GAME DAY2010 Presidents Cup Playoffs – Round One
Game Three: Saint John Sea Dogs vs PEI Rocket
Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Charlottetown Civic Centre
SERIES STATUS
The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.
PRE-GAME PREVIEW
It is a whole new series, and tonight is game one of the new contest.
With a Prince Edward Island victory on Saturday night in Saint John, the Rocket have evened the series and have made it a best-of-five affair.
The Sea Dogs didn’t show up on Saturday night on home-ice, just one night after a 8-3 white washing of the Rocket. Saint John struggled defensively and allowed several goals that came off defensive miscues. It was the second period that killed the Dogs, as PEI scored two quick ones to take the lead and the momentum.
Whoever wins tonight will have all the confidence and momentum moving forward.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
The consensus pick for this series is Sea Dogs in five games.
GET TO KNOW THE ROCKET
Home Team: PEI Rocket
Playoff Record: 1-1
Record at Home: 0-0
Record on Road: 1-1
Power Play: 27.8% (8th)
Penalty Kill: 50% (14th)
Playoff Leading Scorer: Samson Mahbod (2GP-0G-5A-5Pts)
All-Time Playoff Record: 20-34-0
Reg. Season Record: 35-25-2-6 (4th Atlantic, 8th QMJHL)
Record vs Saint John: 3-5-0-0
Record at Home: 17-14-2-1 (13th)
Record on the Road: 18-11-0-5 (7th)
Power Play: 19.6% (10th)
Penalty Kill: 81.0% (7th)
Reg. Season Leading Scorer: Samson Mahbod (52GP-20G-44A-64P)
NHL Draft Picks: Jordon Southorn (Bufflao), and Benjamin Casavant (Washington)
GET TO KNOW THE SEA DOGS
Visiting Team: Saint John Sea Dogs
Playoff Record: 1-0
Record at Home: 1-1
Record on Road: 0-0
Power Play: 50% (3rd)
Penalty Kill: 75% (9th)
Playoff Leading Scorer: Tomas Jurco (2GP-1G-4A-5Pts); Michael Kirkpatrick (2GP-1G-4A-5Pts)
All-Time Playoff Record: 9-11-0
Reg. Season Record: 53-12-1-2 (1st Atlantic, 1st QMJHL)
Record vs PEI: 5-3-0-0
Record at Home: 26-7-0-1 (3rd)
Record on Road: 27-5-1-1 (1st)
Power Play: 24.3% (5th)
Penalty Kill: 78.8% (10th)
Reg. Season Leading Scorer: Mike Hoffman (56GP-46G-39A-85P)
NHL Draft Picks: Yann Sauve (Vancouver), Marco Cousineau (Anaheim), Simon Despres (Pittsburgh), Steven Anthony (Vancouver), Mike Hoffman (Ottawa), and Nicholas Petersen (Pittsburgh).
HEAD-TO-HEAD THIS SEASON
Saint John won the season series 5-3.
Sep 23, 2009: PEI Rocket 6 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 1
Oct 13, 2009: Saint John Sea Dogs 0 @ PEI Rocket 4
Oct 18, 2009: PEI Rocket 2 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 5
Dec 02, 2009: Saint John Sea Dogs 4 @ PEI Rocket 1
Dec 11, 2009: Saint John Sea Dogs 4 @ PEI Rocket 1
Dec 29, 2009: PEI Rocket 2 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 5
March 2, 2010: PEI Rocket 3 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 1
March 12, 2010: Saint John Sea Dogs 4 @ PEI Rocket 0
Rocket Leading Scorer vs Saint John: Benjamin Casavant (8GP-4G-2A-6Pts)
Sea Dogs Leading Scorer vs PEI: Nicholas Petersen (7GP-5G-5A-10Pts)
Playoff Results
Game 1: Sea Dogs 8 - Rocket 3 (First Star: Tomas Jurco)
Game 2: Rocket 6 - Sea Dogs 3 (First Star: Jarrad Struthers)
TALE OF THE TAPE
HOCKEYFIGHTS.COM
Sep 23, 2009: Matthew Hobbs vs Mike Thomas
Oct 13, 2009: Brendan Wright vs Mike Thomas
Oct 13, 2009: Louis-Philippe Lacroix vs Benjamin Lecomte
Dec 11, 2009: Brendan Wright vs Mike Thomas
CRAZY FACT
Mike Thomas returns from a six game suspension tonight. In six regular season games against the Rocket, Thomas has 26 penalty minutes for an average of 4.3 PIM per game.
SAINT JOHN LINE-UP NOTES
Mike Thomas returns from a six game suspension tonight.
Aiden Kelly will miss the game with a concussion. Head coach Gerard Gallant said on “The Drive” yesterday that Kelly is beginning to ride the stationary bike again. Gallant also said that Steven Anthony is questionable for tomorrows tilt with a groin injury.
Chuckie Schembri was called up on Saturday.
COACHES CORNER
Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant in the Telegraph-Journal:
"They outworked us,'' Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said. "It was nothing technical. They won every puck battle, they won every one-on-one and when you don't show up ready, that's what happens.
"Our guys didn't work hard and P.E.I. took advantage of their chances. I'm really disappointed in our effort.”
Rocket assistant coach Corrado Mecalef in The Guardian:
“Psychologically (the win is) a positive and it makes you believe even more going forward,” Micalef said.
QUESTIONABLE COMMENT
The PEI Rocket have not sold-out a game in years, yet Fred MacDonald said this in The Guardian on Saturday:
I expect the Civic Centre will be filled for these two playoff games, so let’s hope fans can support the local club like they should.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- The Sea Dogs are rocking a terrific 50% power play rating in the two games against the Rocket. In the regular season, Saint John had a 24.3% rating.
- Evan Mosher was terrific on Saturday night making some amazing saves. He is the definition of a game breaker for the Rocket.
- Saint John is 3-1 at the Civic Centre this year. Their only loss was a 4-0 shutout defeat in October. Current Saint John net minder Marco Cousineau was in goal for PEI.
- The Sea Dogs are 1-1 all-time in game three games played in the first round.
THE RINK
Venue: Charlottetown Civic Centre
Capacity: 3,690
Average Attendance: 2,055
Notes: The "civic centre", as it is commonly called, was built in 1989-1990 and opened in the fall of 1990 as the principal venue for the 1991 Canada Winter Games which Prince Edward Island hosted in February, 1991.
MEDIA RELATIONS
Newspapers: Saint John- Telegraph-Journal; PEI- The Guardian
Radio: Saint John- News 88.9; PEI- peirocket.com
Video: Telus Webcast
Post-Game Highlights: SeaDogsTV, peirocket.com
TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in game updates from tonight’s game.
AFTER THE BUZZER
Game four goes tomorrow- same team's, same time, same place.
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