GAMEDAY 65: at Shawinigan

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Shawinigan Cataractes

Today at 5pm

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

Bionest Centre – Shawinigan, Que.

PREVIEW

SHAWINIGAN, Que. – It’s been quite a battle for the first overall position in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League this season.

After months of shifts atop the standings, the Saint John Sea Dogs can clinch the No. 1 overall spot today with a win over the Shawinigan Cataractes. The Memorial Cup champs face the Memorial Cup hosts for the final time in the regular season today at 5pm at the Bionest Centre.

If the Sea Dogs are able to clinch first place today, they will also clinch a spot in the QMJHL history books. No team has ever won three consecutive QMJHL regular season titles. That could change tonight.

Even if Saint John isn’t able to pick up a victory today, they are still in good position to finish in first. They have a record of 47-14-0-3 for 97 points with four games remaining. Shawinigan has a record of 43-15-3-4 for 93 points with three games remaining. The most points the Cataractes can earn is 99.

But let’s be honest. After all that has gone down between Saint John and Shawinigan over the past year, how sweet would it be to see the Sea Dogs clinch the Jean Rougeau Trophy at the Bionest Centre?

The Sea Dogs enter tonight’s game having gone 18 straight matches without a regulation loss. Their 17-game winning streak came to an end on Friday night in Chicoutimi.

Saint John is 19-9-0-2 on the road this season and have outscored opponents 115-89.

Shawinigan sits second overall in the league and are first in the Telus East Division. They have a two-point lead on the Quebec Remparts in the race for first place in the tough east division. The Cataractes haven’t been playing their greatest hockey of late, going 6-3-1-0 over their last 10 games.

The Cataractes are 21-8-1-3 at home this season and have outscored opponents 135-88.

THE NUMBERS

	Saint John	Shawinigan
Record	47-14-0-3 (1st Maritimes)	43-15-3-4 (1st East)
Home Record	- - -	21-8-1-3
Road Record	19-9-0-2	- - -
Streak	17-0-0-1	0-1-0-0
Last 10	9-0-0-1	6-3-1-0
Goals For	279	261
Goals Against	169	169
Overall PP	22.8% (8th)	20.7% (10th)
Home PP	- - -	22.4% (9th)
Road PP	22.2% (5th)	- - -
Overall PK	80.1% (5th)	83.2% (2nd)
Home PK	- - -	79.9% (8th)
Road PK	75.9% (11th)	- - -
PIM/GAME	16.4 (7th)	16.6 (4th)

LAST GAMES

The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout loss in Chicoutimi on Friday. Danick Gauthier scored twice while Zack Phillips added the other regulation marker. Jonathan Huberdeau scored Saint John’s lone shootout goal. Mathieu Corbeil made 25 saves in the loss.

The Cataractes are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Friday night in a game that was broadcasted nationally. Pierre-Olivier Morin, Morgan Ellis, and Maxim Le Sieur each scored in the losing cause. Gabriel Girard allowed five goals on 17 shots while Alex Dubeau stopped all four shots he faced in relief.

HEAD-TO-HEAD

The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 against the Cataractes this year while Shawinigan is 1-1-1-0 against Saint John.

Their last meeting was back on February 4 in Shawinigan when Jonathan Huberdeau scored with 30 seconds remaining to give Saint John a 2-1 win. Charles Roussel had the other Sea Dogs goal while Maxim Le Sieur scored for the Cataractes. Mathieu Corbeil made 37 saves in the win and Gabriel Girard made 23 stops in the loss.

Also in that game, Sea Dogs forward Jason Cameron was suspended four games for this hit on Kirill Kabanov.

And Cataractes defenseman Jonathan Racine got four games plus an automatic one-game for this hit on Jonathan Huberdeau.

The last meeting was very physical with lots of scrums after whistles. Today’s game should be interesting.

LEADING SCORERS

Danick Gauthier leads Saint John in scoring with 80 points (44G, 36A) in 62 games this year. Gauthier has a team high 44 goals while Zack Phillips leads the team in assists with 48.

Shawinigan is led by Anton Zlobin who has 69 points (37G, 32A) in 63 games this season. Zlobin has a team high 37 goals while Michael Chaput leads the team in assists with 39.

PROBABLE GOALTENDERS

Mathieu Corbeil (35-9-0-1, 2.30 GAA, 0.913 SV%) for Saint John and Gabriel Girard (19-7-1-2, 2.49 GAA, 0.910 SV%) for Shawinigan.

CLOSING IN

Danick Gauthier enters today’s game with 44 goals. He is just two goals away from tying Mike Hoffman’s single season franchise record of 46 set in 2009-10.

NOTES

• Shawinigan is averaging 3,519 fans per game this season.
• Tomas Jurco is currently not with the team because of educational commitments.
• Danick Gauthier is second in the league in goals with 44. Anton Zlobin is seventh with 37.
• Zack Phillips is 10^th in assists with 48.
• Morgan Ellis is ninth in power play goals with 13.
• Maxim Le Sieur and Loik Poudrier are second and sixth, respectively, in shorthanded goals with four.
• Gauthier is fourth in game winning goals with seven.
• Ian Saab is third in penalty minutes with 159.
• Huberdeau and Charles Roussel are both a league best +49.
• Huberdeau has a league best five shorthanded assists.
• Gauthier is second in dangerous shots with 153.
• Shawinigan is averaging a league high 34.21 shots per game.
• Saint John is averaging a league low 26.32 shots against per game.
• The Sea Dogs are 10-5-0-1 against the Telus East Division.
• The Cataractes are 10-3-1-1 against the Maritimes Division.

OTHER GAMES

Quebec at Gatineau - 4:00 PM EDT

Rouyn-Noranda at Val-d'Or - 4:00 PM EDT

Chicoutimi at Victoriaville - 4:00 PM EDT

NEXT GAME

The Sea Dogs travel to Halifax on Wednesday to take on the Mooseheads at 7pm.