SEA DOGS POST-GAME NOTEBOOK

SEA DOGS – TITAN GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Saint John 5, Acadie-Bathurst 4
Saint John Goals: Tomas Jurco (10, 11), Mike Hoffman (24, 25), and Simon Despres (6)
Acadie-Bathurst Goals: Jess Tanguy (1), Jeremie Blain (4), Jonathan Lessard (21), and Taylor Lambke (14)
Winning Goaltender: SNB – Gelinas, Marc-Antoine (21-5-0)
Losing Goaltender: BAT - Nadeau, Guillaume (L-4-10-0)
News 88.9 Top Dog: Marc-Antoine Gelinas

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Titan 0/3, Sea Dogs 1/7
Shots on Goal: Titan: 12+7+12=31, Sea Dogs: 12+25+9=46
Attendance: 1,573

SCRATCHES
Bathurst scratched Patrick Jones and Bryce Milson who are playing at the World Under-17 Hockey Championships in Timmins, Ont. Marshall Worden is still suspended after a fight during warm-up in Cape Breton.

Scratches for Saint John were Jonathan Huberdeau and Mike Thomas. Huberdeau is playing for Team Quebec at the Under-17 tournament. Mike Thomas is suspended for three games after taking his helmet off in a fight on December 18 in Halifax.

LANGAN CALLED UP
With Huberdeau and Thomas out of the lineup for at least the next three games, Saint John native and former Vito Andrew Langan was called up before Sunday’s game.

In 30 games this season with the Woodstock Slammers, he has 16 goals and 24 assists, which places him fourth in MJAHL scoring. In 11 career games with the Sea Dogs, he has one assist. He was the last cut from Sea Dogs training camp this August.

He told News 88.9 in an intermission interview that he will be with the team until the new year.

NO DEFENSE
Marc-Antoine Gelinas may have allowed four goals, but Saint John’s defense didn’t come to play on Sunday night.

"That's OK in the offensive zone when you're cycling the puck,” said Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant in the Telegraph-Journal. “But when you're circling in the defensive zone and you're cheating and you're looking for offensive chances from cheating, it never happens and that's why teams get back in it against us.''

It’s easy to say that the Saint John defense was looking for points on Sunday. Every defenseman had a shot on goal including five shots by Simon Despres and four by Yann Sauve.

FRESH MEAT
Goaltender Mager-Dugas, forward Jess Tanguy, Zack O'Brien and David Gilbert all played their first game with the Titan.

Tanguy scored his first QMJHL goal on Sunday in his first career game.

MORIN MAKES HIS DEBUT
Newly acquired defenseman Christian Morin played very well in his Sea Dog debut. He was traded from Val-d’Or in exchange for Benjamin Lecomte.

He said that the Sea Dogs are expecting him to block shots, play physical, and work on the penalty killing unit. He wore former Dog Olivier Ouellet’s number 12.

Lecomte was not in the Foreurs line-up last night in Rouyn-Nornada, a game that was delayed 45 minutes because Val-d’Or forgot their jerseys. He is expected to be traded to Gatineau.

CANADIAN PRESS RECAP
Sea Dogs 5 Titan 4

At Bathurst, N.B., Mike Hoffman and Tomas Jurco both scored twice as Saint John edged the Titan.

Simon Despres had the winner for the Sea Dogs (32-6-1).

Jonathan Lessard had a short-handed goal for Acadie-Bathurst (14-19-5), while Jeremie Malouin, Taylor Lambke and Jess Tanguy also tallied.

OUT OF TOWN
Elsewhere in the QMJHL, it was Quebec 10 Chicoutimi 1; Shawinigan 7 Gatineau 5; Lewiston 4 Victoriaville 3; Cape Breton 3 P.E.I. 0; Moncton 10 Halifax 1; and Rouyn-Noranda 6 Val-d'Or 3.

QUICK HITS
With Mike Thomas unable to play, Mike Hoffman wore the captains “C” on his sweater. Nicholas Petersen wore the extra “A”… with the Sea Dogs missing two forwards, all seven defenseman dressed… Tim Roszell said there is no word on if Olivier Ouellet will report to the Shawinigan Cataractes, where he was traded to last week… Tomas Jurco turns 17-years-old today… Jurco set a QMJHL career high by scoring two goals in a game… there were a large number of Sea Dogs fans in attendance on Sunday with many folks having time off for the holiday’s… every Sea Dog player had at least one shot on goal. Hoffman led the way with six… Michael Kirkpatrick had a team high three assists... six Sea Dog players had four or more shots on goal...This was the first game back from the holiday break for both teams. "We weren't ready today,'' Hoffman said to the Telegraph-Journal. "The first game back after the break is usually a little messy and we showed it out there.

NEXT GAME
PEI Rocket vs Saint John Sea Dogs. Tuesday, December 29, 2009 at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.

With the purchase of an adult seat, special $2 youth tickets are available for Tuesday’s game (all tickets subject to $1 surcharge), the final home match of the calendar year for Saint John. According to the Sea Dogs’ Facebook page, fans can purchase up to 10 $2 tickets. This is the only Toonie Tuesday of the season.