Sunday, December 9, 2012

GAMEDAY 30 - vs Mooseheads

GAMEDAY
Halifax Mooseheads vs Saint John Sea Dogs
Today at 4:00pm
Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation
Harbour Station – Saint John, NB
PREVIEW
SAINT JOHN – Things don’t get any easier for the Saint John Sea Dogs today.

Less than 24 hours after losing a hard fought game to one of the league’s best, the Quebec Remparts, the Sea Dogs take on the top ranked team in the Canadian Hockey League, the Halifax Mooseheads, this afternoon. Today’s game starts at 4pm, not the usual 3pm.

Saint John enters today’s games on a three-game losing skid. They dropped below the .500 mark with last night’s 4-2 loss to the Remparts. They’ll look to get back to their winning ways this afternoon.

The Sea Dogs are 14-15-0-0 on the season and sit fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 14th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They have 28 points and are only five points back of the 10th place Chicoutimi Sagueneens who have played three more games.

Captain Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Sea Dogs in scoring with 44 points in 29 games. A lot of fans will be paying attention to him today as this could be his final game in a Saint John jersey. World junior camp begins this week and, if the NHL lockout doesn’t end, he’ll more than likely be traded before the January 8 deadline. Hopefully Sea Dogs fans give him a nice send-off this afternoon.

The Mooseheads are the top team the in the QMJHL with a 24-3-1-1 record. They’re coming off a wild 7-6 overtime loss to the Titan in Bathurst last night that saw the Moose make a big time comeback, blow a late lead, and then fall in OT. Zach Fucale did not have his greatest game in net.

Like Quebec, Halifax is loaded with talent. They are led by draft eligibles Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin along with Detroit Red Wings prospect Martin Frk. They’ve scored 147 goals in 29 games, the most in the league.

MacKinnon leads the Moose in scoring with 52 points in 29 contests. The Cole Harbour native leads the squad in both goals with 22 and assists with 30.

THE NUMBERS
HalifaxSaint John
Record24-3-1-1 (1st East)14-15-0-0 (5th Maritimes)
Home Record14-1-0-07-7-0-0
Road Record10-2-1-17-8-0-0
Goals For/Game5.02 (1st)3.11 (13th)
Goals Against/Game2.73 (3rd)3.82 (14th)
Shots For/Game36.15 (1st)28.50 (14th)
Shots Against/Game24.43 (2nd)32.28 (13th)
Overall PP30.1% (2nd)23.6% (7th)
Home PP36.6% (1st)28.2% (6th)
Road PP22.6% (4th)19.5% (6th)
Overall PK79.5% (7th)77.6% (11th)
Home PK83.6% (9th)78.7% (14th)
Road PK74.5% (10th)76.7% (7th)
PIM/GAME15.116.0
Attendance8,2913,709

LEADING SCORERS
Halifax
PlayerGPGoalsAssistsPoints
Nathan MacKinnon29223052
Jonathan Drouin23182947
Martin Frk27132437

Saint John
PlayerGPGoalsAssistsPoints
Jonathan Huberdeau29162844
Ryan Tesink27161733
Kevin Gagne2582129

GOALTENDERS
Halifax
GoaltenderRecordGAASV%
Zach Fucale19-3-0-12.670.891
Chris Clarke5-0-1-02.830.881

Saint John
GoaltenderRecordGAASV%
Sebastien Auger14-11-0-03.020.905
Alex Fournier0-4-0-07.380.791

LAST GAMES
The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss to the Quebec Remparts last night at Harbour Station. Jonathan Huberdeau and Jason Cameron scored for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 33 saves in the loss.


The Mooseheads are coming off a bizarre 7-6 overtime loss to the Titan in Bathurst last night. Halifax was down 5-1 at one point, they took a late 6-5 lead, blew that, and then lost in overtime. Jonathan Drouin had a hat trick while singles came from MacKenzie Weegar, Matthew Boudreau, and Stefan Fournier. Zach Fucale was pulled after allowing five goals on 12 shots. Chris Clarke made 12 stops in relief.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Their last meeting was on October 6 at the Halifax Metro Centre where the Mooseheads destroyed the Sea Dogs 11-2. Jonathan Huberdeau scored both Saint John goals. Nathan MacKinnon and Luca Ciampini each had hat tricks for the Moose while Andrew Ryan, Randy Gazzola, Jonathan Drouin, Matthew Boudreau, and Stefan Fournier added singles. Zach Fucale only had to make 15 saves in the win. Sebastien Auger was pulled after allowing four goals on 12 shots. Alex Fournier allowed seven on 26 shots in relief.

WJC
There will be plenty of world junior talent on display today. Metro Halifax confirmed earlier this week that Team Canada selection camp invitees Nathan MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin will both play. Martin Frk, who will play for the Czech Republic at this year’s tournament, is also expected to play.

And of course, Jonathan Huberdeau, a lock to make Team Canada, will play for Saint John.

NOTES
  • Nathan MacKinnon is tied for the league scoring lead with 52 points.
  • MacKinnon is fourth in the league in assists with 30. Jonathan Drouin has 29 and Jonathan Huberdeau has 28.
  • Stephen MacAulay is third in power play goals with 11.
  • Drouin leads the league in power play assists with 17. Huberdeau is second with 16.
  • MacKinnon is third in dangerous shots with 94. He is second in total shots with 141.
  • Defenseman Jurij Repe is currently away with the Slovenian national junior team.
  • Defenseman Jason Seed is currently playing with the MHL’s Summerside Western Capitals.
  • The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads meet again on December 21 at Harbour Station.

OUT OF TOWN
Val-d'Or at Blainville-Boisbriand - 4:00 PM EST
Cape Breton at Chicoutimi - 4:00 PM EST
Rouyn-Noranda at Gatineau - 4:00 PM EST
P.E.I. at Rimouski - 4:00 PM EST

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs take on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Tuesday night at 7pm at Harbour Station.

No comments:

Post a Comment