FINAL: Rocket 2, Sea Dogs 7
By Station Nation Staff
SAINT JOHN – A tremendous regular season came to a close Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station as the Saint John Sea Dogs hit the ice to take on the Prince Edward Island Rocket.
Like they had 31 times before, Saint John won their home game, defeating the Rocket 7-2 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play. The win gave the Sea Dogs a final home record of 32-0-1-1, making them the first team in QMJHL history to go undefeated in regulation at home.
The records didn’t stop there as the win also gave Saint John 58 on the year, tying them for the most wins in a single season. Two other clubs have equalled the mark with both playing longer schedules.
After a loss to the Rocket on Wednesday night in Charlottetown, the Sea Dogs could no longer break the wins record. But Saint John would get their revenge on Sunday, beating up PEI and finally solving how break down the brick wall that is Evan Mosher.
The Dogs had a pair of goals from Michael Kirkpatrick and Ryan Tesink. Solo markers came courtesy from Stanislav Galiev, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Simon Despres. Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil let out rebounds larger than the Tim Horton’s line-up at times but was good enough to make 29 stops for the win.
It was a pretty solid game from the Sea Dogs who didn’t show any a whole lot of “flatness” with this being the final game of the regular season and played a pretty fast and intense match. None of the big guns were given the day off, either, except for captain Mike Thomas who was recuperating from an injury.
Mosher made some big saves as usual for the Rocket but couldn’t bail his team out this time around. The goaltender made 37 saves in the net in the loss. Adam Polasek and Samuel Morneau scored for PEI.
FIRST PERIOD
1:30 into the game, Pierre Durepos took a high sticking call and gave the Rocket a power play. But the league’s best penalty kill went to work and killed off the penalty rather easily.
With the penalty over, Jonathan Huberdeau tried to chase down a loose puck but just couldn’t grab a hold of it. He managed to get a decent backhand shot off that rolled through the crease, though.
PEI then had a good opportunity following a Saint John turnover. Rocket leading scorer Ben Duffy had the disc and tried the centre it but had his pass blocked by a Sea Dogs stick.
The Sea Dogs went to a man advantage at 6:46. On the ensuing power play at 7:45, Michael Kirkpatrick had the puck at the dot and wired a wrist shot that beat Rocket netminder Evan Mosher five-hole.
PEI had another power play at 9:46 as the Sea Dogs put too many on the ice. But the Rocket couldn’t get anything going again, failing to score or get any decent opportunites.
With the penalty over, Saint John would strike again. At 14:14, Stanislav Galiev had the back along the backboards and walked out in front. He beat Mosher with a wide range low shot to give the Dogs a 2-0 advantage.
After a turnover at the blue line, Ryan Tesink came in and had a clear lane but was stopped by the pad of Mosher. Then the Rocket got some things going as Mathieu Corbeil made a big glove stop on Olivier Croteau following a rebound.
After a Rocket faceoff, Samuel Morneau was at the top of the crease but was denied by Corbeil. On that scrum, Gabriel Bourret headed to the box at 19:26 to give the Rocket a man advantage to open the second period.
Shots in the opening frame were 14-8 Saint John.
SECOND PERIOD
The Rocket started the second period on a power play and they would get on the board. A pass from Andrej Nestrasil went through the blue paint and found Adam Polasek in front who banged one home to make it a 2-1 game at 1:06.
The Sea Dogs started rolling again after that. The puck was in front for Galiev but was stopped by Mosher. Then, Alexandre Beauregard was at the dot but drifted a floater high and wide.
On a power play at 5:16, Saint John made it a 3-1 affair. Zack Phillips threaded a perfect cross crease pass to Huberdeau but was robbed. Mosher couldn’t handle the rebound though as Huberdeau scored to give the Dogs a two-goal lead.
Saint John had a three-on-two moments later. Galiev dropped the puck for Pierre Durepos but was denied by Mosher. PEI then had a good opportunity as Ben Duffy out waited a Saint John defenseman but was stopped by Corbeil.
The Rocket made it a one-goal game again at 10:51. Corbeil made a stop with his blocker bet let a huge rebound, allowing Samuel Morneau to cash in and make it a 3-2 game.
After some PEI pressure, the Sea Dogs started up again. Mosher stopped a point shot but let out a rebound. Beauregard had a yawning cage but was somehow stopped by a diving Rocket netminder.
Morneau then tried to go in on a break, but Durepos dove and made a nice play to chop the puck off his stick. Saint John then had a couple of good chances as Kirkpatrick was left alone in front but was poke checked nicely by Mosher. Then, Aidan Kelly was at the side but was robbed by Mosher once again.
The Dogs finally got on the board again at 18:34. A turnover at the line by the Rocket was picked up by Simon Despres who fed Ryan Tesink. The Saint John snipped a shot it over the shoulder of Mosher to make it a 4-2 game.
Tesink wasn’t done there. At 19:11, Danick Gauthier came out from behind the goal and threw it in front while Tesink was at the side and had an open cage to make it a 5-2 game.
Shots on goal in the second period were 20-11 Sea Dogs.
THIRD PERIOD
Gabriel Bourret was called for interference 43 seconds into the third frame. The Rocket actually had some puck control this time around and Corbeil was forced to make a nice stop in close off Morneau.
Saint John went to a man advantage at 3:58. On the ensuing power play, Tesink was left alone in front and was in the clear to score his hat trick goal but dinged a shot off the bottom of the post. Then shortly after the penalty expired, the puck was sent on net for Jurco and tipped the flying disc just wide.
Saint John gave PEI another power play at 7:53 with Steven Anthony in the sin bin but it was shut down city for the Dogs and kept their three-goal lead intact.
Alex Noel headed off for kneeing at 14:31 to give the Dogs yet another two minutes or less with an extra man on the ice. Tesink had a great chance early on, just firing the puck wide. Soon after that opportunity at 16:10, Kirkpatrick fired a bullet backhand shot past Mosher to give Saint John a commanding 6-2 lead.
The Sea Dogs would not stop there. Just 21 seconds later, Despres was given the puck and sent a backhand shot on goal that was just out of the reach of Moshe,r hitting his tie and dribbling across the line. That made it a 7-2 final.
Shots in the final stanza were 11-10 Saint John.
NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.
NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles next Friday at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station is Game One of the first round of the 2011 post-season.
Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
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