a large amount of people in the stands dressed in Santa Clause outfits. One was sitting behind the Saint John bench… Halifax leads the league in fighting majors… there was a group of minor hockey players in the Sea Dogs zone that stood the entire game for some reason.

NEXT GAME
Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Sunday, December 27, 2009 at 4:00 pm at K.C. Irving Regional Centre.