FINAL: Saint John 2, Chicoutimi 1
CHICOUTIMI, QC - Following a
3-0 setback in Quebec City on Wednesday, the Saint John Sea Dogs
(14-4-0-3) were in Chicoutimi Friday evening to face the Sagueneens
(8-13-1-0). The Sea Dogs played another strong road game and came away
with an impressive 2-1 win at the Centre Georges-Vezina.
Mark Tremaine and Mathieu Joseph scored
for Saint John, while Charles Guevremont replied for Chicoutimi. The win
allowed Saint John to maintain a one point lead over the hard charging Moncton
Wildcats atop the Maritimes division... although Saint John has played two
fewer games than the 'Cats.
The game got off to a sluggish start
with several icing calls both ways in the opening ten minutes. Then, on a power
play at 12:43, Tremaine took a pass from Luke Green and fired a wrist shot that
beat Julio Billia high on the short side to put the Sea Dogs on the board. A
couple of very weak, questionable calls gave the Sagueneens a pair of power
plays but Sebastien Auger and the Sea Dogs' shot blockers came up big to keep
Chicoutimi scoreless in the first period. Saint John led 1-0 after one and also
out shot the Sags 10-9.
At 1:58 of the second period, Guevremont
scooped up a loose puck in the Sea Dogs' zone, waltzed into the slot and
snapped the puck past Auger to tie the score at 1-1. The Sea Dogs had several
high quality scoring chances in the second half of the period, including a shot
off the post by Joseph, but they could not get the puck over the goal line. Saint
John led 12-10 on the shot clock but the period ended tied 1-1.
Both teams had a number of good scoring
chances in the third period but both Auger and Billia made equally impressive
saves. With less than 4:00 left in the third, a Luke Green point shot rang off
the cross bar and stayed out. Then, at 18:12, Daniel Del Paggio carried the
puck into Chicoutimi's end and dished a pass to Joseph who wired the puck into
the top corner to give Saint John the lead again. Shots favoured Saint John
11-6 in the 3rd and the Sea Dogs ended the game
out-shooting Chicoutimi 34-25.
Mathieu Joseph's goal late in the third
broke the deadlock and allowed the Sea Dogs to avenge a heartbreaking loss
to Chicoutimi on Sept. 28, when the Sagueneens scored with one second left in
regulation to tie the game and then beat Saint John in a shootout.
S.N. PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Mathieu Joseph not only had the game
winning goal but had a few other great scoring chances, including hitting a
post late in the second. oseph was also strong on the penalty kill.
Goalies Sebastien Auger (24 saves) and
Julio Billia (32 saves) were both outstanding for their respective teams.
STATS
NOTES
- Chicoutimi beat the Baie-Comeau Drakkar 7-3 Thursday night in a fight-filled affair. A photo made the rounds in the Twitterverse today showing seven Sagueneens huddled together in the penalty box late in the second period of last night's game.
- Former Sea Dogs in the NHL Thursday - Mike Hoffman (Ottawa) had two goals, including the OT winner, Charlie Coyle (Minnesota) had two assists and Nathan Beaulieu had an assist and a TKO over Matt Fraser (Boston).
- Injured Sea Dogs Adam Bateman (upper body) and Alex Kealey (general body soreness) remained in Saint John for the three game road trip through eastern Quebec. Goalie Bobby Dugan, defencemen Braydon Blight and forward Julien Tessier were healthy scratches for Saint John.
NEXT GAME
Saint John travels to Baie-Comeau on
Saturday for a 5 p.m. start against the Drakkar to end this road trip. The Sea
Dogs return to Harbour Station next Friday (Nov. 21) for a 7:30 p.m. start
against the Shawinigan Cataractes.
No comments:
Post a Comment