Saturday, April 23, 2016

GAME 1 RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 6-5 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 6, Shawinigan 5 (OT)
SHAWINIGAN, Que. – Matthew Highmore wasted no time ending game one of the QMJHL semifinal.

Highmore scored just 46 seconds into overtime to give the Saint John Sea Dogs a 6-5 victory over the Shawinigan Cataractes on Friday night at Centre Gervais Auto. The win gives the Dogs a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven third round series.

Highmore’s goal ended a wildly back-and-forth, entertaining match that featured plenty of scoring. The Sea Dogs, playing without Adam Marsh, Mathieu Joseph, Bokondji Imama and, for most of the game, Thomas Chabot, found a way to, once again, produce offensively when they needed to.

Sam Povorozniouk, Daniel Del Paggio, Joe Veleno, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Spencer Smallman also scored for Saint John. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 26 saves in the win.

Saint John has now won three straight playoff games, which includes two on the road. This win not only gives the Sea Dogs home ice advantage, but it also gives them momentum heading into tomorrow’s game two.

Alex Pawelczyk, Anthony Beauvillier, Dmytro Timashov, Dennis Yan and Gabriel Gagne scored for Shawinigan. Philippe Cadorette didn’t have the greatest night in net, allowing six goals on just 25 shots.

Moments after Matt Murphy fired a shot off the post, Shawinigan went to their second power play of the game just 5:06 in. At 5:15, a Beauvillier shot was blocked and Pawelczyk was there to fire the loose puck past Turcotte to make it 1-0 Cataractes.

Povorozniouk tied the game on a breakaway at 12:22. The 20-year-old took a pass from Nathan Noel, went in alone and beat Cadorette with a deke to his forehand. But just 50 seconds later, Beauvillier put in a rebound to put Shawinigan back in front, 2-1.

At 13:56, Chabot was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for a check to the head on Gagne. Fortunately for Saint John, the Cataractes couldn’t get a whole lot going on the man advantage.
Just one minute into the second period, on a power play that carried over, Murphy fired a point shot that was stopped by Cadorette. But the rebound went to Del Paggio near the faceoff dot and he fired a shot past the Shawinigan goaltender to make it a 2-2 game.

Veleno gave Saint John their first lead of the game at 12:37. After a turnover, Veleno and Matthew Highmore entered the zone. The rookie opted to keep the puck and fire a wrister top corner past Cadorette to make it 3-2 Sea Dogs.

Just 1:28 later, and not long after Smallman had a great chance, Timashov finished off a passing play to tie it back up, 3-3.

With 54 seconds left in the second, Danny Flynn called a time out. Then with 28 seconds remaining, Dove-McFalls chipped the puck past Cadorette to give Saint John a 4-3 lead heading into the third period.

With 10:04 remaining in the third, Yan put in a rebound to make it a 4-4 contest. Then just 2:22 later, Gagne split the Saint John defense and beat Turcotte, giving Shawinigan a 5-4 advantage.

The scoring did not end there though. With 4:03 remaining, Veleno fed Smallman in front, allowing the captain to beat Cadorette and tie the game up once again, 5-5. The game would require overtime.

Just 46 seconds into extra time, Highmore ended it.
NOTES
  • The Sea Dogs were without defensemen Alex Bernier (upper body), Vincent Martineau (healthy) and Gabriel Bettez (healthy) along with forwards Cedric Pare (healthy), Bokondji Imama (suspension), Mathieu Joseph (lower body) and Adam Marsh (upper body).
  • According to Tim Roszell on the 96.1 NewSong FM pre-game show, Alex Bernier has begun skating in full equipment. He is recovering from a broken collarbone.
  • This is the third time the Sea Dogs have faced Philippe Cadorette in a post-season series.
  • Saint John didn’t have anyone in the penalty box when the Thomas Chabot major ended. Luckily for the Dogs, there was a whistle not long after the penalty expired.
  • Thomas Chabot’s hit was on Gabriel Gagne, who is also an Ottawa Senators prospect.
  • Here is better quality video of the hit, from TVA Sports.
  • Joe Veleno’s goal was his first point since his overtime goal in game one.
  • The Sea Dogs are now 3-1 in overtime this post-season and 13-3 all-time.
  • Saint John had just one power play in the game – but scored on it.
  • Sam Povorozniouk has scored four goals in his past four games.

TURNING POINT
Spencer Smallman’s game-tying goal with just 4:03 left in regulation time allowed the Sea Dogs to win this game in overtime. Shawinigan had grabbed momentum before Smallman’s goal with two quick goals just a few minutes prior.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Matthew Highmore
Joe Veleno
Gabriel Gagne

TWEET OF THE GAME
Kevin called it.
NEXT GAME
Game two is tomorrow night at 8 p.m. in Shawinigan. 
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1 comment:

  1. DonApril 23, 2016 at 1:00 AM

    The thing is Chabot didn't make contact with the head. It was shoulder to shoulder.

    ReplyDelete

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