SWEET VICTORY

STATION NATION RECAP
FINAL: Mooseheads 2, Sea Dogs 5

SAINT JOHN – The wait is finally over.

It took the Saint John Sea Dogs hockey club five seasons to get it right, but that waiting has paid off as the Sea Dogs captured their first regular season QMJHL title Sunday afternoon. The team won the Atlantic division last night thanks to a Moncton Wildcats overtime loss.

Saint John wins the Jean Rougeau Trophy after a 5-2 win at Harbour Station over the Halifax Mooseheads in front of a second straight sold-out crowd. It wasn’t the most well played game of the season or the most entertaining, but it got the job done.

Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant sent a message in this game by starting number one goaltender Marco Cousineau against the last-place Halifax Mooseheads. Gallant and company were no doubt getting a bit too nervous on the bench after the Dogs failed to clinch Wednesday against the PEI Rocket and Saturday against the Moncton Wildcats. They now hit the road for three straight beginning Wednesday to end the year.

The victory ensures that the Sea Dogs will have home ice advantage throughout the playoffs on what the team hopes will be a lengthy playoff run. Five of the last six Jen Rougeau champions have gone on to win the Presidents Cup.

Cousineau had a strong game in net and faced some good shots from the Mooseheads, who sit last in goals scored in the 18-team league. The 20-year was sharp, making 25 saves on the night in his third straight start in five days.

The Saint John goaltender was outplayed by a great performance by Halifax starter Mathieu Corbeil who made 33 saves in the loss. The draft eligible Corbeil made some stunning stops including some when Saint John attackers had wide open nets. Despite his strong showing, Cousineau picked up third star honors.

Although the Sea Dogs had a strong finish, they struggled in the first half of the game and were outshot in the first period by the offensively challenged Mooseheads. Saint John really never lost control of the game, but played at the same level as the Herd at times.

Halifax has now lost 10 straight games while the Sea Dogs ended their two-game skid. Saint John has not lost more than two consecutive games all season.

The first seven minutes of the first period would have been better spent waiting in line at Tim Horton’s. Saint John had a power play opportunity at 7:29 but had no good chances to open the scoring.

Then out of nowhere Nathan Beaulieu made it 1-0 Sea Dogs at 11:30. Zach Phillips sat along the boards with the puck and fed Beaulieu who was streaking into the slot. The 2011 draft eligible defenseman ripped a wrist shot that beat Corbeil low to open at the score sheet.

Halifax had a good chance following the goal after Cousineau let out a big rebound. A Moose forward had a wide open net but the puck was bouncing and he could not get a shot off. Then Jonathan Huberdeau tried to make a nice deke around a Moose defender but he would have known of that. Tomas Jurco was left alone in front on the ensuing rush but he broke his stick.

Huberdeau got called at 13:23, giving Halifax their first power play chance. Tomas Knotek was robbed by Cousineau as he slid across the crease to make a blocker save. That would be all for the man advantage.

Shots after one period were 10-7 in favour of the Herd.

After a back-and-forth first few minutes of the second frame, Jessyko Bernard went to the box to give the Dogs a power play. Tomas Jurco wound up and slapped a shot by Corbeil from just above the faceoff dot at 2:19 to make it 2-0.

Saint John started to take over momentum after the goal. Phillips was stopped on a wraparound chance by a diving Corbeil which was followed by Huberdeau missing an empty net due to a bouncing puck.

Simon Despres then got called at 6:26 for delay of game. Konrad Abeltshauser sent a wrist shot through a screen from just above the faceoff dot to keep the Moose in this one.

After Christian Morin took a questionable roughing call at 9:01, the Herd had some good pressure on the power play. The best chance came when Garrard Grant was stopped by a great pad save by Cousineau in close.

Just a little over a minute after the Mooseheads’ power play ended, Steven Anthony broke loose on a breakaway. Anthony skated in as Corbeil began backing up and simply slid the puck in under the pads of the Halifax goaltender to make it 3-1.

Nicholas Pard then hit the post low blocker side. Michael Kirkpatrick fed Huberdeau shortly after the post job, but was robbed by a diving stop by the Halifax net minder.

Nicholas Petersen had a wide open net to end the period, but somehow sent his shot through the crease where it came out the other side.

Shots were 19-12 Saint John in the second.

Saint John didn’t mess around in the third period. Just 13 seconds in, Mike Hoffman let a blast go from the point that hit the back glass and deflected into the crease. The puck went off the back of Corbeil and lay in the crease for a moment before it slid in to make it 4-1.

Just 38 seconds later, Stanislav Galiev setup Petersen who was all alone at the side of the goal and scored to make it 5-1 Saint John. Just moments after the goal, Aiden Kelly setup Phillips in the exact same fashion but he fanned on the shot.

Abeltshauser made it 5-2 at 4:35 off another point shot. The shot hit something in front and went up and over the shoulder of Cousineau to make it a three goal game.

Steve Gillard gat called for a trip at 5:46. The most exciting play on the Sea Dogs power play came when Hoffman let a big shot go from the point, breaking his stick. The lumber went up and almost into the rafters before falling to the ground in front of the Halifax bench.

The Mooseheads went back to the power play after Steven Anthony went to the sin bin. It was executed well by the Herd but they couldn’t get any shots off. Then when the man advantage ended, Bradley MacDonald went in behind the Saint John defense but only got a weak shot off that was easily stopped.

It was all Saint John late in the game with their best chance coming when Stephen MacAulay was stopped on a breakaway. With only 30 seconds left in the game and Dogs on the power play again, Harbour Station stood up and erupted over their Sea Dogs who had won the QMJHL’s regular season title.

Shots in the third period were 12-5 Saint John for a game total of 38-27 for the home side.

Halifax was 1/4 on the power play while Saint John went 1/6.

NOTES: Facts, stats, news, and notes will be featured on Station Nation tomorrow evening.

TOMORROW: The Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats are expected to announce the winner of the Rivalry Cup holiday food drive.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs travel to Cape Breton to face the Screaming Eagles Wednesday at
7:00 pm.