GAMEDAY 62: vs Rocket

GAMEDAY

PEI Rocket vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:30pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live Blog: SN

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – It’s a battle of worst versus first tonight at Harbour Station as the PEI Rocket travel to Saint John to take on the Sea Dogs. Game time is 7:30pm.

Tonight’s contest is the second-to-last home game for the Sea Dogs this regular season. The game has been designated “Irish Celebration Night.”

The Sea Dogs enter action tonight as the top team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and are ranked No. 1 nationally in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings. Saint John has a record of 45-14-0-2 for 92 points, three ahead of the Shawinigan Cataractes in the race for first place. Oh yeah, the Dogs have also won 15 straight games.

Saint John is 26-5-0-1 at Harbour Station this year heading into their final homestand. The Sea Dogs have outscored opponents 151-77.

The Rocket enter play this evening with a record of 17-39-2-2 for 38 points. They sit last in the Maritimes Division and last overall in the league. With eight games left on their schedule, they sit seven points back of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles for the final playoff spot. They’re going to need some things to go their way if they want to make the post-season.

PEI has lost eight straight games going into tonight. They are 2-8-0-0 in their last 10.

On the road this year, the Rocket are 6-22-0-1 and have been outscored 150-82. They are tied with the Screaming Eagles for the fewest road wins in the league.

THE NUMBERS

	PEI	Saint John
Record	17-39-2-2 (6th Maritimes)	45-14-0-2 (1st Maritimes)
Home Record	- - -	26-5-0-1
Road Record	6-22-0-1	- - -
Streak	0-8-0-0	15-0-0-0
Last 10	2-8-0-0	10-0-0-0
Goals For	180	263
Goals Against	278	162
Overall PP	20.1% (12th)	22.8% (8th)
Home PP	- - -	23.5% (7th)
Road PP	16.8% (15th)	- - -
Overall PK	71.4% (17th)	80% (6th)
Home PK	- - -	84.4% (3rd)
Road PK	70% (16th)	- - -
PIM/GAME	17.8 (2nd)	16.5 (5th)

LAST GAMES

The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 win over the Moncton Wildcats on Tuesday night at Harbour Station. Charlie Coyle, Jonathan Huberdeau, Maxime Villemaire, Nathan Beaulieu, and Stanislav Galiev all had goals in the win. Beaulieu, Aidan Kelly, and Kevin Gagne each had two assists. Mathieu Corbeil made 18 saves for the victory.

The Rocket are coming off a 7-3 loss in Val-d’Or last Saturday. Josh Currie scored twice while Olivier Croteau had the other Rocket goal. Maxime Lagace allowed three goals on 11 shots before being pulled. Antoine Bibeau allowed four on 25 shots in relief.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Sea Dogs are 6-0-0-1 against the Rocket this year while PEI is 1-6-0-0 against Saint John.

Their last meeting was on February 15 at the Charlottetown Civic Centre when the Sea Dogs destroyed the Rocket by score of 10-1. Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, and Maxime Villemaire each had two goals while singles came from Charlie Coyle, Danick Gauthier, Oliver Cooper, and Stanislav Galiev. Alex Noel had the lone PEI goal. Mathieu Corbeil made 21 saves in the win while Maxime Lagace and Antoine Bibeau combined to allow 10 goals on 34 shots.

LEADING SCORERS

Zack Phillips leads the Sea Dogs in scoring with 76 points (28G, 48A) in 54 games this year. Danick Gauthier has a team high 41 goals while Phillips leads the squad in assists with 48.

The Rocket are led by Ben Duffy who has 75 points (32G, 43A) in 60 games this year. Duffy leads the team in goals with 32 and assists with 43.

PROBABLE GOALTENDERS

Sebastien Auger (12-2-0-2, 2.88 GAA, 0.88 SV%) for Saint John and Maxime Lagace (11-32-2-1, 4.47 GAA, 0.870 SV%) for PEI.

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs are averaging 4,461 fans per game this season at Harbour Station, good for third in the league.
• Danick Gauthier is second in the league in goals with 41. Ben Duffy is 11^th with 32.
• Zack Phillips is sixth in assists with 48.
• Duffy is ninth in power play goals with 12.
• Josh Currie is third in shorthanded goals with four.
• Gauthier is third in game-winning goals with seven.
• Phillips is ninth in first goals with six.
• Ian Saab is second in penalty minutes with 159. Jimmy Oligny is fourth with 141.
• Jonathan Huberdeau is a league best +45.
• Matej Beran is fourth in rookie scoring with 59 points in 60 games.
• Huberdeau has a league high five shorthanded assists.
• The Sea Dogs have won nine straight home games.

OTHER GAMES

Moncton at Quebec - 7:00 PM EST

Val-d'Or at Victoriaville - 7:00 PM EST

Blainville-Boisbriand at Baie-Comeau - 7:30 PM EST

Shawinigan at Chicoutimi - 7:30 PM EST

Drummondville at Gatineau - 7:30 PM EST

Cape Breton at Rimouski - 7:30 PM EST

Halifax at Rouyn-Noranda - 7:30 PM EST

NEXT GAME

The Sea Dogs host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in their final home game of the regular season tomorrow night at 7pm.