Thursday, June 30, 2022

On Wednesday's championship win

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs
SAINT JOHN - For the Saint John Sea Dogs, a lot of things haven't gone according to plan over the past few years.

The coaching changes. The goaltending carousel. The Joshua Roy situation. COVID. The trade drama(s) with the Halifax Mooseheads. The first round playoff loss. And there's probably many more.

But for one night, and for much of the past two weeks, everything went right for the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs won their second Memorial Cup championship with a decisive 6-3 win over the Hamilton Bulldogs on Wednesday night at TD Station. The Sea Dogs scored twice in the first six minutes. They defended well and got good goaltending from Nikolas Hurtubise. When momentum swung in Hamilton's favour, Saint John was able to take it right back with an equal or better blow.

Wednesday's game, simply put, was one of the best games played by this group of Sea Dogs players.

Saint John finished the Memorial Cup with a 3-0-1 record, defeating the Bulldogs twice and the rival Shawinigan Cataractes once. The team's lone loss was an overtime thriller to the Edmonton Oil Kings, which could have gone either way.

There's no doubting that Gardiner MacDouagll had a huge influence on this team, injecting new life into a group that easily could have given up on the season after a gut wrenching first round playoff loss. The team looked refreshed and prepared when it took to the ice. They had the advantage of rest, and they definitely used that to their advantage.

The big question that will be debated forever is whether Gordie Dwyer could have gotten a similar result at the Memorial Cup. We'll never know the answer. The Sea Dogs' gamble of swapping coaches worked out. Dwyer, though, should be recognized for doing a solid job with the Sea Dogs throughout the regular season. This team looked tremendous at times during the second half.

The coaching staff deserves credit for this Memorial Cup title. So does the management team. But the players themselves deserve the most credit.

As I mentioned on CBC Wednesday morning, this group of Sea Dogs has had many ups and downs since 2018 - but there were many more downs than previous generations of Sea Dogs. There wasn't really that smooth, gradual incline to a championship team like we've seen in the past. It was a rocky road at times, which happens, and some of that was out of the team's control (COVID).

After the trade deadline, it felt like the Sea Dogs went 0 to 100. They looked unbeatable at times, entering the playoffs on a 15-game winning streak. At long last, the mix was right and the pedal was pushed to the floor. Then the car crashed off a cliff in the first round.

But the Sea Dogs picked up the pieces, rebuilt a better car and kept heading towards the destination. They could have turned around or stayed in neutral, but they kept going. And they got there. It may not have been the simplest route to take or the one listed on the map, but they got there. Champions. And they deserve that title.

DUFOUR
A legendary performance by William Dufour in this tournament. With seven goals and an assist, he was named the Memorial Cup MVP. Jonathan Huberdeau won the award in 2011.
TOURNAMENT ALL-STARS
Three Sea Dogs were named tournament all-stars.
Nikolas Hurtubise, meanwhile, was named the winner of the Hap Emms Memorial Trophy for most outstanding goaltender at the Memorial Cup.

POST-GAME TALKS

BAD TAKE
You knew these takes were coming. I understand where he's coming from, but like... direct your displeasure at the CHL and the tournament format, not the Sea Dogs.ICE BATH
Literally cool.
GREAT ATMOSPHERE
What a crowd at TD Station on Wednesday. Place was rocking.
PUBLIC VIEWINGS
This was awesome to see. The Container Village is such a great add to the uptown.
BULLDOGS REACTIONS
Here's what Bulldogs head coach Jay McKee and some Hamilton players had to say after Wednesday's loss to Saint John.
“You get here and you lose to a healthy team,” the Bulldogs' Ryan Winterton told the Hamilton Spectator. “They gave it their all and they’re a great team but I think any other given day, any other given week when we’re healthy we have that cup in our hands.”


GARDINER
Put this man in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
TSN TAKES
Was this an improbable tournament win by the Sea Dogs given their first round exit and coaching change? TSN discusses.
WHAT WOULD YOU EAT?
A lot of Mathieu Jospeh fans on the Sea Dogs it seems.
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