PRE-GAME: Val-d'Or Foreurs vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Game Day
Val-d’Or Foreurs vs Saint John Sea Dogs
Tonight, January 29, 2010 @ 7:30 pm
Harbour Station

Visiting Team: Val-d'Or Foreurs
Record: 18-26-4-1 (4th in Telus East Division)
Last Game: 4-1 loss at PEI on Wednesday
Leading Scorer: Alexandre Quesnel: 48 GP-22 G-33 A-55 PTS
NHL Draft Picks: Marco Scandella (Minnesota), Samuel Morneau (Carolina), and Maxime Sauve (Boston)
Notes: Just when you think all France natives play for Chicoutimi, Maxime Sauve (a Bruins prospect), is a native of Tour, France… other than Sauve, Simon Lacroix is the only other player not from Quebec on the Foreurs' QMJHL listed roster… Val-d’Or has massively underachieved this season ostly due to injuries. They were projected by The Hockey News to finish fourth overall in the QMJHL this season. They currently sit in the number 14 spot in the 18 team loop… Val-d’Or was quite active on the trade front this season. They sent Alex Noel, former Sea Dog Kevin Charland, former Sea Dog Benjamin Lecomte, and Dylan C. Capstick out of town in post Christmas deals. Coming to the Foreurs were Vincent Couture, Alexandre Touchette, Alexandre Quesnell, Nicolas Boyer, Mathieu Leduc, and Kabbaj Yousseff… official team colours are green, gold, white, and black… 3-6-1-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss in PEI on Wednesday… 7-17-1-1 on the road this season. They are 2-6-1-1 in their last 10 games away from home and lost their last game… they have allowed the most goals of any team in the league on the road with 121 goals against in 26 games. That is an average of 4.6 goals against per game… Marco Scandella helped team Canada win silver at the recent World Junior Hockey Championships in Saskatchewan. He scored a shorthanded goal in the semi-final against Switzerland that proved to be the game winner to send Canada to the final… Val-d’Or was without injured QMJHL standouts Jonathan Hazen, Alexandre Quesnel and Maxime Sauvé in Wednesday’s loss in Charlottetown.

Home Team: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 40-8-1-0 (1st in Atlantic Division)
Last Game: 8-0 Win at Gatineau on Sunday
Leading Scorer: Michael Kirkpatrick: 48 GP-19 G-44 A-63 Pts
NHL Draft Picks: Yann Sauve (Vancouver), Marco Cousineau (Anaheim), Simon Despres (Pittsburgh), Steven Anthony (Vancouver), Mike Hoffman (Ottawa), and Nicholas Petersen (Pittsburgh).
Notes: There is no nice way of putting it – Saint John absolutely destroyed Gatineau on Sunday. It was the last game of a three-in-three Quebec road swing for the Dogs, a trip that saw them go 2-1-0-0… Saint John was named the number one team in the country for the second straight week. They are first in the Atlantic division and first overall in the QMJHL… the Dogs have scored the most goals of any team in the QMJHL with 222. They are second in fewest goals allowed with 131… the Sea Dogs acquired defenseman Christian Morin from the Foreurs during the trading period for Benjamin Lecomte. Lecomte was later traded to Gatineau. In 25 games with Val-d’Or this season, Morin had five goals and four assists with 44 penalty minutes. He missed the last two games of the Sea Dogs’ road trip after suffering an upper body injury in their 5-4 shootout win in Quebec City… after being in the basement for much of the first half of the season, the Sea Dogs have really improved their special teams. Their power play is running at 22.6% and is good enough for seventh in the league. Their penalty kill has been solid of late and is running at 76.8%... have the most wins in the QMJHL and CHL with 40… 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a victory… have the best home record in the league at 20-4-0-0. They are 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games at Harbour Station and have won four straight… Stanislav Galiev is first in rookie scoring with 46 points in 48 games… Mike Hoffman leads the league in goals scored with 32 in 38 games played… Nicholas Petersen leads the league with a +43 rating… 7-0-0-0 in games against opponents from the Telus East division.

Saint John vs Val-d’Or:
This Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
0-0-0-0-0-0
Home: 0-0-0-0-0-0
Road: 0-0-0-0-0-0
Goals For: 0
Goals Against: 0

Last Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
2-2-0-0-0-4
Home: 1-1-0-0-0-2
Road: 1-1-0-0-0-2
Goals For: 10
Goals Against: 3

All-Time- Not Including This Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
8-4-3-0-1-9
Home: 4-2-1-0-1-5
Road: 4-2-2-0-0-4
Goals For: 27
Goals Against: 26

Station Nation Facts:

• Tonight’s match has been designated CHSJ Country Night, with fans being encouraged to dress in their best cowboy/cowgirl outfits. Popular country music will also be played all evening long, while several hundred cowboy hats will be distributed to arena patrons throughout the night. One lucky fan will also win a trip to see singing sensation Taylor Swift in concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts (courtesy of Country 94.1 FM) during a second intermission event dubbed the 'Ten Gallon Toss'. Fans interested in competing for the trip-for-two to the sold-out June 5 concert (approximate value: $1,000) should sign up at the Country 94 booth next to Sea Dogs Central (Section S, arena concourse) by the end of the first intermission. Four names will be drawn midway through the second period, with the chosen contestants set to square off in a unique, western-themed challenge at centre ice during the second intermission. All four finalists will receive a copy of Taylor's latest album, Fearless, with the winning contestant taking home the Grand Prize.
• This is the first game of a doubleheader between the two teams at Harbour Station. Saint John travels to northern Quebec to face the Foreurs in February.
• Crazy stat time: Anaheim Ducks prospect Marco Cousineau is coming off of his first shutout as a Sea Dog, having blanked the Gatineau Olympiques (8-0 final) this past Sunday afternoon at the Robert Guertin Arena. The 20-year old net minder is 2-0 with a 1.92 G.A.A. since switching his uniform number from 31 to 79 late last week.
• “I think we worked hard. A few penalties cost us the game,” said Marco Scandella to the Guardian following Wednesday’s loss.“In the third period we started to rally, but it was a little too late.”

Important Info:
Venue: Harbour Station
Capacity: 6,297

Saint John Media: Radio- News 88.9 FM (www.news889.com)
Live Video Streaming: www.qmjhl.mytelus.com
Post-Game Coverage: www.stationnation.blogspot.com, Telegraph-Journal
Post-Game Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/user/seadogstv

TWITTER
Station Nation will be tweeting during today’s game at Harbour Station. You can follow us or follow along at www.twitter.com/station_nation. They’ll be limited tonight however.