FINAL: Majors 1, Sea Dogs 3
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – For much of the season, the Saint John Sea Dogs were ranked No. 1 in the Canadian Hockey League. On Sunday night in Mississauga, they proved to be worthy of that ranking.
The Sea Dogs defeated the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors 3-1 in their own building to capture junior hockey’s Holy Grail – the MasterCard Memorial Cup. They become the first ever Atlantic Canadian team to win the trophy and just the eighth in the history of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Simon Despres scored a shorthanded marker, Zack Phillips netted the eventual game winner, and Jonathan Huberdeau put it away with a nifty deke late in the third period.
Goaltender Jacob DeSerres was unbelievable in net, making several game-saving stops. He made 34 stops in total, erasing all of the bad memories that happened in last year’s final with the Brandon Wheat Kings.
The win ended an incredible season, a campaign that is difficult to put into words.
The victory solidifies the Sea Dogs as one of the greatest QMJHL teams of all time. Maybe even one of the greatest in CHL history.
Enjoy it. Saint John doesn’t win a national championship everyday.
FIRST PERIOD
Ryan Tesink went to the box at 2:09 for roughing. On the power play, it would be Saint John that would connect. At 2:24, Simon Despres came across the line and fired the puck top shelf and over the blocker of JP Anderson to give the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead.
With the Major’s power play over, they almost tied the game. Rob Flick let the original shot go and then the puck went loose to the side of the cage for Chris DeSousa who was robbed by the pad of Jacob DeSerres’ pad.
The Dogs went to the man advantage at 8:34 but couldn’t get anything going.
Flick had another decent chance a few moments later as he deflected a point shot on net but was stopped.
At 11:17, Saint John went back to the power play. Tomas Jurco had a good chance in front but the puck was deflected away by the paddle of Anderson.
At 13:17, just as the penalty ended, Jonathan Huberdeau was behind the goal line and fed Zack Phillips in front. Phillips beat Anderson to give Saint John a 2-0 advantage.
After failing to do much on another power play, Saint John headed to another one at 18:13. Phillips sent a great cross crease feed to Huberdeau at the other side but he couldn’t get a handle on the puck to get a shot off before Anderson got over.
In the final seconds of play, Riley Brace performed a wraparound but sent it into the pads of DeSerres. The Saint John goaltender was then pushed across the line but the whistle had blown, keeping the Dogs up a pair heading to intermission.
Shots in the opening frame were 11-9 Saint John.
SECOND PERIOD
The Sea Dogs couldn’t convert on the power play that carried over and it was still a 2-1 game.
Mississauga went to the man advantage 55 seconds in as Kevin Gagne headed off. Michael D’Orazio blasted a point shot on net but DeSerres made the pad stop.
Back at even strength, Maxim Kitsyn fired the puck off the post. Then at the other end, Nathan Beaulieu sent a shot from the point but was chested by Anderson. Stephen MacAulay had a chance down low a few minutes later but couldn’t connect.
The Majors went back to the power play at 11:12. From the dot, Flick let a shot go but DeSerres made a nice shoulder stop. The Majors had some great power play pressure but couldn’t connect.
Finally, at 14:41, the Majors would connect. A beautiful three-way passing play was finished off by Riley Brace to make it a 2-1 contest.
It was all Majors after the goal and they had plenty of pressure on. The Dogs had about two minutes of decent pressure but that was all.
The Majors went to yet another power play at 17:21 as Stanislav Galiev headed off. They had some good pressure on but no quality shots on goal.
In the final second of action, a pass from the corner found Casey Cizikas is front but DeSerres was there to make the stop.
Shots were 15-6 Mississauga in the middle frame.
INTERMISSION
There was an epic fail by the QMJHL representative in the shoot-for-a-million contest.
THIRD PERIOD
The Majors went to the power play at 2:39 of the third. Brett Flemming had a chance at the side but couldn’t get a shot off. That would be all for Mississauga’s man advantage.
Then the Majors would keep the pressure on for several minutes as the Dogs just sat back and kept dumping the puck in. Then, Stuart Percy let a dangerous looking shot go from the boards but was padded away by DeSerres.
Devante Smith-Pelly performed a wraparound a few moments later but was robbed by the leg of DeSerres.
After some back-and-forth stuff, Justin Shugg was at the side of the goal with DeSerres falling down but sent it high. Then DeSousa tipped the puck just wide in front.
Saint John broke it open at 16:17. On a two-on-one, Phillips fed Huberdeau who made a masterful deke on Anderson to make it a 3-1 game.
Late in the match, DeSerres made an enormous stop on Cizikas in front with the leg. Mississauga pulled their netminder with two minutes to play but could never connect.
NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.
Photo Credit: National Post
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