CHAMPIONS

SN RECAP
FINAL (2OT): Sea Dogs 3, Olympiques 2

GATINEAU, Que. – Alexandre Beauregard, a mid-season acquisition that was expected to provide some toughness in the Saint John Sea Dogs lineup, will forever be known as the player who scored “the goal.”

At 15:45 of the second overtime, Beauregard sniped the puck past Gatineau Olympiques netminder Maxime Clermont and gave the Sea Dogs a 3-2 victory, a series win, and the franchise’s first ever President’s Cup Championship.

They failed to clinch the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League title in their first attempt on Friday on home ice. In Game Six, it looked like the Sea Dogs would be returning to Harbour Station to try and win the trophy. But a heroic goal by playoff MVP Jonathan Huberdeau with 23 seconds remaining in regulation tied the match up at 2-2 and led to Beauregard’s game winner to make it a 3-2 final.

Stanislav Galiev scored the other Sea Dogs goal. Goaltender Jacob DeSerres was solid in net, making 34 stops for the win.

Philip-Michael Devos and Adam Janosik scored for Gatineau. Maxime Clermont was incredible – as he was the entire series – and made 52 stops in the loss. He looked devasted after allowing Beauregard’s goal.

It was the perfect ending to an epic series. It was a hard fought six games that saw all but one game be decided by one-goal. Game Six was the second time this series that a match went to double-overtime.

There were plenty of momentum shifts and thrilling action. But in the end, the best team came out on top.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are the 2011 President’s Cup Champions. The MasterCard Memorial Cup tournament awaits.

FIRST PERIOD
Early in the first, Michael Kirkpatrick centered the puck to Jonathan Huberdeau in front but Gatineau goaltender Maxime Clermont got a pad on it. Some back-and-forth action took place after that chance and not a whole lot happened for a few minutes.

At 4:12, Huberdeau picked the puck off Adam Janosik behind the Gatineau goal. He sent it out in front for Stanislav Galiev who sent the puck off the post and in to give the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead. The goal went under review to make sure it crossed the line but the call would stand.

Soon after the goal, a point shot went through some traffic but was stopped by Clermont and he held onto the rebound. Then Gatineau had a great chance at the other end as Cody Linteau tried to tap it into the open side but Saint John ‘tender Jacob DeSerres made a huge pad stop to deny him of a goal.

Danick Gauthier had a decent chance a few moments later but ripped it high and wide from the slot area.

At 11:12, Gatineau tied the match up at 1-1. Hubert Labrie fired the initial shot that DeSerres couldn’t handle. The puck came loose in behind him and allowed Philip-Michael Devos to slid it in and give the Olympiques some life.

Then Saint John started to turn it on. The puck was in the crease area for Ryan Tesink but Clermont gobbled it up quickly. Kirkpatrick then had an opportunity after the puck was turned over at the dot but his shot sailed wide.

Later on in the period, Tesink centered the disc for a streaking Gauthier. He made a move to his backhand but Clermont made the unreal glove stop to keep the match tied. Late in the frame, the puck went to the Gatineau goal line but somehow stayed out.

With one second remaining in the period, Mathieu Gagnon was called for cross checking. Then after the horn blew, a big scrum behind the goal would result in penalties to Mike Thomas, Alexandre Beauregard, and Labrie.

Shots in the first period were 19-7 Saint John.

SECOND PERIOD
Devon Oliver-Dares, playing his first ever QMJHL playoff game, dropped the gloves with Mathieu Talbot at 3:20 in a quick scrap. We’ll give Talbot the win.

Soon after the fight, Jean-Gabriel Pageau threw the puck through the crease from the side of the cage but sailed out the other side. Saint John then had an opportunity as Galiev sent a shot from the boards that was stopped.

Saint John went to a four-on-three power play after some roughing calls and a high sticking infraction at 4:47. After the Sea Dogs called a time-out, Nathan Beaulieu fired a point shot from the umbrella that was stopped by Clermont. Then Galiev sent a backhand shot on net down low but was denied.

When the man advantage was nearing a close, Pageau had a shorthanded break but DeSerres stood tall and made the stop.

A few minutes after the power play ended, Tye McGinn tried a wraparound but was stopped.

Beauregard was called for high sticking at 12:47, but fortunately for Saint John, the ‘Piques couldn’t get much going.

Eric Gelinas fired a point shot that was stopped by Clermont. Then a few moments later, Pageau centered for Tommy Tremblay but tipped it wide. After that, the Dogs came back the other way but Simon Despres was robbed by the glove of Clermont.

DeSerres made another great stop in the dying minutes as Janosik was robbed at the side. Gatineau had some terrific pressure late in the frame but couldn’t pull ahead.

Shots in the middle stanza were 12-8 Olympiques.

THIRD PERIOD
Labrie had a chance down low early in the frame but was stopped by the pad of DeSerres. Then, Huberdeau tried to make a move around Nicolas Deslauriers but had the puck poked away. Finally, captain Mike Thomas laid a big hit on Jacob Conrad.

Gatineau would then have a couple of chances. Felix Bergeron was in the slot but fired wide. Soon after, Philippe Halley let a big point shot go that was padded away.

The ‘Piques pulled ahead at 14:38. Saint John’s defense parted away as Janosik crossed the line and centered himself. He snipe a shot past the shoulder of DeSerres to give the home side a 2-1 lead.

McGinn had a great chance for the Olympiques after the goal as he looked to be going in on a breakaway. But DeSerres came way out to the blue line to slide the puck out of danger.

With the Saint John net empty and the Dogs gaining a lot of pressure, Galiev centered the disc through a pile of traffic and found Huberdeau at the other side. He had an open cage to score the biggest goal of his life and tie the match up.

Shots in the third period were 10-6 in favour of the Sea Dogs.

FIRST OVERTIME
Jacob DeSerres came up huge on several occasions in the first overtime. After some back-and-forth action, Huberdeau let a sharp angle shot go but couldn’t get it on net. Then Gatineau had a scary opportunity as the puck hit off the top of the net and stayed out.

Then at 14:54, Labrie took down Thomas to give the Sea Dogs a huge power play opportunity. But Gatineau came through with a huge kill and kept it tied at 2-2.

Shots in the first extra session of play were 12-9 Saint John.

SECOND OVERTIME
The Clermont show continued into the second frame of OT. Jurco was robbed, then a wraparound chance was stopped, then Pierre Durepos was denied.

Later in the frame, the puck was flipped out of play by Deslauriers and gave the Dogs another power play. But, for some unknown reason, the officials pulled a joke move and uncalled the penalty and play would go back to even strength.

But none of that would prove to matter. At 15:45, Beauregard picked up the loose puck in the Olympiques zone and wristed the disc past Clermont to clinch the Sea Dogs the President’s Cup.

Shots in the second OT were 6-2 Sea Dogs.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs play the Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors in the first game of the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup on Friday at 8:00 pm.

Photo Credit: Gregory Pang Twitter