FINAL: Drakkar 2, Sea Dogs 5
SAINT JOHN – If a hockey game could be a sandwich, the stats sheet from Sunday afternoon’s tilt at Harbour Station would be pictured on the wrapper.
On the ends, the Saint John Sea Dogs played smoothly and dominated most of the first and the third periods. But on the inside, it was a bit of a mess. The end result – a 5-2 Sea Dogs win over the lowly Baie-Comeau Drakkar in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
The Sea Dogs played well in the opening 20-minutes, carrying a 1-0 lead and outshooting the Drakkar 12-3. But in the second, Baie-Comeau took the game over, jumping out to a 2-1 lead and outshooting Saint John 9-0 at one point. It was a stunning sight, one the quickly evaporated in the later stages of the second period as the Drakkar only outshot the Dogs 12-10 in the frame. Then in the third, the Sea Dogs dominated and rallied to score four goals on 25 shots. It was definitely a strange one at the Station.
Tomas Jurco scored a pair and added two assists while Nathan Beaulieu, Danick Gauthier, and Michael Kirkpatrick also scored. Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil made 17 saves in the win.
The Drakkar had a two goals come from Alexandre Durette. 6’08” goaltender Jason Missiaen allowed five goals on 47 shots.
The win was Saint John’s sixth straight and they have also picked up at least a point in their last 13 contests.
FIRST PERIOD
Stanislav Galiev had the first chance early in the frame as he tipped a shot on net that was stopped by Drakkar goaltender Jason Missiaen. Shortly after at 5:30, the Sea Dogs went to the power play. While a delayed penalty was being called against the Drakkar, Nathan Beaulieu fired a wrist shot from the wing that went up and over the glove of Missiaen to give Saint John a 1-0 lead.
That delayed penalty call gave the Sea Dogs another power play opportunity immediately following Beaulieu’s marker. Eric Gelinas let a point shot go that was denied by the pad of the Drakkar netminder. Then, Beaulieu let another blast go with Steven Anthony picking up the rebound but was denied by the overly large Baie-Comeau backstop.
The Drakkar had a man advantage chance at 9:29 as Galiev headed off but the Sea Dogs would kill it.
Back at even strength, Kevin Gagne, playing as a forward, had a wraparound chance but wasn’t quick enough to beat Missiaen. Then, Galiev let a one-timer go from the slot but whistled it wide.
After Alexandre Chenevert took a cross checking call at 18:25, Jonathan Huberdeau was called for high sticking at 19:43 to even things back up. Huberdeau high sticked the disliked Hugo Laporte, causing a ruckus from the Harbour Station faithful.
Shots in the first period were 12-3 Saint John.
SECOND PERIOD
During the four-on-four play that carried over into the second period, Mathieu Corbeil had to make three consecutive stops to keep Saint John in the lead.
Things didn’t get any better for the Sea Dogs as the Drakkar went to five-on-three power play at 3:54. Baie-Comeau, who has the worst man advantage in the QMJHL, had some great pressure going during the span but could not score.
It was all Baie-Comeau as the period continued on as the Sea Dogs couldn’t get anything offensively going. Alexandre Durette had a great chance for the Drakkar to tie the match down low but was robbed by the leg of Corbeil. Shots at the halfway point of the period were 9-0 in favour of the visitors.
Baie-Comeau would tie the match at 9:11. Durette came down the wing and went up high glove side on Corbeil to tie the match up at 1-1.
Anthony was called for holding at 13:39, giving the Drakkar yet another power play. This time however, they would connect. Laporte riffled a shot from the point, hitting something on its way to the net. Durette found the disc and had an open cage to get his second of the game and give Baie-Comeau a 2-1 lead.
The Sea Dogs had a four-on-three man advantage at 15:04 as a scrum at the line between the two teams and a Felix Girard holding call created the P.P. opportunity. Michael Kirkpatrick fed Beaulieu at the dot but fanned on the shot after a huge windup. Then Beaulieu continued the pressure with a shot from the slot that was stopped by Missiaen.
Despite the power play being over, it seemed to spark the Dogs enough to finally get some things rolling in the period. After Tomas Jurco hit the outside of the post, Laporte took another penalty at 19:27. Despite some terrific pressure by Saint John late in the frame, they could not score.
Shots in the second period were 12-10 Baie-Comeau.
THIRD PERIOD
Saint John opened the period on the man advantage, but despite some decent shots on net, the Drakkar still carried a 2-1 lead. The Sea Dogs continued to carry the play early in the third as Gauthier fired a shot off the post.
The Sea Dogs finally tied the game at 6:05 of the third when Gauthier beat Missiaen with a wrist shot through a screen to make it a 2-2 hockey game.
Jean-Philippe Caron had one of the few scoring chances for the Drakkar in the period a few minutes later as he cut in front but couldn’t get the puck on goal. Then at the other end, the puck was centered beautifully to Ryan Tesink in front but he was taken out of the play by a Baie-Comeau defender.
The Sea Dogs took the lead at 10:01 as Jurco put in his 19th marker of the season on a nice pass from Kirkpatrick. Shortly after Galiev somehow missed a wide open net, Huberdeau fed Kirkpatrick down low who beat Missiaen to give the Dogs a 4-2 advantage.
After both teams exchange penalties, Jurco was sprung on a breakaway at 15:27 during the four-on-four play. The Slovakian was stopped on his first attempt but picked up his own rebound to give Saint John a commanding three-goal lead.
Not long after, Scott Oke broke loose on a breakaway but was stopped on his backhand move by the Drakkar netminder.
Saint John had one last power play at 16:48. Their best chance came when a shot from the point beat Missiaen and sat in the crease before being taken away.
Shots in the final stanza were 25-4 in favour of the Sea Dogs.
Saint John went 1-for-7 on the man advantage while Baie-Comeau went 1-for-6.
NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow.
NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan Wednesday at 7pm at Harbour Station.
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