POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 9, Wildcats 7

By Station Nation Staff

SEA DOGS – WILDCATS GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Saint John 9, Moncton 7
Saint John Goals: Stanislav Galiev (11), Jonathan Huberdeau (16), Zack Phillips (14), Guillaume Cloutier (2), Mike Thomas (5), Steven Anthony (8), Ryan Tesink (6), Stephen MacAulay (7), and Simon Despres (5)
Moncton Goals: Daniel Milan (9, 10), Alex Saulnier (11, 12), Allain Saulnier (11), Daniel Pettersson (17), and Marek Hrivik (11)
Winning Goaltenders: SNB – Jacob DeSerres and Frederic Piche
Losing Goaltender: MON – Shane Owen

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Wildcats: 5/8, Sea Dogs: 0/3
Shots on Goal: Wildcats: 10+10+10=30, Sea Dogs: 14+16+11=41
Length: 2:32
Attendance: 5,290

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Forward Jason Cameron and defenseman Tyrone Sock were healthy scratches.

WHOA. DOGS WIN 9-7.
What in the world was that?

"As coaches, you don't like this kind of a game," said Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant o the Times & Transcript. "I'm sure they're exciting with all the goals and us battling back, but both teams got a lot of work to do because I'm sure both sides don't like that game. We were fortunate to get the two points."

In what was one of the craziest games ever seen between these two provincial rivals, Patrick Roy’s theory of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League becoming a defensive styled game was shot out the window.

The Saint John Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats combined for 16 goals on Sunday afternoon at the Moncton Coliseum, a match that resulted in the visitors coming back to win 9-7.

WILD WIN FOR DOGS IN WILDTOWN

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 9, Wildcats 7

MONCTON – It was a wild one in Wildtown.

In the first period, it looked as though the Moncton Wildcats would walk over the Saint John Sea Dogs as they have done in the past at the Moncton Coliseum.

But not on this day.

Moncton took a 4-0 lead into the final minute of the first period and looked as though they would be able to carry that momentum over into the second period. But a late Guillaume Cloutier goal seemed to give the Sea Dogs just that little boost necessary to create a comeback.

Saint John stormed back, scoring five goals in the middle frame to take a 6-4 lead into the third. After a mix of this-and-that in the final stanza, the Dogs ended up with a bizarre 9-7 win.

Stanislav Galiev, Jonathan Huberdeau, Zack Phillips, Cloutier, Mike Thomas, Steven Anthony, Ryan Tesink, Stephen MacAulay, and Simon Despres all scored for Saint John. Goaltending was a factor early on as Frederic Piche allowed two weak goals on three shots. He was then replaced by Jacob DeSerres who played well, stopping 22 shots to pick up the win.

Daniel Milan and Alex Saulnier each scored a pair while Allain Saulnier, Daniel Pettersson, and Marek Hrivik added singles. Goaltender Shane Owen allowed all eight goals on 37 shots.

The sluggish start likely had something to do with the Sea Dogs being stranded for most of the day on a highway to Bathurst yesterday. Once the Saint John got their legs moving, they were the better team for the majority of the match.

LIVE BLOG: Sea Dogs vs Wildcats

PRE-GAME: Rivalry Cup Game 2 - Saint John Sea Dogs vs Moncton Wildcats

By Station Nation Staff

GAME DAY
WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Moncton Wildcats
WHEN: Today, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Moncton Coliseum

VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 18-3-0-2 (1st in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 6-0 win vs Quebec Sunday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (23GP-15G-15A-30Pts) and Michael Kirkpatrick (23GP-8G-22A-30Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter today’s action with a 18-3-0-2 which is good for first in the Maritimes Division and a tie for second overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League... ranked third in Canada this week in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings… Saint John is coming off a dominating performance against the Remparts on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station. The Sea Dogs won 6-0 on goals from Tomas Jurco, Stanislav Galiev, Pierre Durepos, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Thomas, and Stephen MacAulay. Goaltender Jacob DeSerres made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season… the Sea Dogs are also tied with the Remparts for tops in the league with 106 goals. The Dogs are averaging just under five goals per game… Saint John has allowed the fewest goals against in the QMJHL with only 59 scored against them in 23 contests… they are 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games with their last loss coming in Bathurst against the Titan on October 22…. the Sea Dogs are on their hottest stretch of the season. They have only won two consecutive games but have collected at least a point in their last nine contests… 7-3-0-1 on the road this season and have outscored their opposition 45-33 along the way. Their last road game was on October 31 in Rouyn-Noranda where they trounced the Huskies 7-0. Their last road loss was a 5-1 defeat in Bathurst on October 22… Saint John’s power play continues to be middle-of-the-pack despite being one of the league leaders on offense. They enter action ranked ninth in the league with a rating of 0.206… the Sea Dogs’ penalty kill has slipped to fifth overall in the league with a rating of 0.830… Jonathan Huberdeau and Michael Kirkpatrick are tied for the team lead in points with 30 in 23 games… Huberdeau leads the team in goals with 15, plus/minus with a rating of +26, and penalty minutes with 31… Kirkpatrick leads the club in helpers with 22… if Saint John’s goaltending rotation holds true, Frederic Piche should get the call between the pipes today. The former Titan netminder has a goals against average of 2.33, a save percentage of 0.917 to go along with a solid 9-1-0-2 record… 9-2-0-0 against Maritimes Division teams this year… Huberdeau’s +26 rating is the best in the QMJHL.

HOME TEAM: Moncton Wildcats
Record: 16-8-0-2 (2nd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 5-2 win vs Rouyn-Noranda yesterday
Leading Scorer: Alex Saulnier (26GP-10G-22A-32Pts)
Notes: With a victory last night, the Moncton Wildcats enter today’s game with a 16-8-0-2 record to give them sole possession of second place in the Maritimes Division. Moncton’s record is good for sixth overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League… the Wildcats are coming off a 5-2 win over the bottom feeding Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last night at the Moncton Coliseum. Daniel Milan, Olivier Daoust, and Alex Saulnier, all scored singles while Daniel Pettersson added a pair. Devon MacAusland had two assists. Goaltender Shane Owen stopped 30 shots for the win as the Huskies surprisingly outshot Moncton 32-28 including 14-6 in the final frame… 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games and have won two straight contests… Moncton has the fifth best power play in the league with a rating of 0.268… owners of the seventh best penalty kill with a rating of 0.808… Alex Saulnier is a point ahead of his twin brother, Allain, for the team point scoring lead with 32. Alex also leads the team in assists with 22… Pettersson leads the team in goals with 16 in 26 games… Shane Owen will likely get the start in goal for Moncton this afternoon. The 20-year old has a 9-6-0-2 record, a 2.85 goals against average, and a 0.915 save percentage… Pettersson and Marek Hrivik are the only Wildcats to score against Saint John in the one meeting between the two teams back on October 8 at Harbour Station. Olivier Daoust had a team high four shots on goal. Netminder Shane Owen allowed six goals on 28 shots before being pulled. The Wildcats were outshot 35-21 in the game… star defenseman Brandon Gormley is fourth in the league in power play goals with six… Moncton has been hit by the injury bug. According to the Times & Transcript yesterday, defenseman Simon Jodoin (concussion) and forwards Jordan Carroll (knee) and Ted Stephens (concussion) are all expected to be out of today’s game… Moncton will also be without Cedric Leblanc and Tyler Howe who have both been suspended for today’s match following their actions in a game against the Gatineau Olympiques last weekend… the Wildcats have recalled Matt Tomah from the junior ‘A’ Woodstock Slammers to help fill some of the holes in the lineup. Tomah had an eventful game last night, dropping the gloves with Gabriel O’Conner, the Huskies’ captain, in the first period.

SEA DOGS - TITAN GAME POSTPONED

Tonight’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League matchup between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan has been postponed due to inclement weather conditions in the northern New Brunswick area.

The game was scheduled to be played this evening at 7:00 pm at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

According to a QMJHL press release, “an announcement will be made in the next few days regarding a new date for the game.”

According to several reports, it’s been snowing steadily all day in the Bathurst region, causing some slick road conditions and all that good stuff.

QMJHL referee Jeff Hopkins, who was on his way to work a maritime junior ‘A’ game in Miramichi, tweeted earlier that “the guys going to Bathurst are supposedly at a standstill on highway.”

The Environment Canada forecast for Bathurst this evening:

Flurries ending near midnight then cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of flurries. Amount 2 cm. Wind becoming northwest 30 km/h gusting to 50 this evening. Low minus 7.

Last season, two Sea Dogs home games were postponed on the same weekend because of a large dumping of white stuff. Before those two games, a Sea Dogs game in PEI was delayed 45 minutes because the Confederation Bridge was closed to high sided vehicles.

In 2008-09, a game in Halifax was postponed because of trying road conditions in the southern New Brunswick area. Then back during the 2007-08 season, the Sea Dogs – Drakkar game in Baie-Comeau was postponed after two periods due to a power outage inside the Henry Leonard Centre.

Luckily for the Sea Dogs, a postponed game in Bathurst won’t cause as much trouble as a postponed game in northern Quebec.

The Sea Dogs play in Moncton tomorrow afternoon and then don’t play again until Friday night when they host the Titan at Harbour Station. This was scheduled to be Saint John’s only weekend on the road this month.

Puck drop tomorrow at the Moncton Coliseum is 4:00 pm.

PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan

By Station Nation Staff

GAME DAY
WHO: Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs
WHEN: Tonight, 7:00 pm
WHERE: KC Irving Regional Centre

VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 18-3-0-2 (1st in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 6-0 win vs Quebec Sunday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (23GP-15G-15A-30Pts) and Michael Kirkpatrick (23GP-8G-22A-30Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter today’s action with a 18-3-0-2 record which is good for first in the Maritimes Division and a tie for first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Sea Dogs are tied with the Quebec Remparts at the top of the league with 38 points but have played two fewer games than Patrick Roy’s club… ranked third in Canada this week in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings… Saint John is coming off a dominating performance against the Remparts on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station. The Sea Dogs won 6-0 on goals from Tomas Jurco, Stanislav Galiev, Pierre Durepos, Jonathan Huberdeau, Mike Thomas, and Stephen MacAulay. Goaltender Jacob DeSerres made 22 saves for his second shutout of the season… the Sea Dogs are also tied with the Remparts for tops in the league with 106 goals. The Dogs are averaging just under five goals per game… Saint John has allowed the fewest goals against in the QMJHL with only 59 scored on them in 23 contests… they are 8-1-0-1 in their last 10 games with their last loss coming in Bathurst against the Titan on October 22…. the Sea Dogs are on their hottest stretch of the season. They have won just two consecutive games but have collected at least a point in their last nine games… 7-3-0-1 on the road this season and have outscored their opposition 45-33 along the way. Their last road game was on October 31 in Rouyn-Noranda where they trounced the Huskies 7-0. Their last road loss was a 5-1 defeat in Bathurst on October 22… Saint John’s power play continues to be middle-of-the-pack despite being one of the two league leaders on offense. They enter action ranked ninth in the league with a rating of 0.206… the Sea Dogs’ penalty kill has slipped to fifth overall in the league with a rating of 0.830… Jonathan Huberdeau and Michael Kirkpatrick are tied for the team lead in points with 30 in 23 games… Huberdeau leads the team in goals with 15, plus/minus with a rating of +26, and penalty minutes with 31… Kirkpatrick leads the club in helpers with 22… if Saint John’s goaltending rotation holds true, Frederic Piche should get the call between the pipes this evening. The former Titan netminder has a goals against average of 2.33, a save percentage of 0.917 to go along with a solid 9-1-0-2 record. “I want to win (in Bathurst) and prove our team is better than they are,” he told the Telegraph-Journal today.

HOME TEAM: Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Record: 16-9-0-0 (2nd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 4-2 win at PEI Wednesday
Leading Scorer: Gabriel Levesque (25GP-9G-26A-35Pts)
Notes: The Acadie-Bathurst Titan come into today’s game with a 16-9-0-0 record which is good for a tie with the Moncton Wildcats for second in the Maritimes Division and in a three way tie for sixth overall in the league… the Titan are coming off a 4-2 over the PEI Rocket Wednesday night in Charlottetown. Jonathan Lessard scored two goals while singles came from Zach O’Brien and Sebastien Trudeau (empty net). Olivier Roy made 31 saves to pick up the win. The Titan jumped out to a 3-0 lead and held on to win… the Titan are 8-4-0-0 at the KC Irving Regional Centre this season yet have been outscored on home ice 40-39… the Titan power play is ranked seventh in the QMJHL with a rating of 0.218… Bathurst’s penalty killing unit is ranked second in the league behind the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The Titan have a kill-off rating of 0.841… Gabriel Levesque leads the Titan in scoring with 35 points in 25 contests. His 26 assists is also a team high… Sebastien Trudeau leads the club in goals with 13… the Titan’s plus/minus stats are nothing to be amazed about. Levesque leads the way with a +9 rating there are many on the team with a minus… star goaltender Olivier Roy will likely get the call in net tonight. He has a record of 9-7-0-0, a goals against average of 2.80, and a save percentage of 0.913… the Titan’s penalty leader is tough guy Christophe Losier. Losier leads the Titan in fights this season with seven. Bathurst has dropped the gloves 23 times this year while Saint John has been involved in just nine… the Titan are expected to be without defenseman Jeremie Blain who injured his foot back in September while blocking a shot.