Sea Dogs Notebook

CANADA-RUSSIA

The 2012 Canada-Russia Challenge is coming up and members of Team Canada will head to Toronto on Thursday to prepare for the event. The team will practice on Friday at the MasterCard Centre.

Saint John Sea Dogs captain Jonathan Huberdeau will be playing for Team Canada. Other QMJHL players include Charles Hudon, Xavier Ouellet, Phillip Danault, and Maxime Lagace.

The Canada-Russia Challenge will replace Team Canada’s usual summer evaluation camp. There will be four games with the first two in Russia on Aug. 9 and 10 and the final two in Halifax on Aug. 13 and 14. Tickets are still available for the Halifax games.

According to Hockey Canada’s release today, all four games will carried by TSN and RDS.

HUBERDEAU

The Florida Panthers website had an article on Huberdeau last week. He had some kind words for the Sea Dogs organization, a team he could end up returning to if the NHL goes dark this fall.

“It was a great organization; they have great coaching so it was great to be there,” recalled Huberdeau. “They knew what you had to do to prepare for the NHL, which was great. All my teammates, we had a lot of fun together, it was just great to be there.”

The Hockey Writers also had a piece on Huberdeau in an article about Panther prospects.

“His hands are incredible, allowing him to maneuver the puck between defenders with ease but it’s his vision and creativity that makes him such an offensive wizard,” writes Adam Stafki. “Too put it simply, he is a playmaker in its purest form.”

And in other Panther news, they were ranked first in ESPN's organizational rankings again.

HOFFMAN

The Ottawa Senators website had an article on former Sea Dogs forward Mike Hoffman. He made his NHL debut with the Sens back in December and, obviously, is looking for a roster spot this year.

"I think I'm right there," Hoffman told the website when asked how close he is to achieving his National Hockey League dream.

Boost For The Blueline

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs’ blueline is getting a boost.

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League club announced today that they have acquired Charles-Olivier Roussel from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in exchange for a 2012 fifth-round pick and 2013 first-round selection.

Roussel, a 20-year old defenseman, will join forward Danick Gauthier and goaltender Mathieu Corbeil as the team’s trio if overagers.

“Charles-Olivier is a quality veteran in this league and we believe he will fit in well with what is already a strong blueline,” said Sea Dogs director of hockey operations Mike Kelly in a team release.

Roussel, a six-foot-one, 202-pound Nashville Predators prospect who was selected in the second round of the 2009 National Hockey League Entry Draft, recorded five goals and 25 assists in 59 games with the Montreal Junior/Armada franchise last season. He added a goal and three helpers in 10 post-season games before the Junior were upset in the second-round by the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Hockey’s Future calls Roussel’s 2010-11 campaign “disastrous.”

Prior to joining the Junior, he spent four seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes. In 2009-10 he set career highs in goals with 15, assists with 36 and points with 51. The Cataractes selected him third overall in the 2007 QMJHL Entry Draft, the same year the Sea Dogs took Simon Despres with the top pick.

“Roussel's multi-faceted game attracts attention because he has the ability to fill whatever role is asked of him,” writes Hockey’s Future. “Whether it is quarterbacking a power play and threading a pass, or shutting down the opposition's top offensive weapons or even physically intimidating the opposing team, Roussel has the ability to accomplish the task without much difficulty.”

The Sea Dogs play two games this weekend at Harbour Station and according to the Sea Dogs website he “could be in the lineup.”

This is a big acquisition by the Sea Dogs. There is no question Saint John’s defense needed to be improved at some point with the departures of Despres and Eric Gelinas.

It’s been a good couple of days for Saint John who received news yesterday that Jonathan Huberdeau would be returning to junior. 

JUNIORS MOVING TO BOISBRIAND

The Montreal Juniors are on the move.

Rumors began to circulate last week that the Juniors would be sold to a group led by former National Hockey Leaguer Joel Bouchard who would then relocate the team to Boisbriand, Quebec. Today, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League made the transaction official.

"League members voted in favour this morning of the sale of the Montreal Juniors franchise to a group led by Joël Bouchard," said QMJHL Commissioner Gilles Courteau in a release. "Moreover, the members voted in favour of relocating the franchise to Boisbriand where the team will play its games at the Centre d’Excellence Sports Rousseau starting next season with renovations forthcoming to the facility to meet Quebec Major Junior Hockey League guidelines. I am very happy to welcome Joël Bouchard and his group to the QMJHL. It is always a pleasure to see our former players come back to the QMJHL family and get involved, especially as club owners."

Marc Brassard of the Gatineau newspaper Le Droit is reporting that along with Bouchard, the ownership group includes Danny Briere, Ian Lapperriere, and Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

Drafted by the Calgary Flames in the sixth round of the 1992 NHL Entry Draft, Bouchard spent parts of four seasons with the Saint John Flames. He was an assistant coach with the Juniors last season and is also an analyst with RDS.

The Juniors entered the league as the St. John’s Fog Devils in 2005. After three years in Newfoundland, the team was sold to Farrel Miller who moved the team to Verdun, Quebec. After three seasons in the Montreal suburb they will now move north of Montreal to Boisbriand.

According to RDS, the team name and colours will change.

It’s been a wild few weeks in the league since the season ended with the Saint John Sea Dogs hoisting the Memorial Cup. Since all the good press the QMJHL got with that Cup win, one team has completely folded, another is relocating, and the No. 1 selection in the Entry Draft may not even report. There is never a dull moment in Quebec league land.

Photo Credit: Willy Palov Twitter

POSTSCRIPT: Juniors 2, Sea Dogs 5

By Station Nation Staff

SEA DOGS – JUNIORS GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Montreal 2, Saint John 5
Saint John Goals: Jonathan Huberdeau (7,8), Stephen MacAulay (2), Zach Phillips (6), and Tomas Jurco (9)
Montreal Goals: Louis Leblanc (4) and Francis Meilleur (3)
Winning Goaltender: SNB – Frederic Piche
Losing Goaltender: MTL – Jean-Francois Berube
New 88.9 Top Dog: Steven Anthony

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Juniors: 1/4, Sea Dogs: 2/4
Shots on Goal: Juniors: 10+13+13=36, Sea Dogs: 8+10+10=26
Length: N/A
Attendance: 3,112

DOGS GET BACK AT JUNIORS
The Montreal Juniors ended the Saint John Sea Dogs’ winning streak to start the season last month in Verdun, defeating the Dogs 4-1 and dominating them along the way. But Saint John got some revenge, beating the Juniors 5-2 at Harbour Station on Sunday in the final meeting between the two teams in the regular season.

The Juniors opened the scoring early in the first after a point shot produced a juicy rebound for Louis Leblanc at the side of the goal. Leblanc would calm the puck down and fire it past Frederic Piche to make it 1-0 in the power play.

But Saint John would respond with Jonathan Huberdeau beating Jean-Francois Berube with a fluky goal to tie it at 1-1. The Dogs would take the lead in the late stages of the first when Stephen MacAulay beat Berube with a wraparound goal to make it 2-1 after one.

"The first period of this game was a bit suspect, but we played (well) for five out of six periods this weekend,'' Steven Anthony said to the Telegraph-Journal, also referencing Friday's 6-2 win over Moncton. "We have a lot of speed and skill, but there are good defencemen in this league and we can't try to beat guys 1-on-1 all the time.”

DOGS BITE JUNIORS BACK

SN RECAP
FINAL: Juniors 2, Sea Dogs 5

SAINT JOHN – Caught in the excitement of the Saint John Sea Dogs new goaltending acquisition was a well played game against one the best in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Sea Dogs downed the visiting Juniors 5-2 at Harbour Station on Sunday afternoon, erasing memories of their subpar game in Montreal a few weeks ago. It was the final meeting of the season between the two contenders.

Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice while Stephen MacAulay, Zach Phillips, and Tomas Jurco added singles. Montreal goals came courtesy of Montreal Canadiens prospect Louis Leblanc and Francis Meilleur.

Goaltender Frederic Piche, who played over half of the game without a backup sitting on the bench, played extremely well and made a few sensational saves to keep momentum going in Saint John’s favour. The 19-year old made 34 saves in the win.

Los Angeles Kings prospect Jean-Francois Berube was no match for Saint John’s offense in the Juniors’ net, allowing five goals on 18 shots. Backup Etienne Marcoux made 10 saves after he relieved Berube to start the third period.

FIRST PERIOD
Saint John had a quality scoring opportunity early on when a three-on-one for the Dogs was broken up by a Montreal defenseman.

At 4:51, Simon Despres headed to the box for tripping. On the power play, Piche stopped a point shot but could not stop the rebound as Leblanc batted in a bouncing puck to make it 1-0 Montreal at 5:07.

The Juniors kept their momentum going following the goal, forcing Piche to make a few quick saves with his legs. Their best chance came with a cross ice pass hit something and edged Piche’s toe to stay out.

Philippe Lefebvre headed to the box at 8:12 for tripping Ryan Tesink. On the man advantage, Kevin Gagne fired a wrist shot high and over the goal before Berube robbed Jurco down low with a diving glove save.

With the power play expired, Saint John tied the affair at 14:35. Jonathan Huberdeau had the puck at the rim of the faceoff circle and tried to pass the puck down low but missed Stanislav Galiev. The puck went by everything and through the five-hole of Berube to make it 1-1.

On the next shift, Leblanc hit the crossbar with the puck sitting in the crease before it was cleared.

The Sea Dogs took the lead at 18:42 after a point shot went wide of the net. MacAulay found the puck behind the cage and performed a wraparound move that beat the Montreal net minder up against the post to make it 2-1.

Shots in the first were 10-8 Montreal.

SECOND PERIOD
After Saint John killed off a Jonathan Huberdeau penalty, the Dogs started to hit the accelerator button. Galiev started it off with a hard wrister that was gloved by Berube followed by Danick Gauthier lowering the boom on Michael Clarke along the boards. Then a bizarre point shot bounced just over the crossbar on an innocent looking shot.

Despite Saint John’s pressure, Montreal tied the game at 9:10. Meilleur fired a point shot through a ton traffic that beat a blind Piche to even the match once again.

But the Juniors gave the Sea Dogs another power play chance at 11:27. On that man advantage, Galiev hit the post with the rebound going directly to Michael Kirkpatrick. The Sea Dogs alternate captain had a yawning cage but was denied by an unbelievable diving stop by Berube.

But the Sea Dogs would connect at 12:57 as Steven Anthony fed Phillips from behind the net to give Saint John a 3-2 lead.

The Juniors got into more penalty trouble at 15:46 when they were caught for too many men. The Dogs would once again capitalize when Jurco accepted a cross ice feed but ripped the puck off the post. He gathered his own rebound and made no mistake this time, beating Berube to make it 4-2.

Saint John would go up by three at 19:35 as Huberdeau skated across the line on a partial break and simply fired the disc through the pads of Berube from long range to make it 5-2.

Shots in the middle stanza were 13-10 Montreal.

THIRD PERIOD
Jeremy Gouchie had a partial break early in the frame but was denied by the pad of Piche.

Marcoux replaced Berube in the Montreal net to start the third and was tested early. Anthony skated between two Juniors defenders and got a decent shot off but was hooked up by Gouchie on the play. But the Sea Dogs couldn’t produce on the power play and struggled to get anything going.

With Anthony already in the box for hooking, Despres headed off as well giving Montreal a 36 second two man advantage. But Saint John would put together a solid penalty kill with no serious attacks threatening them.

Tesink and Alex Micallef dropped the gloves at 12:19 in a short but angry tilt. We’ll call it a draw.

Phillips had a great chance to score as the period came to an end on a deke in close but was stopped by huge glove save by Marcoux.

Shots in the third were 13-10 Juniors.

Saint John went 2/4 on the power play while Montreal was 1/4.

NEXT GAME: Tuesday night at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station vs the Rimouski Oceanic.

LIVE BLOG: Juniors vs Sea Dogs

PRE-GAME: Montreal Juniors vs Saint John Sea Dogs

GAME DAY

WHO: Montreal Juniors vs Saint John Sea Dogs
WHEN: Today, 4:00 pm
WHERE: Harbour Station

VISITING TEAM: Montreal Juniors
Record: 6-1-2-1
Last Game: 3-2 shootout loss at Moncton last night
Leading Scorer: Xavier Ouellet (10GP-2G-12A-14Pts)
Notes: For the Montreal Juniors, it will be their third game in three days. The Juniors defeated the Halifax Mooseheads 5-3 on Friday night before falling to the Moncton Wildcats 3-2 in a shootout last night… the Juniors are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Moncton. David Rose scored in the second period before the Wildcats took a 2-1 lead. But with one minute to go in the third, Philippe Lefebvre tied the game. Moncton would win the shootout 3-2 in eight rounds... last night’s shootout loss was Montreal’s first loss in the shootout competition… Los Angeles Kings prospect Jean-Francois Berube faced 27 shots in last evenings match. Backup Etienne Marcoux played Friday night in Halifax so Berube should get the start in goal today… in Montreal’s 4-1 win over Saint John on September 24 at the Verdun Auditorium, Rose, Tevor Parkes, and Philippe Fontaine scored for the Juniors. Xavier Ouellet and Charles Landry were a team high +4 in the game… were ranked 10th in Canada in this week’s BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Ranknings… were predicted by The Hockey News to finish second overall in the QMJHL this season behind Saint John… Ouellet leads the Juniors in assists with 12 and points with 14… Lefebvre leads Montreal in goals with seven.

HOME TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 6-2-0-1
Last Game: 6-2 win vs Moncton on Friday
Leading Scorer: Tomas Jurco (9GP-8G-4A-12Pts) and Jonathan Huberdeau (9GP-6G-6A-12Pts)
Notes: Saint John is coming off a solid 6-2 victory over the Moncton Wildcats on Friday night at Harbour Station. Tomas Jurco scored a pair of goals while singles came courtesy of Stanislav Galiev, Simon Despres, Steven Anthony, and Nathan Beaulieu. It was one of the Sea Dogs’ best played games of the season… the Sea Dogs are 4-0-0-0 at Harbour Station this season. They have outscored their opponents 24-10 in those four games and averaging six goals per home game. Only the Dogs and Quebec Remparts are undefeated at home this year… the Juniors beat the Sea Dogs 4-1 last month at the Verdun Auditorium, ending the Sea Dogs’ four game winning streak to start the season. Steven Anthony scored the lone Sea Dogs goal while Karel St. Laurent made 32 saves in the loss. In that game, Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Provost dropped the gloves… the Sea Dogs are the final team in the league to play their 10th match of the season… the Sea Dogs enter today’s game having served the fewest amount of penalty minutes with 120… Saint John has a power play percentage of 0.195. As of last night, the number was good for tenth in the league… one of the struggles for Saint John last season seems to have erased itself in the early part of this campaign. After struggling with their penalty kill for a portion of the 2009-10 season, the Sea Dogs have a 0.861 penalty killing percentage which was good for third overall in the 18 team circuit as of last night. They went 1/5 on the man advantage on Friday vs Moncton… Tomas Jurco has a team leading eight goals to go along with his team high (tied) 12 points… Michael Kirkpatrick continues to lead Saint John in assists with nine… Ryan Tesink is still a team high +11… Frederic Piche is likely to start in net for the Sea Dogs. He has a record of 2-1-0-1, a goals against average of 2.45, and a save percentage of 0.912… Saint John is 0-1-0-1 against teams from Telus West Division this season.

SEE LOUIS SKATE
Tonight will be the only time for Sea Dogs fans get to check out Montreal Canadiens top prospect Louis Leblanc at Harbour Station. Drafted in the first round by the Habs in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Leblanc opted to join the Juniors instead of going to Harvard University.

He is listed by Hockey’s Future as the fourth best prospect in the Habs system.

He will likely play in the Subway Super Series at Harbour Station in November.

FOOD DRIVE
Fans are invited to bring a non-perishable food item with them to this game as part of the Cordon Bleu 'Hungry for Major Junior Hockey' promotion. Cordon Bleu will be hosting food drives in every QMJHL rink over the next few weeks. All donations will be given to Maritime or Quebec based food banks.

According to the programs website, some kind of prizes will be given out as well as an autographed jersey.

On a side note, the Juniors will be the opposing team five times for this food drive initiative.

BERUBE INTERVIEW



THINGS TO KNOW

• Special 4-for-44 family ticket packages are available for this contest.
• This is the final head-to-head matchup of the season between Saint John and Montreal.
• Although Louis Leblanc has all the attention, Xavier Ouellet is a top prospect for the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He appeared on the cover of the QMJHL Media Guide with Sea Dogs forward Jonathan Huberdeau.

ARENA INFO
Venue: Harbour Station
Seating Capacity: 6,297
Year Built: 1993
QMJHL Arena Guide

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Live Blog: Station Nation
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Telegraph-Journal, Montreal Gazette, 24 Heurs

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in-game updates, scores, stats, and live coverage during tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
Saint John hosts the Rimouski Oceanic on ‘Toonie Tuesday’ at Harbour Station this Tuesday at 7:00 pm.

SEA DOGS FALL FOR FIRST TIME THIS SEASON

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 1, Junior 4

VERDUN, Que – An unfortunate bounce and two breakaway goals led to the demise of the Saint John Sea Dogs’ hopes of staying perfect in their 2010-11 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League campaign.

The Montreal Junior defeated the Sea Dogs 4-1 on Friday night at the Verdun Auditorium. Saint John falls to 4-1-0-0 on the season, ending their four game winning streak to open the season.

Steven Anthony scored the lone Saint John goal in the final minute of the first period. Goaltender Karel St. Laurent had a strong night, allowing four goals on 36 shots. Two of the goals came via breakaway while one other came after a strange bounce off the backboards.

Scoring for Montreal was David Rose, Trevor Parkes, Jean-Christophe Laflamme, and Philippe Fontaine.

Goaltender Etienne Marcoux stopped 24 of 25 shots in the home team’s crease.

Also, the Sea Dogs dropped to 0-4 all-time at the Verdun Auditorium.

FIRST PERIOD
Following some back-and-forth play, Xavier Ouellet chipped the puck off the glass in the Saint John zone and caught the Sea Dogs’ defense off guard. David Rose found the puck just inside the blue line and skated in alone, beating St. Laurent upstairs to make it 1-0 Junior at 4:47.

Montreal would keep the pressure going, but St. Laurent made some big pad saves to keep the deficit at just one goal.

Following a scrum above the crease, Aidan Kelly and Nicholas Chouinard headed off to serve roughing penalties. Then Trevor Parkes tripped Jason Cameron, giving the Dogs a four-on-three power play at 7:05.

Jonathan Huberdeau had a chance at the side of the net but the puck squirted away. It would be the only solid Saint John scoring chance.

Montreal almost had a great opportunity to double their lead but St. Laurent and the Saint John defense managed to recover in front from a lurking Philippe Fountaine.

Rose headed off to box for tripping at 12:24. But while shorthanded, a Saint John pass was intercepted by Parkes. The Detroit Red Wings prospect went in on a breakaway and beat St. Laurent with a backhand shot to make it a 2-0 lead for the home side at 13:30.

Huberdeau and Matt Provost engaged in a spirited fight behind the Saint John net at 13:46. Provost would pick up an extra instigator and misconduct on the play.

Francis Meilleur was sent to the box at 19:02 after leveling Cameron from behind. Steven Anthony, fresh off Vancouver Canucks training camp, sent a shot through the crease but stayed out during the man advantage.

At 19:46, Tomas Jurco hit the post but the puck came out to Anthony in front. The Halifax native riffled the puck top shelf by Etienne Marcoux to make it 2-1 heading into intermission.

Shots in the first were 12-9 Junior.

SECOND PERIOD
In the second, Saint John had a good scoring chance when Stanislav Galiev fed Jurco on a two-on-one. But Marcoux stood tall in his crease and stopped the flying rubber with his glove.

Rose had another great chance in front moments later. He one timed a pass that he received from behind the net but St. Laurent stopped him with the pad. Then, Montreal had another good chance in close but Nathan Beaulieu was able to push the pressure away.

The Junior made it a 3-1 game after a bad bounce behind the goal. St. Laurent stepped to the side of his crease and tried to bank the puck around the end boards. But the disc hit a bump and slipped out in front where Jean-Christophe Laflamme scored into the empty cage at 7:19.

Aidan Kelly headed off at 11:15 for slashing but the Sea Dogs produced an excellent penalty kill to end the threat.

After yet another unfortunate bounce, the puck found its way into the Saint John crease where a mad scramble ensued. St. Laurent had the puck underneath him at the goal line and, after a short review, it was declared no goal.

Saint John had a solid scoring opportunity to end the frame. A pass from the point hit Zach Phillips’ tape down low but the forward couldn’t handle the pass. By the time the Fredericton native could fire the puck, Marcoux was prepared to make the stop in the Junior crease.

Shots in the middle stanza were 10-6 Montreal.

THIRD PERIOD
In the third, Fontaine finished off a cross crease pass from Denis Kindl at 2:26 to give Montreal a commanding 4-1 lead.

While the goal was still being announced, Anthony ripped a wrist shot that beat Marcoux up high. But, unfortunately for the Sea Dogs, the officials' whistle signaled an offside that could not be heard over the announcement.

The Sea Dogs slowly started to gain some pressure in the middle parts of the third. Galiev made a nice move to get in close but couldn’t get a good shot off. Then, Beaulieu threw the puck in the crease down low but Marcoux was there to keep it out.

St. Laurent showed he still had confidence in his game later on by coming out to challenge a point shot.

The Sea Dogs would go to the power play at 13:35. Their only good scoring opportunity came when a Beaulieu point shot produced a big rebound for Michael Kirkpatrick. The Sea Dogs captain tossed the puck on the net but Marcoux was there to make the stop.

St. Laurent made the best save of the year so far in the later stages of the frame. After a cross crease pass, the Sea Dogs net minder dove above the blue paint and batted the puck down with his paddle. The Junior thought they had scored, the fans thought they had scored, and the person blowing the goal though it was good. The goal would be reviewed and it was awarded as a no goal.

At 17:56, Galiev was hauled down on a partial break, giving him a penalty shot chance. The Washington Capitals prospect appeared to be undecided on what to do and fired the puck and fired it way wide of the goal.

Shots in the final frame were 14-10 Montreal.

Saint John was 1/4 on the power play while the Junior were 0/1.

BOX SCORE
Saint John Sea Dogs 1 at Montreal Juniors 4 - Status: Final
Friday, September 24, 2010 - Auditorium - Verdun

Saint John 1 0 0 - 1
Montréal 2 1 1 - 4

1st Period-1, Montréal, Rose 3 (Ouellet), 4:47. 2, Montréal, Parkes 1 (Ouellet, Lefebvre), 13:30 (SH). 3, Saint John, Anthony 1 (Kirkpatrick, Jurco), 19:46 (PP). Penalties-Kelly Snb (roughing), 6:24; Chouinard Mtl (roughing), 6:24; Parkes Mtl (tripping), 7:05; Rose Mtl (tripping), 12:24; Huberdeau Snb (interference of a player or a goaltender, fighting), 13:46; Provost Mtl (instigator, fighting, instigator - misconduct), 13:46; Meilleur Mtl (checking from behind), 19:02.

2nd Period-4, Montréal, Laflamme 1 (Ouellet, Anderson), 7:19. Penalties-Kelly Snb (slashing), 11:15.

3rd Period-5, Montréal, Fontaine 2 (Kindl, Rose), 2:26. Penalties-Aubry Mtl (tripping), 13:35; Sock Snb (roughing), 16:08; Tesink Snb (roughing), 16:08; Fontaine Mtl (roughing), 16:08; Rose Mtl (roughing), 16:08; Narbonne Mtl (hooking), 16:28.

Shots on Goal-Saint John 24. Montréal 36.
Power Play Opportunities-Saint John 1 / 4; Montréal 0 / 1.
Goalies-Saint John, St-Laurent 2-0-0-0 (36 shots-32 saves). Montréal, Marcoux 0-1-1-0 (24 shots-23 saves).
A-2,412
Referees-Frédéric Leblanc (28), Eric Charron (2).
Linesmen-Guillaume Labonté (81), Benoit Vigeant-Sansoucy (85).

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs travel to Drummondville on Saturday to face the Voltigeurs at 8:00 pm.

KNOW THE ENEMY: Q&A with Hockey Points' Nick

Instead of rambling on about some obscure stat we accidently stumbled across for a pre-game, we’ve decided to try and inform Saint John Sea Dogs fans more on the opposing team. So, what better way to do this then catching up with followers of that particular team.

In the first of what we hope are many to come, Station Nation presents “know the enemy.”

For the first edition, I caught up with Nick from the Montreal Junior blog Hockey Points. Having been a season ticket holder since the Junior arrived on the Montreal scene in 2008, Nick knows his stuff. He does a great job over Hockey Points on keeping readers informed with in depth information. It’s defiantly worth checking out.

The Junior are going to be a strong team this year and most pre-season predictions have them battling it out with Saint John for top spot in the league. The Sea Dogs and Junior meet tonight at the Verdun Auditorium at 8:05pm.

Here are some of Nick’s thoughts about the Junior.

Station Nation: The Hockey News selected the Montreal Junior to finish second overall in the QMJHL this season. Would you say that is a fairly accurate prediction?

Nick: THN's rankings are fairly accurate. Truth be told, on paper, the Juniors are good enough to finish 1st overall. But any good team needs good chemistry, something the Juniors have not yet had the opportunity to display due to 7 of their players attending NHL training camps. I see them finishing 1st in the Telus West Division and anywhere from 1st to 4th overall in the league.

SN: What, in your view, will be the Junior’s strengths and weaknesses this year?

Nick: Strength: Defense. With Roussel, Landry, Meilleur and Ouellet the Juniors could have the best top four defenseman unit in the league. Narbonne, Provost, Micallef and Belanger provide the team with depth at the position with Narbonne specifically being the one to watch. He has very strong decision making skills.

Weakness: Penalties. Although this may sound strange, the Juniors may find themselves in the penalty box more than needed. Why is that? Well let's just say it starts with Louis Leblanc. Physically, he's a target for other teams and because there's no Mike Thomas type player on Montreal 's roster, every player feels responsible to defend Leblanc. We saw this during the pre-season. A defenseman punches Leblanc after the whistle and then two Montreal players rush that defenseman, gloves dropped. Unless the Juniors get their fists under control or acquire a goon, this problem could lead to the team taking too many unnecessary penalties at the wrong times.

SN: Can Louis Leblanc live up to expectations while playing in the city of the team that drafted him? In what you have seen of him this season, can he thrive in the Canadian Hockey League?

Nick: Leblanc has the talent and drive to score 100+ points in 55-60 games (he'll probably miss anywhere from 8-13 season games due to his participation at the Habs camp this fall and most probably Canada's National Junior Team this winter). Somewhat surprisingly, he seems comfortable facing the challenge of playing in the city of Montreal . He knows the spotlight will be on him all season long. My assumption is that after playing in a few pre-season games with the Habs, Leblanc will fee even more at ease playing in the Q. He already has 5 points in 2 games played under his belt.

SN: Obviously, all the media attention is on Louis Leblanc. But who else should opposing fans watch out for when their team plays Montreal ?

Nick: Aside from Leblanc, there's plenty of underrated talent on Montreal ’s team this year. The Juniors have 6 additional NHL affiliated players; RW, Philippe Lefebvre (MTL), C, Louis-Marc Aurby (DET), RW, Trevor Parkes (DET), D, Charles-Olivier Roussel (NAS), D, Charles Landry (TBL) and G, Jean-Francois Berube (LAK). But when you look even deeper, there's more. If you're looking at 20 year old players; Jeremy Gouchie (C), Nicolas Chouinard (RW) and Francis Meilleur (D) are up there as one of the best groups of 20 year olds in the league. The duet of European players is average at the very least; C, Denis Kindl and LW, Janos Hari. In terms of draft eligible players, defenseman Xavier Ouellet is expected to have a huge season and should be drafted during the first 3 rounds of next June's NHL entry draft. My personal favourite unsung heroes on the team are defenseman Jonathan Narbonne and forward David Rose. Narbonne is a smart player who makes simple and decisions about 99% of the time. He’s a very reliable player. Rose provides the Juniors with additional offensive depth. He has terrific hands and has improved his skating versus last season, making him a valuable player on this team. During his first 4 games Rose registered 5 points.

SN: The Sea Dogs and St. John’s Fog Devils entered the league together in 2005-06 as expansion teams. In 2008-09, the Foggies played their first season in Verdun as the Montreal Junior. A number of junior teams have failed in the Montreal market, but the Junior appear to be staying healthy. What is it that the Junior are doing – or need to do - to market the team and continue to be successful off the ice?

Nick: Since day 1, the Juniors have focused on reaching out to the community. Two and a half years later, this hasn't changed. They are very active with a large number of minor hockey associations and school boards. The kids attend the games and participate while they’re at the arena. There isn't an intermission that goes by without a "mini match" or "relay race" which includes youngsters buzzing around the ice. This is what they'll need to keep as a strong foundation in order to grow long term. In terms of growth potential, the attendance lacks in the 18-35 age demographic. Many people in this age group are too busy jumping on and off of the Montreal Canadiens' bandwagon. Don't get me started....

SN: Yahoo! Sports recently named the Verdun Auditorium one of the five worst rinks in the CHL. From a fans perspective, what is it that is so bad about the arena? Also, the Sea Dogs have never won a game there, is it a difficult building to play in for opposing teams?

Nick: Well, everything in the article is true however I personally love the Auditorium and wouldn't rank it as a bottom 5 out of 60 CHL rinks. It was built in 1936, I believe, and is one of the remaining classic barn type arenas in Montreal . There's something refreshing about sitting in that rink, sipping on a beer and watch the Juniors play. The team and city has dumped a good amount of cash into the building since moving there in 2008. There are reports of the Juniors eventually building a new home elsewhere in Montreal . You get over the double seat benches pretty fast and the outside of the building isn't something you notice during the games.

(Ed. Note: We’d like to thank Nick for taking the time to answer our questions.)

PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Montreal Junior

GAME DAY

WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Montreal Junior
WHEN: Tonight, 8:05 pm AST
WHERE: Verdun Auditorium

VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 4-0-0-0 (1st in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 5-0 win at PEI on Sunday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau: 4GP-4G-5A-9Pts; Ryan Tesink: 4GP-3G-6A-9Pts
Notes: Saint John will be without forward Stephen MacAulay and defenseman Simon Despres due to their participation at National Hockey League training camps. Sea Dogs captain Mike Thomas will also miss the game because he is taking part in an American Hockey League training camp… Stanislav Galiev will make his season debut tonight after taking part in Washington Capitals training camp… Steven Anthony will also make his regular season debut after the Vancouver Canucks sent the forward back to Saint John… the Sea Dogs join the Drummondville Voltigeurs as the only two teams without a loss so far this season… Saint John is coming off a dominant 5-0 win against the PEI Rocket in Charlottetown on Sunday night. Zach Phillips recorded a hat trick in the match… this is the second game of a five game stretch of road games for the Dogs. They finish up their first Quebec road swing of the year tomorrow evening in Drummondville… if Saint John pulls off a victory tonight, they will set a franchise record for consecutive wins to open a season with five… the Dogs have outscored their opponents 23-8 so far this season… so far, Saint John has kept their goaltending duo in a rotation. If the rotation stays true, 20-year old net minder Karel St. Laurent would start in goal. Frederic Piche is coming a 17 save shutout win against the Rocket… Tomas Jurco’s five goals have him in a tie for the league goal scoring lead… Jonathan Huberdeau, Michael Kirkpatrick, Ryan Tesnink, and Christian Morin all sit one through four at the top of the league’s plus/minus ratings… Tesink sits first in rookie scoring with nine points in four games… Huberdeau and Tesink lead the league in insurance goals with two.

HOME TEAM: Montreal Junior
Record: 1-1-2-0 (5th in Telus West Division)
Last Game: 4-3 loss at Drummondville on Sunday
Leading Scorer: Xavier Ouellet: 4GP-1G-6A-7Pts
Notes: 24 Hours Montreal reports that Philippe Lefebvre (Canadiens), Trevor Parkes (Red Wings), Louis - Marc Aubry (Red Wings) and defenseman Charles -Olivier Roussel (Predators) are all expected to play for the Junior after being away at NHL Training Camps… still away at camp is star forward and Montreal Canadiens prospect Louis Leblanc and their starting net minder, Jean-Francois Berube… The Hockey News picked the Junior to finish second overall in the QMJHL behind Saint John. The publication also projected Montreal to finish sixth in the Canadian Hockey League standings… Montreal finished tied with Val-d’Or for the best record in the QMJHL pre-season at 4-0-0-1… the Junior are coming an overtime loss against the Drummondville Voltigeurs. Sean Couturier ended the game in overtime… Xavier Ouellet appeared on the cover of the QMJHL media guide with Saint John’s Jonathan Huberdeau and Couturier… Montreal won the season series against Saint John last year 2-1… according to HockeyFights.com, the Junior are the only team in the QMJHL without a fighting major this season… Trevor Parkes recently signed a contract with the Detroit Red Wings after he went undrafted in June… Philippe Lefebvre leads the Junior with four goals scored in just two games played this season… the Junior have the seventh ranked penalty kill with a rating of 0.812%.

HOT ROSES
From the Montreal Junior blog Hockey Points:

David Rose is on fire this season. He has already registered 2 goals and 3 assists in 4 games played. Rose's skating has definitely improved since last season. He is generating more speed from his stride and is skating to the right areas on the ice in order to create more room for himself when he has the puck. Last season Rose scored 18 points in 32 games played.

BRUTAL ENDING
This goal ended the Montreal Junior’s playoff run last year, eliminating them in overtime of game seven of the first round against Gatineau. Brutal.


The Olympiques went on to lose in four straight to Saint John in the second round.

ARENA INFO
Venue: Verdun Auditorium
Seating Capacity: 3,795
Year Built: 1939
QMJHL Arena Guide

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Live Blog: Station Nation
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Telegraph-Journal, 24 Heurs

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in-game updates, scores, stats, and live coverage during tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
The Sea Dogs travel to Drummondville to face the Voltigeurs tomorrow night at 8:00 pm.

Photo Credit: The Pensblog

LEBLANC JUMPS SHIP

Editors Note - Montreal plays in Saint John on Sunday, October 10 at 4:00 pm.

PRESS RELEASE

The Montreal Juniors Hockey Club is proud to announce Louis Leblanc’s arrival to the line up for the upcoming 2010-2011 season.

As the 18th overall selection of the Montreal Canadiens at the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Louis Leblanc is also the first Quebec-born player chosen by the Habs in the first round since Eric Chouinard of the Quebec Remparts in 1998.

The team has been in negotiations with Leblanc’s agent, Pat Brisson, since this past spring, in the goal of coming to an agreement before training camp.

The Pointe-Claire native is part of the group of players invited to Canada’s National Junior Team Development Camp. A world-class player, he will make sure to put forward his exemplary work ethic and talent in order to earn himself a spot on the roster for the IIIHF World Junior Championships of 2011.

"The QMJHL, in particular the Montreal Juniors, have demonstrated the growth opportunities available to Leblanc, where he can pursue his hockey development in order to achieve great honour and join the ranks of the National Hockey League as soon as possible," said Martin Routhier, President of the Montreal Juniors. "Moreover, we understand that the balance of sports and education is an important one for Louis, and our organization wishes to support his academic ambitions, within a flexible environment that will offer him all the tools necessary for him to succeed".

Leblanc, who played center with the Harvard Crimson, accumulated 23 points in only 31 games last season, including 11 goals, finishing as the leading scorer on his team.

"For this upcoming 2010-2011 season, our team presents a solid roster, one that is very capable of competing for the MasterCard Memorial Cup," explains Pascal Vincent, head coach and general manager of the Montreal Juniors. "We have six NHL affiliated players in our ranks, including Leblanc, who belong to a National Hockey League team and who bring depth on many levels: Louis-Marc Aubry and Trevor Parkes of the Detroit Red Wings, Jean-François Bérubé of the Los Angeles Kings, Philippe Lefebvre of the Montreal Canadiens as well as Charles-Olivier Roussel of the Nashville Predators, who will accompany Leblanc at Team Canada Development Camp."

SEA DOGS UPSET IN VERDUN

STATION NATION POST-GAME
FINAL: Sea Dogs 4, Junior 6

VERDUN – It was the Saint John Sea Dogs’ power play that killed them on Saturday evening in the Montreal suburbs.

The Sea Dogs went 2/6 on the man advantage but allowed two shorthanded goals to the Montreal Junior – who have the second worst power play in the league. The Junior used the two goals to their advantage as they defeated the number one team in the country 6-4 at Auditorium-Verdun.

Karel St. Laurent struggled in the Saint John crease and allowed five goals on 29 shots, with the sixth goal being an empty netter. He allowed two goals on 10 shots in the first and two goals on eight shots in the third period.

Mike Hoffman and Nicholas Petersen led the Sea Dogs in a losing effort, both scoring two goals while Hoffman added two more assists.

Jeremy Gouchie and Matthew Brenton scored a pair for Montreal while David Rose and Louis-Marc Aubry added singles.

The game started with Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant flipping out at a referee. Somebody on the Sea Dogs must be afraid of dark because Gallant was yelling and pointing at the official because the lights in the Saint John zone would not come on fully. The game started without them.

After an uneventful first few minutes of the game, Patrick Lapostolle was stopped on a partial breakway by a Yann Sauve stick lift.

Saint John opened the scoring at 3:34 when the Sea Dogs top line went in on a three-on-two. Mike Hoffman passed over to Nicholas Petersen who beat J.F. Berube clean blocker side to make it 1-0 Dogs.

Steven Anthony and Eliezer Sherbatov then had a big collision at the Saint John blue line. Sauve was called for tripping at 5:35 with the best chance coming on a shorthanded breakaway by Danick Gauthier.

Sherbatov had a good chance at a bad angle but was stopped by the pads of goaltender Karel St. Laurent. After Stanislav Galiev was called for a slash, Montreal had a good chance on a mad scramble around the crease but could not score. That seemed to turn on the Junior offense.

Trevor Parkes’ shot was stopped by St. Laurent but he allowed the rebound to sit in front of the crease. Matthew Brenton was on the door stop and slid it by the Sea Dogs net minder at 14:38 to tie the affair 1-1.

Galiev had a good chance following the goal but was stopped by the pads of Berube. Then, Stephen MacAulay had a solid wrap around opportunity.

Montreal took the lead at 18:38 after St. Laurent stopped the original shot. The puck got through his legs and went right to the stick of Louis-Marc Aubry to make it a 2-1 game.

Shots were 11-10 in the first period.

Just 36 seconds into the second period, Galiev was called for a questionable checking from behind penalty. On the power play, Aubry had the best chance at the side of the goal on what was an excellent penalty kill by the Sea Dogs.

Nathan Beaulieu let a hard wrist shot go point that was stopped through traffic. Jonathan Huberdeau picked up the rebound but was also stopped by Berube.

Hubert Genest went to the box at 8:16. The Junior had a great chance while shorthanded but St. Laurent shut the door on a two-on-one finished off by Jeremy Gouchie. Saint John finally got some offensive chances when Nicholas Pard rang a shot off the post and out the other side of the blue paint.

The Sea Dogs defense started to get a bit sloppy from here on in. St. Laurent had to be sharp off a turnover just above the crease. Then the former Screaming Eagle Lapostolle was robbed by the pad of the Dogs net minder.

After Lapostolle collided with Petersen at the line, Saint John went back to the power play. Hoffman had several shots on the man advantage with all his shots from the same spot.

At 17:23, Guillaume Asselin took a roughing penalty after a scrum in the Montreal crease. Simon Despres fed a wonderful cross ice pass to Petersen who had a wide open cage but couldn’t get a shot off.

It was the Junior capitalizing on the Sea Dogs' power play chance. At 19:00, Matthew Brenton picked up a turnover at the Sea Dogs blue line. Brenton took the puck to just above the icing line and then sent a pass over to Gouchie in the slot who scored into the empty net to extend the Montreal lead to 3-1 after two periods.

Shots in the second period were 12-6 for the home side.

Gerard Gallant juggled his lines to start the period and it seemed to spark the Sea Dogs, with some excellent pressure to start the period. Petersen fed Anthony in front but was robbed by the chest of Berube in front of the net after a cross crease effort.

Then, Galiev was stopped on a hard shot by the pad followed Jurco tipping a shot in the crease just wide of the goal. Junior head coach Pascal Vincent called a time out to try and calm down his now shaky defense.

It seemed to work as David Ross beat St. Laurent on the right side to make it 4-1 for the home team at 5:45. It was a weak shot that the Saint John goaltender no doubt should have had.

The Dogs’ come back began at 6:59 when Hoffman made it 4-2. The Ottawa Senators prospect beat Berube high blocker side thanks to some nice work by Despres. The goal got lots of cheers from the Sea Dogs fan bus at the Auditorium.

At 7:42 Jonathan Norbonne took a hooking penalty, allowing Saint John’s offense to fire everything they had at the Junior. It looked like the Dogs had made it a one goal game off a mad scramble in the crease. After checking with the goal judge (yes, the goal judge behind the net) and up stairs, the goal was waived off.

Saint John still kept firing though. Michael Kirkpatrick shot the disc just wide through traffic. Then off a faceoff, Jonathan Huberdeau fed Mike Thomas in the open. The Sea Dogs captain took a shot that deflected off Berube’s pad and right to the goal line but stayed out.

Sherbatov took a holding penalty at 16:49. Montreal went back to work shorthanded as Brenton beat St. Laurent high blocker side at 17:06.

Mike Hoffman kept the Sea Dogs in the game though. On the power play, Hoffman made it 5-3 at 18:22 off a blast from just inside the point that went through everything and gave the Dogs a glimpse of hope.

After a time out call, Petersen tipped home a Hoffman shot from the faceoff circle to make it a one goal game with just over a minute remaining.

But despite their best efforts, Saint John just could not beat Berube in the final minute. Gouchie made it 6-4 on an empty net marker with one second remaining in the game.

SEA DOGS – JUNIOR GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Saint John 4, Montreal 6
Saint John Goals: Nicholas Petersen (27, 28), and Mike Hoffman (30, 31)
Montreal Goals: Matthew Brenton (9, 10), Louis-Marc Aubry (11), Jeremy Gouchie (15, 16), and David Rose (4)
Winning Goaltender: MTL – Jean-Francois Berube (11-11-0)
Losing Goaltender: SNB – Karel St. Laurent (14-3-0)
News 88.9 Top Dog: Steven Anthony

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Junior 0/3, Sea Dogs 2/6
Shots on Goal: Junior: 10+12+8=30, Sea Dogs: 11+6+22=39
Attendance: 3,327

SCRATCHES
Aiden Kelly was a healthy scratch for Saint John. Also missing from the Sea Dogs lineup was defenseman Christian Morin, who missed the last half of the third period on Friday after taking a big hit from Dominic Savoie of the Remparts. Morin is expected to miss Sunday’s game in Gatineau as well with what the team is calling an “upper body” injury.

QUICK HITS
The Saint John Sea Dogs are now 0-3-0-0 at the Auditorium-Verdun in the two season they have played there. They go 0-2 this season… Moncton won in Drummondville tonight, cutting the division lead to 11 points… the light problem in the Sea Dogs zone in the first period was due to some things hanging the rafters, according to Tim Roszell on News 88.9. He said there is a reality TV program being shot in the building involving former Montreal Canadiens head coach Guy Carbonneau. This is the second time a game has started with the lights off in the Saint John zone. In 2007, Robert Mayer's QMJHL debut was in the dark in PEI… St. Laurent struggled with his rebound control all night and allowed two weak goals. This was his first start since January 17 and his first loss since October 3 - an overtime loss in Shawinigan.

NEXT GAME
Saint John Sea Dogs vs Gatineau Olympiques. Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 5:00 pm at Robert Guertin Arena.

PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Montreal Junior

Game Day
Saint John Sea Dogs vs Montreal Junior
Today, January 23, 2010 at 5:05 pm
Auditorium - Verdun

Visiting Team: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 39-7-1-0 (1st in Atlantic division)
Last Game: 5-4 shootout win at Quebec last night
Leading Scorer: Michael Kirkpatrick: 46 GP – 18 G – 42 A – 60 Pts
NHL Draft Picks: Yann Sauve (Vancouver), Marco Cousineau (Anaheim), Simon Despres (Pittsburgh), Steven Anthony (Vancouver), Mike Hoffman (Ottawa), and Nicholas Petersen (Pittsburgh).
Notes: Nicholas Petersen will return today from his one game automatic suspension that he got last Sunday in a fight against Chicoutimi. He has not scored a point in his last two games… Christian Morin got leveled in the third period of yesterday’s game and did not return after the hit. In five games against the Junior this season, he has two goals… coming off a thrilling come-from-behind victory in Quebec City last night. The Sea Dogs were trailing 4-2 in the second period but fought back to take the game to a shootout. In the shootout, Mike Hoffman, Tomas Jurco, and Jonathan Huberdeau scored to give Saint John the win… this is the second game of a three-in-three Quebec road swing for the Dogs. After today’s game, they travel to Gatineau… sit first in the Atlantic division, first overall in the QMJHL, and are ranked number one in Canada for the first time in franchise history this week… Saint John has scored the most goals of any team in the QMJHL this season with 210. They are second in fewest goals allowed with 125… owners of the seventh ranked power play in the league with a rating of 21.8%. They went 0/5 last night against the Remparts… the Sea Dogs’ penalty kill has improved since the last time these two teams met. It now sits 14th in the league with a rating of 76.3%... 9-1-0-0 in their last games and have won five straight. One of those five games includes a victory over the Junior at Harbour Station two weeks ago… have the best road record in the league at 19-3-1-0 – six points ahead of second place Drummondville with four games in hand. 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 road games and have won four straight away from home… Michael Kirkpatrick leads the way in scoring against Montreal. In two games, he has one goal and three assists.

Home Team: Montreal Junior
Record: 23-20-0-3 (3rd in Telus Western Division)
Last Game: 5-1 Win vs Val-d'Or last night
Leading Scorer: Jeremy Gouchie: 46 GP – 14 G – 26 A – 40 Pts
NHL Draft Picks: Jean-Francois Berube (Los Angeles)
Notes: Montreal did some shopping and selling during the holiday trading period. The Junior acquired Marc-Andre Levasseur from Chicoutimi for a third rounder… the Junior traded defenseman Alex Wall to the Moncton Wildcats and a third round pick for Dillon Donnelly and a European draft pick… one of the biggest deals of the entire deadline was the Jake Allen trade. Montreal traded the star goaltender to Drummondville for two first round picks… Montreal traded Pierre-Antoine Dion to Cape Breton for Patrick Lapostolle and a second round pick… J.F. Berube, the teams only NHL draft pick, is now the team’s starting goaltender after the Allen trade… Nicolas Chouinard leads the Junior in scoring against the Sea Dogs this season. In two games, he has scored one goal and three assists… Eliezer Sherbatov and Loik Poudrier have both scored two goals against Saint John this season… Guillaume Asselin is team high +4 versus the Dogs this season… they are one of the few teams who can say they have defeated Saint John on the road this season. They won 7-4 over the Dogs in October… Montreal is 12th overall in the league. In their last 10 games they are 7-3-0-0 and are coming off a victory… the Junior are tied with Victoriaville for the best penalty kill in the league with a rating of 84.8%... they have the second worst power play with a rating of 14.8%... 14-10-0-1 at home this season and are 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 home games… their penalty kill is ranked second among home statistics with a rating of 84.7%... averaging 2,849 fans per game this season.

Saint John vs Montreal:
This Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
2-1-1-0-0-2
Home: 1-1-0-0-0-2
Road: 1-0-1-0-0-0
Goals For: 8
Goals Against: 9

Last Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
3-1-2-0-0-2
Home: 2-1-1-0-0-2
Road: 1-0-1-0-0-0
Goals For: 8
Goals Against: 9

All-Time-Not including this season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
As Montreal and St. John’s
23-8-15-0-0-16
Home: 11-6-5-0-0-12
Road: 12-2-10-0-0-4
Goals For: 73
Goals Against: 86

As St. John’s
20-7-13-0-0-14
Home: 9-5-4-0-0-10
Road: 11-2-9-0-0-4
Goals For: 65
Goals Against: 77

Station Nation Facts:

• This is the third and final game between the two. Saint John is 1-1-0-0 against the Junior this season.
• Tonight’s game will feature former Sea Dog captain David Stich, who was traded to the Junior earlier this season. The trade had to happen because Stich takes up both a European spot and overage spot. Stich was drafted in the 2006 CHL Import Draft. He played 172 games with Saint John and recorded 14 goals and 46 assists. His point total had nothing to do with his success as he was a fan favourite because of shot blocking and rough play.
• The Montreal Junior and Saint John Sea Dogs are 2005 expansion cousins after they broke into the league as the St. John’s Fog Devils. During the 3rd season of their history, the Fog Devils, property of the Dobbin Family, were sold to Mr Farrel Miller. The new owner of the franchise transfers the team in Montreal (QC) for the start of the 2008-09 season. The Montreal Junior Hockey Club will play its home games at the Verdun Auditorium.
• On October 2, the Sea Dogs fell 7-4 to the Junior in Montreal. The Sea Dogs had a 2-1 lead early in the first period but allowed three Montreal goals in under two minutes, causing Marc-Antoine Gelinas to get the pull in net. Yann Sauve, Alexandre Leduc, Zach Phillips, and Steven Anthony all had goals for Saint John. The Dogs outshot Montreal 34-25.
• The Junior have been ridiculed at times for their high ticket prices: VIP (around the red lines): $50, Prestige (first few rows around the rest of the building): $28, Classic (all others): $17.

Important Info:
Venue: Auditorium - Verdun
Capacity: 3,780
Arena Guide Info: http://www.qmjhlarenaguide.com/juniors.htm

Saint John Media: Radio- News 88.9 FM (http://www.news889.com/)
Live Video Streaming: http://www.qmjhl.mytelus.com/
Post-Game Coverage: http://www.stationnation.blogspot.com/

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in game updates from tonight’s game.

SEA DOGS WEEKEND

The Saint John Sea Dogs embark on one of their toughest road trips of the season this weekend. The top ranked team in Canada left Harbour Station on Thursday morning and began their journey to Quebec City where they play Friday. Then, it’s off to Montreal on Saturday and Gatineau on Sunday. Please not the start times for each game.

Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8:30 pm

Who: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Quebec Remparts
Where: Pepsi Colisee
Note: This will be the first game the Remparts have played since the Patrice Cormier/Mikael Tam incident last Sunday in Rouyn-Noranda. They are expected to hold a press conference with Tam before the game on Friday.

Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Who: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Montreal Junior
Where: Montreal Auditorium
Note: The Sea Dogs are 0-1 this season in Montreal. They fell 7-4 to the Junior on October 2, 2009. Seven goals were scored between the two teams in the first period.

Sunday, January 24, 2010 at 5:00 pm

Who: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Gatineau Olympiques
Where: Robert Guertin Centre
Note: The Hockey News named the Gatineau Olympiques organization the team of the decade in the QMJHL. They made the playoffs every season and had a below 0.500 winning percentage only once.

Statistical Comparisons
Record
Saint John: 38-7-1-0 (1st in Atlantic division)
Quebec: 28-13-3-3 (1st in Telus Eastern division)
Montreal: 22-20-0-3 (3rd in Telus Western Division)
Gatineau: 23-19-0-4 (2nd in Telus Western Division)

Last 10 Games
Saint John: 8-2-0-0
Quebec: 4-5-1-0
Montreal: 6-4-0-0
Gatineau: 4-5-0-1

Goals For/Goals Against
Saint John: 205/121
Quebec: 187/161
Montreal: 141/138
Gatineau: 168/142

Power Play
Saint John: 22.3%
Quebec: 27.7%
Montreal: 14.9%
Gatineau: 20.6%

Penalty Kill
Saint John: 76%
Quebec: 78.6%
Montreal: 84.4%
Gatineau: 82.1%

Radio: News 88.9 FM
Television: None
Webcast: Telus

SEA DOGS POST-GAME NOTEBOOK

SEA DOGS –JUNIOR GAME AT A GLANCE
Final Score: Montreal 2, Saint John 4
Saint John Goals: Tomas Jurco (14), Nicholas Petersen (26), Mike Thomas (5), and Michael Kirkpatrick (14)
Montreal Goals: David Ross (1), and Louis-Marc Aubry (8)
Winning Goaltender: SNB - St. Laurent, Karel (13-2-0)
Losing Goaltender: MTL – Berube, Jean-Francois (8-10-0)
News 88.9 Top Dog: Karel St. Laurent

THE NUMBERS
Power Play: Junior 0/6, Sea Dogs 2/6
Shots on Goal: Junior 7+9+9=25, Sea Dogs: 11+8+8=27
Attendance: 4,064

SCRATCHES
Stephen MacAulay was scratched for Saint John as he missed his third straight game with an upper body injury. Will Johnston also did not dress.

Other Sea Dog lineup news saw Gabriel Bourret return to the team. He was believed to be away this weekend in Quebec due to a death in his family. He didn’t play Friday night against Cape Breton.

Philippe Fontaine and Dillon Donnelly were scratched for the Junior. Donnelly, recently acquired from the Moncton Wildcats, took warm-up.

SOLID ST. LAURENT
Backup goaltender Karel St. Laurent may have only faced 25 shots but he was solid in net for Saint John. Marco Cousineau had played the last three games, giving St. Laurent a chance to sart against a middle-of-the-pack Montreal team.

The 19-year old made some nice saves through traffic and robbed more than one player with his glove.

St. Laurent is now 13-2 on the year and has not lost a game since October 3 in Shawinigan. He is currently on a 10 game winning streak.

STICH RETURNS
The biggest story line of the night was the return of former Sea Dog captain and fan favorite David Stich.

There was a loud cheer when he came out of the tunnel for warm-up and again when his name was announced over the P.A. for the starting lineups. In typical Stich fashion, he played a physical and defensive minded game.

He was a +1 on the night and was paired with Jonathan Narbonne. He had one shot although we believe another shot was not counted in the first period.

OUCH
Steven Anthony took a puck in the face during a Sea Dog power play. A Junior defenseman got his stick in the passing lane – causing the disc to fly into the chops on Anthony.

He left with Sea Dogs therapist Jeff Kelly and left a small pool of blood on the ice. The referee scraped the blood off with his skates.

Anthony returned in the start of the second period wearing a full face shield.

CANADIAN PRESS RECAP
Sea Dogs 4 Junior 2

At Saint John, N.B., Nicholas Petersen scored and added two assists as the Sea Dogs doubled Montreal.

Tomas Jurco, Mike Thomas and Michael Kirkpatrick also scored for Saint John (36-7-1).

David Rose and Louis-Marc Aubry found the back of the net for the Junior (20-19-3).

OUT OF TOWN
Elsewhere in the QMJHL it was: P.E.I. 3 Shawinigan 2 (OT); Moncton 6 Acadie-Bathurst 2; Cape Breton 2 Halifax 0; and Rouyn-Noranda 3 Val-d'Or 2.

SEADOGSTV HIGHLIGHTS


QUICK HITS
The main entrance of Harbour Station opened 10 minutes late after what they are calling “technical difficulties.” We hope they meant with the ticket scanners, otherwise, this sounds really bizarre… the game was sponsored by Hampton Inn and had a table set up on the concourse with AC-DC cranked up… Tomas Jurco has now scored in three straight games. He has also registered six goals in his last seven games.

TONIGHT
Tonight's game between the P.E.I. Rocket and the Drummondville Voltigeurs will be presented coast-to-coast on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS. The puck drops at 8 pm (AST). Consult your local TV listings for more details.

The new look and younger Rocket team – playing their third game in as many nights – will play the high octane and number two team in the QMJHL in Drummondville. This could get uglier than the Moncton/Shawinigan game last year.

NEXT GAME
Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs. Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.

JUNIOR JAMMED

STATION NATION POST-GAME
FINAL: Junior 2, Sea Dogs 4

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs are proving that they don’t need goals to win.

Saint John used exceptional defensive efforts on Saturday night at Harbour Station, matching the defensive minded Montreal Junior. Despite that, the Sea Dogs’ offense was too much for the Junior to handle, as the Port City went on to win 4-2 in QMJHL action.

Tomas Jurco, Nicholas Petersen, Mike Thomas, and Michael Kirkpatrick all scored for the winners while David Ross and Louis-Marc Aubry added singles for Montreal.

Saint John is proving that they do have a penalty kill as well. For the second straight game, the Sea Dogs went 6/6 on the penalty kill. Entering Saturday’s action, the Dogs were ranked third last in penalty killing.

After a back-and-forth first few minutes, Jonathan Huberdeau had the first good chance as he deked around a defender but could only get a weak shot off.

Saint John went to the power at 2:23 when Matt Provost was called for hooking. The Sea Dogs took advantage and made it 1-0 at 3:00 off a Tomas Jurco shot. Nicholas Petersen threw the puck in front and went past a number legs to find Jurco alone in front who slid it home five-hole past Jean-Francois Berube.

Hugo Roux blasted the puck later and went through traffic but Karel St. Laurent made the lucky pad save. Then Eliezer Sherbatov sent a high shot over the net from the faceoff circle.

At 6:25 Montreal tied the game. After St. Laurent made the initial blocker save, the high rebound landed on the other side of the crease for David Rose who scored his first of the season into the empty net.

With Zach Phillips in the box, Montreal couldn’t get anything going on the power play with the Dogs actually having more shorthanded chances.

The Sea Dogs went back to the power play at 9:51 when Stanislav Galiev was tripped up. On the power play, a pass to Steven Anthony hit a stick and deflected into his grill. The Vancouver Canucks prospect laid on the ice for a few moments and soon left leaving a pool of blood. Anthony returned wearing a full face shield in the second period.

Jurco fed a wide open Galiev to end the period but was stopped three times by the pad of Berube.

Shots after one were 11-7 Saint John.

Just 1:19 into the middle stanza, Montreal took their first lead of the game. Louis-Marc Aubry slapped a rebound out of the air in front and over the shoulder of St. Laurent to make it 2-1 Junior.

But at 4:35 Saint John tied the game. A Nathan Beaulieu shot stayed low and went to the side of the goal for a wide open Petersen who netted his 26th marker of the season into the empty cage.

After the goal, Kevin Gagne let go a point shot that went high and wide of the Junior net. Then Yann Sauve made a great play to sweep the puck away from a Montreal player on a partial breakaway. Then the Junior had some good chances from Aubry and then Trevor Parkes was robbed by the leather.

At 9:34 the Sea Dogs captain took the game into his own hands. Mike Thomas came across the blue line one-on-one and used the Montreal defender beautifully as a screen. Thomas ripped a shot high glove side and into the corner to give the Sea Dogs a 3-2 goal.

At 10:46 Matthew Brenton high sticked Christian Morin and got four minutes in the box. On the power play Mike Hoffman let a blast go but was stopped. Then Simon Despres made a nice play to stop Chris Thorne on a shorthanded breakaway. Saint John just could not get organized on the power play - and the fans let them know about it too.

Saint John got into some penalty trouble late in the period. Steven Anthony took a tripping call and then Sauve got called for a hook, giving Montreal a two man advantage too start the third period. But the turnover between periods proved to be too much as the Junior could not tie the game.

Yann Sauve took a breakaway pass from Petersen when he got out of the box. He let a shot go but was stopped by the pad of Berube.

Roux had another good chance to tie the game at a bad angle but hot the outside of the post. Then the Junior went back to the power play. It looked like shortly after Montreal had tied the game. But the goal was immediately called off because the whistle had blew.

Saint John was back at it when Pard fed Jurco in front but couldn’t get a shot off. Then a player flipped the puck from behind the net to the face-shielded Anthony but shot wide.

Saint John blew the game open at 13:06 when Hoffman let a point shot go. His shot went by Berube and laid in the crease for Kirkpatrick who tipped it home to give the Dogs a 4-2 lead.

At 16:54, Galiev took a tripping penalty. After Montreal called a time-out, the Junior pulled Berube from the goal, giving then a six-on-four power play. Saint John played a strong defensive game late and kept shots to minimum. Hoffman nearly made it 5-2 when he let a shot go from the full length of the ice but scraped the outside of the post.

In the final minute, despite great pressure by the Junior, the Sea Dogs managed to hang on long enough and left the ice saluting their fans at the Station.

Shots in the game were 27-25 Sea Dogs.

Karel St. Laurent picked up the win in goal and is now an impressive 13-2-0 on the year. J.F. Berube fell to 8-10-0.

Saint John went 2/6 on the power play.

TOMORROW: The game between the P.E.I. Rocket and the Drummondville Voltigeurs will be presented coast-to-coast on Rogers Sportsnet and RDS. The puck drops at 8 pm. Consult your local TV listings for more details.

NEXT GAME: Acadie-Bathurst Titan vs Saint John Sea Dogs. Saturday, January 16, 2010 at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.

PRE-GAME: Montreal Junior vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Game Day
Montreal Junior vs Saint John Sea Dogs
Tonight, January 9, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Harbour Station

Visiting Team: Montreal Junior
Record: 20-18-0-3 (3rd in Telus Western Division)
Last Game: 4-1 Win at Halifax last night
Leading Scorer: Nicholas Chouinard: 40 GP – 16 G – 18 A – 34 Pts
NHL Draft Picks: Jean-Francois Berube (Los Angeles)
Notes: Montreal did some shopping and selling during the holiday trading period. The Junior acquired Marc-Andre Levasseur from Chicoutimi for a third rounder… the Junior traded defenseman Alex Wall to the Moncton Wildcats and a third round pick for Dillon Donnelly and a European draft pick… one of the biggest deals of the entire deadline was the Jake Allen trade. Montreal traded the star goaltender to Drummondville for two first round picks… Montreal traded Pierre-Antoine Dion to Cape Breton for Patrick Lapostolle and a second round pick… J.F. Berube, the teams only NHL draft pick, is now the team’s starting goaltender after the Allen trade. In 20 games played in this season, he is 8-9 with a goals against average of 2.94 and save percentage of 0.900… Montreal’s record of 20-18-0-3 is a surprise. Most publications predicted Montreal to finish in the bottom of the league standings but are currently sitting in 11th place in the QMJHL… 6-3-0-1 in their last 10 games and have won two straight games… this is the third game of an Atlantic division road trip. They defeated Cape Breton 4-1 on Wednesday night and Halifax by the same score last night at the Metro Centre… have the league’s second worst power play with a rating of 14.7%... Montreal has the best penalty kill in the entire league and is running at 85.7%... 7-9-0-2 on the road this year… 3-5-0-2 in their last 10 road games and have won two straight on their current road trip… Eliezer Sherbatov and Nicholas Chouinard both have three points against Saint John this season.

Home Team: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 35-7-1-0 (1st in Atlantic division)
Last Game: 3-1 Win vs Cape Breton last night
Leading Scorer: Nicholas Petersen: 35 GP – 25 G – 26 A – 51 Pts
NHL Draft Picks: Yann Sauve (Vancouver), Marco Cousineau (Anaheim), Simon Despres (Pittsburgh), Steven Anthony (Vancouver), Mike Hoffman (Ottawa), and Nicholas Petersen (Pittsburgh).
Notes: Stephen MacAulay is questionable for tonights game after suffering an upper body injury on New Year’s Eve in Moncton. He has missed the last two games… Gabriel Bourret will not be in the lineup this evening. He is back home in Quebec after a death in his family… Mike Hoffman now sits second in league goal scoring with 28 markers. He scored last night… the Sea Dogs had the league’s worst penalty kill entering last night’s game against Cape Breton. That has improved to third worst with a rating of 74.8% after keeping the Eagles to 0/6… 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 games and have won one straight game… this is the third game of a five game home stand for Saint John. They are 1-1-0-0 so far… have scored the second most goals of any team in the league with 187 – only two goals behind Drummondville… have allowed the second fewest goals in the league with 117… have the best home record at 17-4-0-0 this year… 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 home games and are coming off a 3-1 win over the Eagles last night… Nicholas Petersen leads the league in +/- with a rating of +40… in four games with Val-d’Or this season, Christian Morn has two goals against Montreal… Michael Kirkpatrick has a team high two assists against the Junior… Stanislav Galiev is the only Sea Dog with a plus rating against Montreal. Three players have a zero rating.

Saint John vs Montreal:
This Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
1-0-1-0-0-0
Home: 0-0-0-0-0-0
Road: 1-0-1-0-0-0
Goals For: 4
Goals Against: 7

Last Season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
3-1-2-0-0-2
Home: 2-1-1-0-0-2
Road: 1-0-1-0-0-0
Goals For: 8
Goals Against: 9

All-Time-Not including this season (GP-W-L-OTL-SOL-PTS):
As Montreal and St. John’s
23-8-15-0-0-16
Home: 11-6-5-0-0-12
Road: 12-2-10-0-0-4
Goals For: 73
Goals Against: 86

As St. John’s
20-7-13-0-0-14
Home: 9-5-4-0-0-10
Road: 11-2-9-0-0-4
Goals For: 65
Goals Against: 77

Station Nation Facts:

• Tonight’s game is the return of former Sea Dog captain David Stich, who was traded to the Junior earlier this season. The trade had to happen because Stich takes up both a European spot and overage spot. Stich was drafted in the 2006 CHL Import Draft. He played 172 games with Saint John and recorded 14 goals and 46 assists. His point total had nothing to do with his success as he was a fan favourite because of his shot blocking and rough play.
• The Montreal Junior and Saint John Sea Dogs are 2005 expansion cousins after Junior broke into the league as the St. John’s Fog Devils. During the 3rd season of their history, the Fog Devils, property of the Dobbin Family, were sold to Mr Farrel Miller. The new owner of the franchise transfers the team in Montreal (QC) for the start of the 2008-09 season. The Montreal Junior Hockey Club will play its home games at the Verdun Auditorium.
• On October 2, the Sea Dogs fell 7-4 to the Junior in Montreal. The Sea Dogs had a 2-1 lead early in the first period but allowed three Montreal goals in under two minutes, causing Marc-Antoine Gelinas to get the pull in net. Yann Sauve, Alexandre Leduc, Zach Phillips, and Steven Anthony all had goals for Saint John. The Dogs outshot Montreal 34-25.

Important Info:
Venue: Harbour Station
Capacity: 6,297

Saint John Media: Radio- News 88.9 FM (www.news889.com)
Live Video Streaming: www.qmjhl.mytelus.com
Post-Game Coverage: www.stationnation.blogspot.com
Post-Game Highlights: www.youtube.com/seadogstv

TWITTER
Follow Station Nation on Twitter at www.twitter.com/station_nation for in game updates from tonight’s game.

STICH TRADED TO JUNIOR

Former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman David Stich has been traded to the Montreal Junior in exchange for a 2010 third round pick. Sea Dogs director of hockey operations Mike Kelly made the announcement earlier today on saintjohnseadogs.com.

It should be made clear that it was his playing rights that have been traded because he has yet to report to Saint John. According to News 88.9's Tim Roszell, he plans to play in the QMJHL this season.

Stich was returned to Saint John by the Hartford Wolfpack of the AHL where he was on a tryout. The cut came as a surprise as he was expected to make the jump to the professional ranks this season after joining the Wolfpack last season.

The Czech Republic born defenseman has always been a fan favourite in Saint John. He was selected fourth overall in the 2006 CHL Import Draft.

In his three season's with the Sea Dogs he played in 174 games recording 14 goals, 46 assists, for 60 points. He is a career -16 with 254 penalty minutes.

In 18 playoff games he has four goals and 13 points along with a +3 and 28 penalty minutes.

Stich participated in the 2007 Home Hardware Top Prospects game and captained team Czech Republic at last years World Junior Hockey Championships in Ottawa. Following his return, he was named Sea Dogs team captain.

He joined Hartford after the Sea Dogs were eliminated during the playoffs. He recorded two assists in four games with the New York Rangers top affiliate.

ROUGH START TO ROAD TRIP

STATION NATION POST-GAME

The Saint John Sea Dogs started their road trip on a rough note, falling 7-4 to the Montreal Junior on Friday night at Verdun Auditorium.

Montreal opened the scoring just 36 seconds into the opening frame. Former Cape Breton Screaming Eagle and current Montreal captain Nicholas Chouinard scored his fifth off of a mad scramble in the crease that had Sea Dogs goalie Marc-Antoine Gelinas upset.

Alexandre Leduc had two terrific scoring chances but Jean-Francois Berube stood tall and smothered the puck.

Yann Sauve tied the game 1-1 at 6:27. He took a pass from Michael Kirkpatrick and ripped a slap shot from the right face-off circle that beat Berube on the power play.

Saint John took a brief 2-1 lead at 8:31 when overage forward Alexandre Leduc scored off of a nice give-and-go with Stanislav Galiev and Danick Gauthier. Leduc, a native of Verdun, was given a roaring cheer from a section of fans at the Auditorium.

At 10:23 Loic Poudrier scored his first goal to give Montreal a 3-2 lead. He took a weak swing at lose puck in front of the net that went between the pads of Gelinas.

Just 57 seconds later the Junior took a two goal lead when Stephen McAuley turned the puck over and Marc-Andre Levasseur scored to make it 4-2.

At 12:12 Loic Poudrier scored the easiest goal he’ll ever score. Rookie defenseman Gabriel Bourret tried to chip the puck off of the glass but deflected off of stick of Poudrier and into the net.

Zach Phillips shortened the Junior lead to one goal when he scored a beauty at 17:05. Phillips made a nifty dangle around David Foucher and beat Berube high glove side for his second of the season.

Saint John led Montreal in shots after one period 16-9.

Chris Thorne opened the second period scoring when a deflected pass at the Junior blue line went on to his stick after a line change. He went in on a breakaway and beat Gelinas. Gelinas was pulled in favour of Karel St-Laurent following the goal.

At 15:28 Steven Anthony made it a one goal game again on the power play. He beat Berube up and over his shoulder with assists going to Kirkpatrick and Nathan Beaulieu.

Anthony had a great chance as the horn sounded to end the second period. Saint John led in shots after two periods 24-18.

Eliezer Sherbatov made it 6-4 when a centering attempt down low went off the skate of Beaulieu and between the legs of St-Laurent at 3:37.

Olivier Oullet left the game shortly after taking a shot in the leg but did return.

Yann Sauve hammered Evgeny Solomonov with a huge hit. Solomonov left the game without putting any weight on his leg.

At 10:43 Sauve took down Pier-Antoine Dion with his stick and was given a penalty shot. St-Laurent made a great pad save to keep it 6-4 Montreal.

Berube was equally as good in his end robbing Galiev of a sure goal.

It looked as though Jeremy Gouchie may have beaten St-Laurent but video review proved otherwise.

Saint John pulled St-Laurent with 1:05 remaining. Sherbatov slipped it into the empty net to ice the game for a final of 7-4 Montreal.

Gelinas took the loss falling to 2-2-0. Berube got the win improving to 2-1-0 on the season.

NOTES: The attenadnce was 3,122... the teams overager situation is certainly becoming a problem with nobody seeming to want to step-up… Karel St-Laurent was good in relief of Marc-Antoine Gelinas... Saint John improved its special teams greatly going 2/5 on the power play and keeping Montreal to 0/4 on extra man oppertunities.

NEXT GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Shawinigan Cataractes. Saturday, October 3, 2009 at 5:00 pm at Bionest Centre.