Final Score: Victoriaville 2, Saint John 4
Saint John Goals: Stephen MacAulay (3,4), Stanislav Galiev (4), and Jonathan Huberdeau (9)
Victoriaville Goals: Guillaume Goulet (4) and Phillips Danault (6)
Winning Goaltender: SJ – Frederic Piche
Losing Goaltender: VIC – Antonio Mastropietro
News 88.9 Top Dog: Simon Despres
THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Tigres: 0/4, Sea Dogs: 1/6
Shots on Goal: Tigres: 3+11+5=19, Sea Dogs: 17+7+12=36
Length: 2:18
Attendance: 3,202
SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Steven Anthony, who scored the game winning goal on Saturday night, missed the game because of the flu. Tyrone Sock was a healthy scratch.
DOGS TAME TIGRES
The Saint John Sea Dogs scored three goals in the first period and would not look back as they went on to defeat the Victoriaville Tigres 4-2 at Harbour Station on Sunday afternoon.
But after a dominant first period in which the Sea Dogs outshot the Tigres 17-3, Saint John allowed Victoriaville to pick away at their lead.
"There were some good (aspects) and then there was some average play,'' Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant said about his team's weekend performance to the Telegraph-Journal. "We were outstanding in the first 20 minutes (Sunday) and after that, we got back to some old habits of one-on-one hockey and trying to get too fancy and cute.
"I thought we could have dominated that game. We hung on to win, but we have to pay more of a price to score some goals.”
The Sea Dogs opened the scoring 6:01 on the power play. Stanislav Galiev found the loose puck off a scramble and beat Antonio Mastropietro to make it 1-0. Saint John doubled their lead at 7:34 when Jonathan Huberdeau walked through the crease and put the disc into the net. Stephen MacAulay made it a 3-0 game when he wired a shot over the shoulder of Mastropietro while on a shorthanded two-on-one.
"In the second period, we fell asleep and they got back in the game,'' MacAulay said. "We just have to learn to be consistent and that's the bottom line.''
The Tigres finally got on the board at 6:43 of the second after Piche was down and out following a sprawling stop. Guillaume Goulet found the rebound and scored to make it a 3-1 game.
In the third frame, Phillips Danault beat Piche down low to cut the Sea Dogs’ lead to just one. Victoriaville pulled their goalie in favour of the extra attacker in the final minute. But Philippe Maillet gave up a brutal turnover in front of the net with six seconds left and allowed MacAulay to score his second of the match on the empty cage.
STREAKIN’
With the victory, the Sea Dogs are now 8-0-0-0 at Harbour Station this season. The Quebec Remparts are the only other team in the league without a home loss with a 6-0-0-0 record at the Pepsi Colisee.
Also, on the one year anniversary of the first of 22 straight wins, Saint John won their fifth straight game. All five games were won on the same homestand and featured wins over Moncton, Montreal, Rimouski, Rouyn-Noranda, and Victoriaville.
TOUGH ROAD TRIP
It wasn’t the road trip the Tigres were looking for. With the loss, Victoriaville went 0-3-0-0 on their trip through Atlantic Canada this weekend. Their trek began with a 6-3 loss in Moncton Friday, a 5-1 loss in PEI on Saturday, and finished with yesterday’s 4-2 loss in the Port City.
"We didn't get a good start and it was the same thing (Saturday night) against P.E.I.,” said Tigres head coach Yanick Jean to the T-J. “We had good performances from some individuals, but we need more from other guys.''
GROULX GOES DOWN
San Jose Sharks draft pick Samuel Groulx was hurt in the opening seconds of the game after taking a hit by Mike Thomas along the penalty box boards. He immediately skated to the bench and appeared to be favouring his shoulder. He did not return to the game.
An alternate captain for the Tigres, he would be a big loss to Victoriaville’s blue line if he is out for any significant amount of time. In 11 games, Groulx has no goals and three assists.
GALIEV TURNING IT ON
Stanislav Galiev has turned on the burners over the past two weeks.
“Seems every day the last two weeks I’ve looked at a Saint John box score Stan Galiev has a goal,” wrote hockey blogger/scout Corey Pronman on Twitter.
Galiev has scored a goal in three straight games and four in his last five. Although his stats may not completly show it, the Washington Capitals prospect has really stepped up his offensive efforts over the past few matches.
PICHE WITH THE START
Frederic Piche got the start in net for Saint John the night after Jacob DeSerres made his Sea Dogs debut. Piche was solid, making 17 saves on the night and improved to an impressive 5-1-0-1 on the year.
There wasn’t really any reason given as to why DeSerres did not start. Will the Dogs keep their goaltending rotation going until somebody steps up? Who knows - but they can't keep it going forever.
DeSerres stood on the bench for much of the game again but didn’t stand the full 60 minutes.
MISSING DeSERRES?
Speaking of Jacob DeSerres, the team that put the goaltender on waivers, the Western Hockey League’s Brandon Wheat Kings, have now lost six straight games.
DeSerres is also the best goalie in the league right now after just one start.
OUT OF TOWN
From The Canadian Press:
Elsewhere in the QMJHL it was: Val-d’Or 4 Montreal 2; Rimouski 8 Acadie-Bathurst 1; Moncton 6 Cape Breton 4; P.E.I. 5 Rouyn-Noranda 2; Lewiston 5 Baie-Comeau 2 and Drummondville 7 Gatineau 1.
The Mooseheads have a new head coach as of today. Owner Bobby Smith will take the reins behind the bench while Cam Russell will stay on as general manager and an assistant coach.
HIGHLIGHTS
NOTES
This was Saint John’s final home game until November 5. They hit the road for six straight beginning Friday night in Bathurst… Phillip Danault of the Tigres left the game for awhile due to injury. He came back in the third with a full face shield on and scored Victoriaville’s second game… there was a new guy doing colour commentating on News 88.9 last night. Hope he comes back… Nathan Beaulieu and Simon Despres were a team high +2… it was the second straight game that Saint John allowed just three shots on net in the first period… Tomas Jurco has still not taken a penalty this season... to relive the match check out the SN Live Blog replay.
NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs travel to Bathurst on Friday night for a 7:30 pm game at the KC Irving Regional Centre.
Photo Credits: David Connell web album, SeaDogsTV/SN Graphics Department, QMJHL website
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