STATION NATION POST-GAMEFINAL/SO: Sea Dogs 5, Remparts 4
QUEBEC CITY – Gerard Gallant spent some seasons with the Detroit Red Wings before hanging up his skates for a whistle and clipboard.
The head coach of the Saint John Sea Dogs has influenced his team with the Red Wings style of play apparently, as they have showed time and time again that they can beat any team with shootout skills.
Mike Hoffman, Tomas Jurco, and Jonathan Huberdeau made Remparts' goaltender Antoine Tardif look bad in the breakaway challenge. Their efforts paced the Sea Dogs to a 5-4 win over the Quebec Remparts on Friday night in Quebec City.
Saint John had a strong first period but collapsed defensively in the second period, falling behind by two goals at one point. But they battled back and played solid the rest of the way en route to victory.
Scoring for Saint John was Christian Morin, Tomas Jurco, Stanislav Galiev, and Stephen MacAulay.
Goaltender Marco Cousineau had an exceptional first period and made 31 saves on the night. The win comes a day after he called his team out in the Telegraph-Journal saying "There's no excuse for not working in practice.''
After the world famous Bonhomme dropped the puck, Saint John dominated the first period of play.
Jonathan Huberdeau took a boarding penalty just 0:38 into the first period but was killed off by the much improved Saint John penalty kill.
After the penalty expired, Mike Hoffman broke through the Quebec defense and had a good chance with Tomas Jurco shooting the rebound just wide.
Steven Anthony recorded the hardest assist he will ever get at 3:43. Anthony was high sticked and lay on the ice while the puck rolled to Christian Morin at the point. Morin wired a shot that beat Antoine Tardif to make it 1-0 Sea Dogs thanks to his first goal with the club.
After the goal, Stanislav Galiev was left all alone in front but was stopped. With Nicholas Pard in the box for hooking, Marc-Olivier Vallerand almost tied the game on a wrap around chance. While still shorthanded, Hoffman broke loose again but was stopped on the back hand chance.
After Marco Cousineau robbed Jonathan Marchessault in the slot, Yann Sauve and Zach Phillips had several chances on a mad scramble in the Remparts’ crease. Then, Jurco almost made it 2-0 Dogs when he shot the puck through the crease.
Quebec started to gain some life late in the period. Dmitri Kugryshev was stoned on a wrap around chance. Shortly after, Ryan Bourque had his World Junior gold medal stuck in his eyes as he tipped a shot right on Cousineau.
Quebec finally beat Cousineau late in the period – but not the crossbar. Play wasn’t stopped after the chance, allowing the Saint John net minder to rob Kugryshev on a backhand chance. The cross bar shot went under review but was ruled no goal.
Saint John outshot the Remparts 18-8 in the first stanza.
The tides turned in the second period with the Remparts firing on all cylinders. At 3:38, Vallerand tied the game at 1-1 as he avoided a hip check along the boards and roofed a shot over Cousineau. The goal went under review for some reason but was ruled a goal.
Bourque had a good chance to give Quebec the lead but was stopped on the sharp angle chance.
After Stanislav Galiev was robbed by the pad of Tardif, Nathan Beaulieu sent a beautiful cross ice pass down low to Jurco. The Slovak was left all alone at the side of the net and slipped the puck home to make it 2-1 Saint John.
But the Remparts came right back at 6:40 when Jerome Cote wristed a point shot that fooled a screened Cousineau to tie the game once again at 2-2.
Hoffman almost beat Tardif but was stopped by a sprawling pad save at the side of the net. He picked up his own rebound and sent a pass to Beaulieu in the slot but he was stopped as well.
The Remparts completely dominated Saint John in the middle half of the second period, with the puck in the Sea Dogs zone for the majority of the time.
Finally, Quebec took the lead at 10:34 when Marchessault beat Cousineau up high on a scramble in the crease to make it 3-2 Remparts.
Less than a minute later, Kugryshev was left alone to skate into the Sea Dogs' zone along the boards. He wristed a shot that beat Cousineau clean blocker side to give the Remparts a two goal lead. Saint John was forced to take a time-out after that.
The time out didn’t help to much as Quebec still had lots of pressure on. Mikael Stefanavich was robbed by the Saint John goalie on a one timer right in the crease. The play required Cousineau to slide post-to-post to make the save.
At 18:36 Saint John made it a one goal game heading to the dressing room. Hoffman sent a cross crease pass to Galiev who beat an out of position Tardif to make it 4-3 Remparts.
Quebec beat Saint John in shots by a count of 15-11 in the frame.
Saint John opened the frame up by two man after the Remparts sent the puck out of play two straight times. The Dogs just couldn’t get anything going and couldn’t score.
The Sea Dogs tied the game at 3:13 when Stephen MacAulay picked up a loose puck in front of the goal. MacAulay wristed a hard shot over Tardif’s glove and under the crossbar to make it a 4-4 game.
Jeremy Belanger was stopped in close by the shoulder of Cousineau. Shortly after Danick Gauthier put a big hit on Cote in the Quebec zone, Jurco was wide open in front but the puck rolled off his stick. Then at the other end, the Remparts had a goal waived off because it was knocked in with a high stick.
Morin was steamrolled behind the Sea Dogs goal in the third by Dominic Savoie. Morin lay face down on the ice and, after a visit by Sea Dogs athletic therapist Jeff Kelly, left the game and did not return.
At 12:27, Patrick Roy and the Remparts were called for too many men. On the power play, Saint John had lots of passes but few shots. Galiev had the best chance to break the tie but was stopped by the pad of Tardif.
Shots in the third period were 8-7 Remparts.
Overtime was a back and forth affair with both teams having a few good chances.
Steven Anthony was stopped with the leather after being the victim of a big hit. It was all Quebec in the last minute with Paquette having the best chance when he cut through the crease but lost the puck.
Off to a shootout the teams went.
Mike Hoffman undressed Tardif as he went one way and the puck went the other. It looked like an instant replay of Peter Forsberg’s Olympic goal from back in the day.
After Kugryshev beat Cousineau glove side, Jurco went upstairs to tie the breakaway challenge. Martin Lefebvre lost the handle on his shot, setting the stage for Mr. Reliable.
The 16-year old Jonathan Huberdeau broke in across the line and made a great deke around Tardif to beat him forehand on yet another beauty to give the Sea Dogs the extra point.
SEA DOGS – REMPARTS GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score/Shootout: Saint John 5, Quebec 4
Saint John Goals: Christian Morin (6), Tomas Jurco (15), Stanislav Galiev (11), and Stephen MacAulay (6)
Quebec Goals: Marc-Olivier Vallerand (22), Jerome Cote (3), Jonathan Audy-Marchessault (22), and Dmitri Kugryshev (19)
Winning Goaltender: SNB – Marco Cousineau (14-15-0)
Losing Goaltender: QUE – Antoine Tardif (26-11-0)
News 88.9 Top Dog: Stanislav Galiev
THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Remparts 0/3, Sea Dogs 0/5
Shots on Goal: Remparts: 8+15+8+4=35, Sea Dogs: 18+11+7+2=38
Attendance: 12,715
SCRATCHES
Nicholas Petersen was the only scratch for Saint John as he was serving his one game automatic suspension. Jonathan Huberdeau filled his spot on the top line with Stanislav Galiev and Mike Hoffman.
QUICK HITS
Captain Mike Thomas looked rather embarrassed when he had to take part in a ceremonial puck drop with the Quebec Winter Carnival mascot Bonhomme… a Quebec band preformed Oh! Canada… this is the first win for the Sea Dogs at Colisee Pepsi in franchise history… Cousineau has swithched his number to number 79. He is the first Sea Dog to ever wear the number… the Remparts were short staffed with only 17 players dressed. 10 of them were forwards… the Sea Dogs depart from Quebec City on Friday night and then travel to Montreal… News 88.9’s Tim Roszell called Dmitri Kugryshev “the ever crafty one”… the Sea Dogs fan bus made the trip up and were siting in section 17 according to Roszell.
NEXT GAME
Saint John Sea Dogs vs Montreal Junior. Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:05 pm at Verdun Auditorium.
No comments:
Post a Comment