DOGS FLAMEOUT CATARACTES

SN RECAP
FINAL: Cataractes 3, Sea Dogs 7

SAINT JOHN –In 2001, a goal in the second period would be all that was needed to clinch the Calder Cup for the Saint John Flames. In 2011, a four goal second period would give the Saint John Sea Dogs enough markers to defeat the Shawinigan Cataractes.

The Dogs took down the Cataractes 7-3 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Saturday night at Harbour Station. It was Saint John Flames tribute night with the Sea Dogs wearing special throwback Flames jerseys for the contest.

Zack Phillips scored two goals while single markers came from Michael Kirkpatrick, Jonathan Huberdeau, Stanislav Galiev, Tomas Jurco, and Gabriel Bourret. Jacob DeSerres made 23 saves in net for the victory.

It was a solid game for the Dogs. The team got off to a bit of a slow start, allowing Shawinigan to strike first. But Saint John would pick up momentum – and in a big way. A four-goal second period cemented a Sea Dogs victory.

The win is the Sea Dogs’ 13th straight. They have now gone 20 consecutive games without losing a game in regulation time.

Shawinigan had a pair of goals from Tommy Giroux while Michael Bournival added a single. Gabriel Girard made 16 saves while Alex Dubeau also made 16 saves in relief. The Cataractes had struggles on the power play, failing to score on any of their five opportunities.

FIRST PERIOD
Michael Bournival had the first good chance of the game as he fired a sharp angle shot from the icing line that ended up in the pads of Jacob DeSerres.

Saint John stated roll after a few minutes of blah action. Stanislav Galiev let a wrist shot go from the line that just whistled wide of the goal. Then, Simon Despres fired a low shot from the point that was padded and gobbled up by Cataractes goaltender Gabriel Girard. Gabriel Bourret had the final shot of the scoring session, wristing a shot in the high slot through a screen that was blockered away.

Saint John went to the penalty kill at 7:59 as Bourret took down his man behind the goal. Micheal Kirkpatrick had a great shorthanded chance on a break but Girard stood tall and denied his backhand chance. Yannick Veilleux then had a good chance down low for the Cats but was stopped by Saint John netminder Jacob DeSerres.

After being taken down, Jonathan Huberdeau and Jonathan Racine dropped the gloves. Racine would take the decision in the one sided tilt.

A few minutes after Bournival fired a high shot over the net, the Cataractes opened the scoring at 12:52. Ryan Kavanagh threw the puck in the crease and came out the other side for Tommy Giroux. With DeSerres down, Giroux had an open cage to make it 1-0.

Galiev almost tied the affair moments later, making an unreal move around his man but dinged a hard shot off the iron.

After Saint John killed off another penalty, they would finally get on the board. At 17:06, Zack Phillips fired a high shot from an impossible angle that when in over the shoulder of Giroux. There was a long review to see if it was knocked in with a high stick, but it was ruled a good goal.

Just 31 seconds, Michael Kirkpatrick fired a weak shot on net that Giroux missed and it tricked wide. Kirkpatrick managed to bat in the rebound at the side of goal to get the Sea Dogs in front, 2-1.

Shots in the first period were 11-10 Shawinigan.

SECOND PERIOD
Shawinigan had the first chance of the second frame as a rebound caused a small scramble in the Saint John crease but it was cleared out of danger in time. The Cats went back to the power play at 1:11 but could not get anything going during the span.

The Sea Dogs had their first power play opportunity at 3:36 after a scuffle. Saint John would connect at 3:43 as Phillips dished the puck to Kirkpatrick in close. He then sent a perfect pass to Huberdeau at the side of net who had an open cage to make it 3-1.

Ryan Tesink and Huberdeau then had a two-on-one but Tesink had his centering pass blocked. Pace then slowed to crawl for a few minutes.

At 10:18, Eric Gelines set up Galiev beautifully from the point, allowing the Russian to redirect the puck past Girard to make it a 4-1 game.

Saint John took complete control at 12:10 as Steven Anthony slapped the puck from the blue line. Tomas Jurco was in front to apply the tip and make it a 5-1 affair. That chased Girard from the net in exchange for Alex Dubeau.

Just moments later, Scott Oke had another great chance on a partial breakaway but over skated the net and sent the disc wide. Shortly after, the Cats once again failed to get anything going on another man advantage.

The Dogs scored their fourth marker of the period at 16:47 as Gabriel Bourret wired a shot that beat Dubeau high glove side and make it a 6-1 Saint John lead.

As the frame grew on, Nathan Beaulieu had a decent chance in front with an empty upper cage but sailed the puck high. Then Kirkpatrick had a great chance at the side of crease but just couldn’t slip the puck past the line before it was cleared. On the same play, Dubeau jabbed Kirkpatrick in the head and gave the Dogs another man advantage at 17:54.

Galiev had the last chance of the frame, coming down the wing on the power play and just missing the net with a hard shot.

Shots in the middle frame were 18-8 Saint John.

THIRD PERIOD
Bournival opened the third period scoring at 1:15, getting the Cataractes within four. The Montreal Canadiens prospect sent a low wrist shot by DeSerres to make it a 6-2 game.

But at 4:40, the Sea Dogs would get the goal back. Huberdeau sent a shot on goal that was stopped by Dubeau. But a huge rebound was let loose, allowing Phillips to score into a yawning cage to give Saint John their five-goal lead back.

But Shawinigan would not go away. The Cats scored again at 5:42 as a pass ahead found Tommy Giroux who went in alone, beating DeSerres blocker side.

The Cataractes almost scored again moments later as the puck squirted to side of the goal and sat on the line but Giroux couldn’t get his stick on the puck. At 9:45, Shawinigan had another power play but, yet again, they could not register anything.

After several minutes of nothing, Bournival had a good chance late in the frame but DeSerres made a quick pad stop to deflect the disc away. That would all she wrote as Saint John cruised to a 7-3 win.

Shots in the final frame were 11-7 Saint John.

The Sea Dogs went 1-for-2 on the man advantage while the Cataractes went 0-for-5.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Notebook tomorrow.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Halifax Mooseheads on Tuesday at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.

Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation