Monday, March 5, 2012

Sea Dogs Notebook


We headed over to the Alpine Facebook page the other day to see how this whole Alpine Ed photo contest was going and discovered the above picture. Funny story – we may or may not have seen that duck put his costume on in an elevator. He’s basically Superman.

UP NEXT
This weekend is a big one for the Saint John Sea Dogs. They travel to Quebec for the final time in the regular season to take on two tough teams from the insane Telus West Division.

On Friday, the Sea Dogs are in Chicoutimi to take on Gabriel Bourret and the Sagueneens at 8:30pm. The Sags are 5-5 in their last 10 games and sit fifth in the West Division with a record of 32-21-3-6. Chicoutimi’s 73 points would place them second in the East Division and third in the Maritimes Division.

On Sunday, the Sea Dogs travel to Shawinigan to battle the Cataractes at 5pm. There are an infinite amount of storylines about this game. Buckle up.

Sportsnet has named the Sunday matchup the QMJHL’s Game of the Week.

“Shawinigan defeated Saint John 4-1 on Jan. 12, but the Sea Dogs already made amends with a 2-1 win in Shawinigan on Feb. 4,” writes Patrick King. “Saint John leads the league in points with 96, five more than Shawinigan, with five games remaining.”

HOT TEAM
Surprise, surprise – the Sea Dogs are Sportsnet’s QMJHL “Hot Team” again this week.

“The Sea Dogs remain perfect since mid-January with a winning-streak now spanning a Canadian Hockey League high 17 games,” writes King. “Saint John used home-ice advantage to perfection with three wins over Moncton, P.E.I. and Acadie-Bathurst last week, outscoring the competition by a combined 18-6. The Sea Dogs will finish their season on the road with games in Chicoutimi, Shawinigan, Halifax and two in Cape Breton.”

Also of note, Saint John has won seven straight on the road heading into the final stretch of the season.

TALKING ‘BOUT PRACTISE


COYLE
Jeff Angus of Dobber Hockey had some things to say about Charlie Coyle in his latest column.

“Minnesota signed Charlie Coyle last week,” writes Angus. “I’d expect him to be on the team next year, and he could find his way into the top six quite quickly. Coyle is currently playing with the QMJHL’s Saint John Sea Dogs, alongside another Wild prospect, Zack Phillips. Coyle is already 6’2” and over 200 pounds. He’s a great skater and he plays a direct game, and his shot is one of the best in junior hockey.”

IDEA
Good read over at Buzzing The Net about the possibility of the Montreal Canadiens making a trade to acquire Jonathan Huberdeau from the Florida Panthers in the off-season. It seems to be more of an idea than a rumour that was brought up by RDS’ Stephane Leroux. This could be an interesting story to follow heading into the draft.

PARKER FALLOUT
Coming Down The Pipe has some thoughts on the whole Jack Parker/Charlie Coyle situation.

“I like Jack Parker, have always enjoyed having him on our show, and think he does a great job with Boston University,” writes Dean Millard. “I know he's frustrated right now at players leaving, I would be too. But trashing another league isn't the answer. Why not instead speak out against the rules that are opening the door for college players to walk through to the CHL? Everybody is entitled to their opinion and I respect Jack's but in this situation I feel it's a bit misguided.”

Parker and BU have some bigger issues to worry about than Coyle’s departure.

BEAULIEU
Nathan Beaulieu was named the All Habs Canadiens top prospect for the week.

“Beaulieu would finish his week with a goal and assist in a 5-2 victory over Acadie-Bathurst on Saturday, raising him to 51 points on his season and his first career 50-point season,” writes Robert Rice. “Beaulieu’s 50-point benchmark also raised him to 151 career points in the QMJHL. Since February 3rd, Beaulieu has scored 21 points in 12 games, is ranked 5th overall in league defensive scoring and is 2nd in points per game as a defenceman.”

VIDEO
If you’ve ever wanted to watch Nathan Beaulieu for an entire shift, here’s you chance.



Photo Credits: Alpine Facebook, Twitter

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