FINAL: Sea Dogs 6, Cataractes 3
SHAWINIGAN, Que. – After a rough outing in Victoriaville on Saturday night, the Saint John Sea Dogs redeemed themselves in Shawinigan on Sunday.
Stanislav Galiev and Zack Phillips each had a pair of goals as the Sea Dogs cruised past the Cataractes 6-3 at Centre Bionest in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. Eric Gelinas and Tomas Jurco also scored for the winners while goaltender Jacob DeSerres made 27 saves in the victory.
It was a much better game by the Sea Dogs than the one they put forward on Saturday against the Tigres. Saint John battled hard for most of the game and displayed their typical offensive display, putting up six goals on 38 shots.
Shawinigan goaltender Gabriel Girard was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots. His replacement, Alex Dubeau, didn’t do much better as he let in three goals on 23 shots.
It was the Cataractes’ fourth straight loss and their second defeat against Saint John in eight days. The Sea Dogs swept the season series by winning both contests and outscoring Shawinigan 13-6.
Loik Poudrier scored twice for the home squad and Jean-Francois Plante added a single marker. Shawinigan was able to hang around with the Dogs until the second where Saint John exploded for three goals.
This games ends the Sea Dogs’ three-in-three road trip. Despite the loss yesterday, the team still managed to pick up four-of-a-possible-six points.
FIRST PERIOD
Just a few minutes in, Anton Zlobin set up Maximilien La Sieux beautifully and went alone on Sea Dogs goaltender Jacob DeSerres. But DeSerres stood tall in his crease and stopped the Cataracte on the short break.
Mike Thomas created the first legit scoring opportunity for Saint John. He stood along the boards and centered the puck for Stephen MacAulay in the crease. MacAulay had an open cage but was held up nicely by Dillon Donnelly in the crease.
Donnelly and Alexandre Beauregard had a great scrap in the neutral zone at 5:09. Both players got some good shots in before Donnelly threw Beauregard to the ice.
DeSerres made a minor turnover behind the goal a few minutes after the fight. Ryan Kavanagh and his offensive talents were at the side of the net trying to jam the puck but couldn’t.
Stanislav Galiev opened the scoring at 7:21. The Russian broke loose from along the side boards and riffled the puck up and over Shawinigan goaltender Gabriel Girard to make it 1-0 Sea Dogs.
But the Cataractes would tie the match at 9:08. Pierre Durepos sent a blind pass behind the net and was picked up by Yannick Veilleux who walked out in front and fired a backhand shot on net. DeSerres made the stop but couldn’t stop Jean-Francois Plante who buried the disc to tie the match.
But Saint John would respond at 11:17. Zack Phillips came across the line and fired a wrist shot from the top of the dot that beat Girard to make it 2-1 Dogs.
Dave Lebrecque high sticked Ryan Tesink at 13:12, giving the Dogs a four-minute power play. Michael Kirkpatrick looked like he had a step on the Shawinigan defense a few minutes into the man advantage but couldn’t get a good shot off. Then, Scott Oke and Stephen MacAulay were both stopped in the crease on multiple chances.
Shots in the first period were 11-10 Saint John.
SECOND PERIOD
Donnelly almost committed a foul as he walked through his own crease and put the puck right at Girard’s feet. He would recover luckily and saved himself an embarrassing moment. After that, nothing happened for several minutes as the puck went back-and-forth, occasionally getting stuck in the neutral zone.
Finally, Gabriel Lemieux had a decent opportunity for the Cataractes as he fired a point shot through some traffic but DeSerres was there to make the stop.
The Sea Dogs made it a 3-1 game at 11:14. After a bit of a scramble in the Shawinigan crease, Gabriel Bourret sent the puck to Eric Gelinas at the point. The New Jersey Devils prospect fired a half-slap shot that went through the legs of Girard. Alex Dubeau replaced Girard in the Cats crease following the marker.
Lemieux had another blast a few minutes but hit his own player in front acting as a bit of screen.
Things got worse for the Cataractes at 13:31. Bourret sent a point shot on goal that was stopped by Dubeau but he couldn’t hold the rebound. Jurco was at the top of the crease and fired a backhander past the netminder to make it a 4-1 Saint John lead.
The Seas Dogs start edto completely dominate the play after the goal. Ryan Tesink sent a nice pass to Beauregard in front but was robbed by a quick Dubeau. Then, Phillips had an open shooting lane at rim of the circle but blasted one just high.
Dubeau almost cost his team a goal later on in the frame as he was caught out of his net. Jurco threw the puck in front for Steven Anthony who had an open cage but he was held up by a Shawinigan defenseman.
Shots in the second stanza were 15-9 Sea Dogs.
THIRD PERIOD
Just 20 seconds into the third, Zlobin was behind the goal and sent a perfect pass to Loik Poudrier in the slot. Poudrier fired a wrist shot that beat DeSerres glove side to make it a two-goal game.
A scary moment took place just after the marker as Gelinas took an awkward hit at the blue line and left the ice favouring his hip area. He would later return to the game, though. Soon after the hit, Kirkpatrick caught the Cataractes on a turnover but sent the shot high and over the goal.
Kirkpatrick was called for hooking at 4:59. On their first power play of the match, the Cataractes didn’t have much of a showing and failed to generate any dangerous scoring opportunities.
At 9:37, Galiev finished off a nice passing play from Jonathan Huberdeau and Phillips. Huberdeau sent a cross crease feed to the Washington Capitals prospect and sent the disc home to make it a 5-2 game.
But Shawinigan kept on coming. At 9:59, Poudrier went high shot blocker side on DeSerres, netting his second of the period to make it a 5-3 match.
Jason Seed took a penalty at 10:30, giving the Cats a crucial power play opportunity. They had some decent pressure going on until Peter Sakaris took a holding penalty at 12:08, giving way for some four-on-four action. The penalty would prove costly as Phillips scored six seconds later on a shot from the top of the circle that beat Dubeau high glove side. That made it a 6-3 affair.
Later on in the period and the penalty long expired, Anthony was sprung on a breakaway but sent his shot wide of the cage. Anthony had another chance later on in close but was stopped, then Scott Oke fired the disc just high and over the net. But none of those opportunities would matter as Saint John went on to a 6-3 victory.
Shots in the final frame were 12-11 in favour of the Dogs.
Saint John went 0-for-3 on the power play while Shawinigan went 0-for-2.
NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow.
NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats meet for the final time at 7:30 pm on Friday night at Harbour Station.
Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
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