SEA DOGS – MOOSEHEADS GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Saint John 9, Halifax 2
Saint John Goals: Jonathan Huberdeau (27), Nathan Beaulieu (7, 8), Steven Anthony (15, 16), Zach Phillips (27), Mike Thomas (11), and Michael Kirkpatrick (13, 14)
Halifax Goals: Charles Bety (13), Brent Andrews (10)
Winning Goaltender: SNB – Jacob DeSerres
Losing Goaltenders: HAL – Frederic Piche and Anthony Terenzio
News 88.9 Top Dog: Eric Gelinas
THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Mooseheads: 2/6, Sea Dogs: 4/6
Shots on Goal: Mooseheads: 13+15+11=39, Sea Dogs: 14+13+9=36
Length: 2:13
Attendance: 5,513
SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Defenseman Simon Despres and forward Tomas Jurco were given the night off after returning from the World Junior Hockey Championships earlier this week.
Defenseman Kevin Gagne missed his third straight game with what the Sea Dogs are calling an “upper body injury.” Defenseman Spencer MacDonald, who was recalled from junior ‘A’ last week, is no longer with the big club. Forward Scott Oke was a healthy scratch.
BLOWOUT CITY
The Saint John Sea Dogs put the hammer down on Saturday night at the Halifax Metro Centre, blowing out the hometown Mooseheads 9-2 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.
The Sea Dogs scored early and often against the Mooseheads, beating former Saint John goaltender Frederic Piche on their first shot of the game just 39 seconds into the opening period.
"It was just one of those nights," said Mooseheads captain Travis Randell to the Chronicle Herald. "All the bounces went their way and nothing went right for us. They’re a highly skilled team, the best team in the country, and they’re going to score if you give them any chances."
Jonathan Huberdeau was the goal getter on the early marker, walking around former Sea Dog Pascal Amyot and then going high glove on Piche. The Mooseheads tied the game on a power play 5:01 thanks to a Charles Bety tip – but that would be as close as the Herd would get on this night.
Nathan Beaulieu gave the Sea Dogs their lead back at 11:16 with a power play goal. Then Steven Anthony scored two straight to send Saint John to the dressing room with a 4-1 lead.
Rookie Anthony Terenzio replaced Piche in goal to start the second frame. Things didn’t go much better for him in net as the Sea Dogs were able to add four more to their lead. Zach Phillips scored just 16 seconds in followed by a Mike Thomas shorthanded goal at 7:02. Michael Kirkpatrick then made his presence known, scoring twice to give Saint John a 8-1 lead after 40 minutes.
In the third and Piche back in net, Beaulieu scored his second of the game at 15:54. The man advantage goal came with Saint John mostly using their third and fourth lines as the power play unit. Brent Andrews scored late in period but it didn’t mean much as the Dogs cruised to a 9-2 victory.
The Mooseheads, a rebuilding club, have been in blowouts before. But there was something about this game that really made it feel as though the Mooseheads were never in it after the puck dropped.
"Even if you had a three-goal lead going into the third period against a team like that it wouldn’t be safe," Randell said. "They’re a dangerous team no matter what the score is and it’s even tougher to come back against them because they’ve got so many good players."
It certainly was a night to forget for Frederic Piche. After being traded to the Mooseheads on Thursday, the goaltender was given the start against his old team who just so happen to be the most offensively dangerous club in the QMJHL.
Piche got lit up in the first period, allowing four goals on 14 shots. After backup Anthony Terenzio allowed four goals of his own in the middle frame, Piche relieved him at 13:35. The 19-year let in a Nathan Beaulieu laser in the third period, his only goal against on nine shots.
The Mooseheads’ defense didn’t help him a lot, either, allowing shooters to walk straight past them on some occasions. Was it the right move for the Moose to start Piche against his former team in his Halifax debut? That is definitely a debatable question.
The player the Sea Dogs got in return for Piche, goaltender Mathieu Corbeil, spent the night on the bench backing-up Jacob DeSerres.
STREAKING
The Sea Dogs improved to 6-0-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season and have now outscored the club 35-14. Saint John has now won four straight contests and lost only once in the unofficial second half of the season.
The Mooseheads on the other hand have lost two straight. Metro Halifax tweeted that the Herd have “lost by seven or more goals just seven times in 528 games over the past eight seasons.”
Two newly acquired defenseman made their Sea Dogs debut last night. Eric Gelinas, acquired on Wednesday in exchange for Guillaume Cloutier, got lots of ice time. He created a solid scoring chance early in the first period after unleashing a point shot. He assisted on two goals, was a +4, recorded two shots, and had a team high four shots.
Jason Seed also made his Sea Dogs debut on the backend. He was a +1 and had one shot on goal in the game.
DeSERRES PLAYS WELL IN WIN
Despite the lopsided score, Sea Dogs goaltender Jacob DeSerres made some big saves in the game. He made a few highlight cross crease stops that, although the game was already out of reach for the Mooseheads, kept the momentum going in Saint John’s favour.
In total, DeSerres made 37 saves on 39 shots as Halifax outshot the Sea Dogs, 39-36.
Also of note, this was the first time DeSerres has started back-to-back games this season. He started in Tuesday’s shootout win over Bathurst.
THE BIG LINE
The big line of Steven Anthony, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Zach Phillips had yet another big night for the Sea Dogs.
Anthony recorded two goals and one assist, Huberdeau one goal and four assists, and Phillips one goal and two assists. In total, the trio combined for four goals and seven helpers. Since the three have been put together, they have been one of the hottest lines in the QMJHL.
QUICK HITS
Four of Saint John’s seven penalties in the game were hooking calls… Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant was not on the bench for the second half of the game, reported News 88.9. It’s unknown where he was… Michael Kirkpatrick is now three points back of tying Ryan Sparling’s franchise record for career points as a Sea Dog… Saint John went a solid 4/6 on the power play… the Silvervision feed at the Metro Centre kept showing the same people: a group of young ladies, some guy in a green jacket, and occasionally a body suit man… the first shot in the first and second periods both went in… the Sea Dogs tied their season high for goals in a game. They recorded nine in that insane game in Moncton earlier this season… Stephen MacAulay and Pierre Durepos were the only Saint John players without a shot on goal… Steven Anthony had a team high six shots… Carl Gelinas led the Mooseheads in shots with six… Mike Thomas is now fourth overall in the QMJHL in shorthanded goals with three… to relive the match, check out the SN Live Blog replay.
NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs host the PEI Rocket at 7:00 pm on Tuesday at Harbour Station.
Photo Credits: RicLaf Flickr, RicLaf Flickr, Moose Maniac
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