Five Ex-Dogs Played NHL Games Saturday

Nathan Beaulieu’s NHL debut highlighted a big night for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday.

Beaulieu was one of five former Sea Dogs to play NHL games yesterday. Simon Despres and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mike Hoffman and the Ottawa Senators, Jonathan Huberdeau and the Florida Panthers, and Charlie Coyle and the Minnesota Wild were also in action yesterday.

Playing at the Bell Centre on Hockey Night in Canada, Beaulieu had a solid debut with the Montreal Canadiens. The defenseman, wearing No. 40, had one shot, one hit, and an even rating in 17:17 of ice time, helping the Habs defeat the New York Rangers 3-0.

Via Hockey Inside/Out, here’s Beaulieu speaking to the media after the game.

Elsewhere, Huberdeau had two assists in the Panthers’ 3-2 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils. He also had two shots and a hit in 18:09 of ice time.

Huberdeau’s two points now place him first in the NHL’s rookie scoring race with 13 goals and 12 assists for 25 points in 36 games. He’s one-point ahead of Tampa Bay’s Cory Conacher.

The Globe and Mail had an article on the former Sea Dogs captain yesterday.

Coyle scored his fourth goal of the season last night, helping the Wild defeat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in a shootout. Sir Charles now has four goals and three assists in 23 NHL games.

Despres had one shot, helping the Pens win their 15^th straight with a 2-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Hoffman had four hits and created a few good scoring chances as the Sens fell 4-0 to the Toronto Maple Leafs.