PRESIDENT'S CUP PRE-GAME: Game Six at Moncton Wildcats

GAME DAY
2010 Presidents Cup Final
Game Six: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Moncton Wildcats
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Moncton Coliseum

SERIES STATUS
Moncton leads the best-of-seven series 3-2

PRE-GAME PREVIEW
It all comes down to this.

68 regular season games and 20 playoff games are all thrown out the window tonight. For the Saint John Sea Dogs there is only one option – win.

The Moncton Wildcats can clinch the President’s Cup trophy this evening with a win. The Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs rather easily Saturday night at Harbour Station, a night after suffering a heartbreaking overtime loss on home ice.

Saint John has beat Moncton six times this year but has lost seven. All of Moncton’s wins in this series have been by four or more goals while the two Sea Dog wins have been barnburners.

All of Saint John’s wins at the Moncton Coliseum this season have come in overtime or shootout with the latest coming in Game Four. Despite tying the series that night, Saint John never took any momentum out of the win and put in a lackluster effort in Game Five.

Whether the Sea Dogs were emotionally drained over the win the night before or not, Saint John cannot afford to make many, if any mistakes. The only player that has been consistent for the Dogs in the Final has been goaltender Marco Cousineau. The veteran backstop has been here before, and he’ll be looked upon tonight to give his young defence core a boost.

If the Wildcats fail to clinch a trip to the Memorial Cup tonight, a game seven will held tomorrow at Harbour Station. But Moncton will certainly try to avoid a one game showdown.

To put it simply – who wants it more? Does Moncton want the Cup win on home ice more or does Saint John want to have the opportunity to win it? We’ll find out tonight.

GET TO KNOW THE SEA DOGS
Visiting Team: Saint John Sea Dogs

Playoff Record: 14-6
Record at Home: 8-3
Record on Road: 6-3
Power Play: 28.3%
Penalty Kill: 82%
Playoff Leading Scorer: Michael Kirkpatrick (20GP-13G-15A-28Pts)
All-Time Playoff Record: 22-16

Reg. Season Record: 53-12-1-2 (1st Atlantic, 1st QMJHL)
Record vs Moncton: 4-3-0-1
Record at Home: 26-7-0-1 (3rd)
Record on Road: 27-5-1-1 (1st)
Power Play: 24.3%
Penalty Kill: 78.8%

Reg. Season Leading Scorer: Mike Hoffman (56GP-46G-39A-85P)

NHL Draft Picks: Yann Sauve (Vancouver), Marco Cousineau (Anaheim), Simon Despres (Pittsburgh), Steven Anthony (Vancouver), Mike Hoffman (Ottawa), and Nicholas Petersen (Pittsburgh).

GET TO KNOW THE WILDCATS
Home Team: Moncton Wildcats

Playoff Record: 15-5
Record at Home: 7-3
Record on Road: 8-2
Power Play: 25.5%
Penalty Kill: 81.8%
Playoff Leading Scorer: Kelsey Tessier (20GP-12G-15A-27Pts)
All-Time Playoff Record: 74-52

Reg. Season Record: 48-14-2-4 (2nd Atlantic, 3rd QMJHL)
Record vs Saint John: 4-0-1-3
Record at Home: 26-6-0-2 (2nd)
Record on the Road: 22-8-2-2(2nd)
Power Play: 27.0%
Penalty Kill: 83.0%

Reg. Season Leading Scorer: Nicolas Deschamps (64GP-39G-57A-96Pts)

NHL Draft Picks: Nicola Riopel (Philadelphia), Randy Cameron (Detroit), Mark Barberio (Tampa Bay), Nicolas Deschamps (Anaheim), David Savard (Columbus), Gabriel Bourque (Nashville), and Kelsey Tessier (Colorado).

HEAD-TO-HEAD THIS SEASON
Season series tied 4-4

2009/09/27: Moncton Wildcats 3 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 4 SO
2009/10/17: Moncton Wildcats 2 @ Saint John 3 OT
2009/12/13: Saint John Sea Dogs 3 @ Moncton Wildcats 7
2009/12/31: Saint John Sea Dogs 4 @ Moncton Wildcats 3 SO
2010/01/06: Moncton Wildcats 5 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 3
2010/02/06: Saint John Sea Dogs 5 @ Moncton Wildcats 4 SO
2010/03/05: Moncton Wildcats 4 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 3 SO
2010/03/14: Saint John Sea Dogs 2 @ Moncton Wildcats 5

Saint John leading scorer vs Moncton: Tomas Jurco (8GP-5G-4A-9Pts)
Moncton leading scorer vs Saint John: David Savard (7GP-0G-10A-10Pts)

SERIES RESULTS/SCHEDULE
Moncton leads the series 3-2

GAME 1: Friday, April 30 – Moncton Wildcats 5 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 1
GAME 2: Sunday, May 2 – Saint John Sea Dogs 3 @ Moncton Wildcats 9
GAME 3: Tuesday, May 4 – Moncton Wildcats 4 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 6
GAME 4: Friday, May 7 – Saint John Sea Dogs 3 @ Moncton Wildcats 2 (OT)
GAME 5: Saturday, May 8 – Moncton Wildcats 5 @ Saint John Sea Dogs 1

GAME 6: Monday, May 10 - 7pm @ Moncton Coliseum
*GAME 7: Tuesday, May 11 - 7pm @ Harbour Station
*if necessary

CRAZY FACT
The Sea Dogs are 2-0 all-time in game six games. They have never trailed in a series when entering the sixth game.

GET PUMPED
Can't get enough of this song:


SAINT LINEUP NOTES
Gabriel Bourret was injured in the first period of Saturday’s game after being hammered into the boards by Cole MacMillan. Bourret left the game with an apparent shoulder injury and reportedly was seen wearing a sling yesterday.

With Bourret out, Kevin Gagne could be inserted back into the lineup with the Sea Dogs down a defenseman. Gagne, who has not played since Game Five of the first round, was said to be “very close to returning” according to News 88.9. If neither Gagne nor Bourret can play, Tyrone Sock will most likely take their place.

Steven Anthony is still out with his groin injury although Station Nation did spot him carrying a small child Friday at the Coliseum.

WE BE ON TV
QMJHL PRESS RELEASE
The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League announced Saturday that Rogers TV would be broadcasting game #6 of the President Cup Final live from Moncton Coliseum.

BIG START NEEDED
The winner of all five games in this series has scored first.

After scoring the first goal, only twice has the opposing team come back to tie the game.

SOLID IN THE SERIES
A look at the leading producers in the QMJHL Final:

Moncton
Points: Gabriel Bourque – 10
Goals: Bourque - 8
Assists: Mark Barberio and David Savard - 7
PIM: Spencer Metcalf - 8
Plus: Bourque and Daniel Pettersson - +8
Minus: Ted Stephens - -5

Saint John
Points: Mike Hoffman - 5
Goals: Michael Kirkpatrick and Danick Gauthier - 3
Assists: Hoffman and Stephen MacAulay - 3
PIM: Hoffman, Kirkpatrick, and Nathan Beaulieu - 8
Plus: Stephan MacAulay - +4
Minus: Pierre Durepos - -6

THE BEST FOR LAST?
Tonight could be the last Canadian Hockey League game for Saint John’s three 20-year old players: Mike Hoffman, Nicholas Petersen, and Marco Cousineau.

WHO TO WATCH
Moncton – Gabriel Bourque
The Nashville Predators prospect has been on fire in this series, scoring eight goals in five games. The ever dangerous forward could easily have several more than his league leading 19 in the playoffs.

Saint John – Nicholas Petersen
Petersen scored in overtime of Game Six of the QMJHL Finals last year to send the series back to Drummondville for a seventh game. The man is clutch.

THE RINK
Venue: Moncton Coliseum
Capacity: 6,803
Playoff Average Attendance: 5,333
Reg. Season Average Attendance: 4,606

MEDIA RELATIONS
Newspapers: Telegraph-Journal, Times & Transcript, Le Journal de Quebec, and L’Acadie Nouvelle
Television: Rogers TV
Radio: Saint John- News 88.9; Moncton- News 91.9
Video: Telus Webcast
Post-Game Highlights: WildcatsTelevision

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in game updates from tonight’s game.

TODAY
The Ontario Hockey League will announce today that the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors will host the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup.

AFTER THE BUZZER
If the Sea Dogs win, there will be a Game Seven tomorrow night at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station. If the Dogs lose, it is locker cleaning time.