SN RECAP
FINAL: Wildcats 0, Sea Dogs 4
SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs closed out 2010 with a shutout victory over the rival Moncton Wildcats at Harbour Station on Friday evening.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Steven Anthony, Zach Phillips, and Kevin Gagne all scored for the Sea Dogs in a 4-0 win over the Wildcats. Jacob DeSerres made 28 saves to earn the shutout, getting third star honours along the way as well.
Shane Owen made 43 stops for the ‘Cats who have now lost four straight matches.
After an uneventful first few minutes and the sold out crowd at Harbour Station dealing with the emotional effects of watching Canada’s loss to Sweden at the world juniors on the big screen, Huberdeau lightened the mood with an incredible goal at 10:10. The 18-year old made some nice fake moves, embarrassing a Moncton defender and beating Owen with a wrist shot that skimmed through the blue paint and in.
The Sea Dogs took a 2-0 lead at 13:35 when Phillips crossed the blue line and gave a cross ice feed to a streaking Anthony. The Vancouver Canucks prospect wristed a shot high blocker side to make it a two-goal game.
In the second, not a whole lot happened. DeSerres was kept busy in the Sea Dogs goal, making 13 saves in the frame. He made two big pad stops on the same play in the middle of the period to keep momentum going in Saint John’s favour.
Fast forward to the final stanza, Phillips was sent in alone at 3:55 on a short break and beat Owen with a low wrist shot to make it a 3-0 Sea Dogs lead. The marker would be the Dogs’ only man advantage goal of the game.
Saint John captain Mike Thomas and Wildcat Olivier Daoust dropped the gloves at 4:26 in a spirited tilt that saw both players land some shots. Daoust picked up a misconduct for not having his jersey tied down properly.
At 8:49, the main event took place as Alexandre Beauregard and Tyler Howe got into a scrap. Both players landed some good punches in a long tilt that was eventually ended by the officials separating the two combatants.
Gagne made it a 4-0 game at 9:04 when Stephen MacAulay gave a short pass to him. The New Brunswicker sat at the top of the circle and sent a low shot on goal that snuck under the pads of the Moncton goaltender.
The rough stuff continued at 12:34 of the third when Danick Gauthier absolutely leveled Scott Trask against the boards behind the Wildcats net. Trask got up following the hit, fell over, and then headed back to the bench after being looked at by a ‘Cats trainer.
Saint John outshot Moncton 47-28 in the game. Moncton went 0/2 on the power play while Saint John, despite not clicking much on the man advantage, went 1/5.
NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow.
NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs travel to Moncton on Sunday to face the Wildcats at the Moncton Coliesum. Please, please, please, note that this game starts at 2:00 pm and NOT the usual 4:00 pm.
Friday, December 31, 2010
My pick for first half MVP
MVP: Sorry Tyson Barrie, you were named the Kelowna Rockets MVP last season but you will have to take a back seat to this man after a sensational first half. Nineteen year-old goaltender Adam Brown is my choice as MVP after 36 games. Brown has been consistent all season long and is the main reason why this team is in the mix in the Western Conference standings. Plagued by giving up soft goals and up and down play last season, Brown has been 'lights out' night after night. The statistics tell the story. Brown is among the top three goaltenders in the WHL in goals against average and save percentage. Those numbers are impressive considering he faces a lot of shots, plays huge minutes and doesn't play in front of star studded defensive core. I wish Adam Brown was two inches taller. If he was, NHL scouts would have to give him a long look. A sensational first half may force scouts to roll the dice on this technically sound goaltender.Best Defenceman: No question, it's Tyson Barrie. Outside of Brown, Barrie is the Rockets best player. The 19 year-old can control the tempo of the game and makes everyone on his team look better. Why? Barrie has the ability to move the puck up ice by himself when the Rockets are scrambling in their own zone and can quickly put the puck in the hands of awaiting forwards with ease. No one quarterbacks the power play better than Barrie.
Best forward: It's a nice problem to have when you can pick two players as candidates for this award. If I had to pick just one, Mitchell Callahan's strong opening half edges out line-mate Shane McColgan. Why? Callahan brings so many facets to the table. He can score, check and fight. What stands out for me is Callahan's offensive production outside of power play time. Twenty (20) of Callahan's 33 points this season have come even strength.
Top rookie: Considered to have one of the highest hockey I.Q's on the team, 17 year-old Colton Sissons is my selection as first half rookie of the year. Sissons battle level along the wall is tremendous for a first year player. A big body, Sissons is the first to loose pucks and wins more battles than he losses along the boards. You have to remember, Sissons isn't draft eligible until next season. A late birthday in November meant he opened the season at 16. Damon Severson is running a close second to Sissons after a solid first half.
Best hands in-tight: Geordie Wudrick. No one on the Rockets is better at close range than Wudrick. His quick hands with the puck five feet from the net is lethal. Wudrick won't fly by you with his skating ability but when he gains control behind the opposition net, be prepared for something good to happen.
Best role player: Jesse Astles. Yep. The 17 year-old now appears to realize his role on this team. Not afraid to fight, Astles has seven majors this season after recording just four in his rookie campaign. Astles has essentially taken over the role from Mitchell Callahan, who will still fight, but is of greater value with his presence on the ice, not in the penalty box serving a five minute penalty. Callahan has six fighting majors, one fewer than Astles.
Most respected teammate: I had to include this category after an overwhelming majority of players glowingly talked about this teammate. While you don't find his name on the score sheet often, he does whatever is asked of him for the betterment of the team. He is a true leader in every sense of the word and should wear the 'C' next season. Who is this unsung hero? Spencer Main.
Sleeping giant: Brett Bulmer. Once Bulmer adds consistency to his game, look out. When Bulmer is on, he's a game breaker. When he's off, you scratch your head wondering where did this guy go? A good skater, play maker and shooter, Bulmer has it all...plus he's blessed with good size. The complete package? If he figures out what is needed to be consistent every night he will be a top 20 point getter in the WHL. Guaranteed.
Agree? Disagree? Let the debate begin by leaving a comment. This is opinion based. No comment is the wrong answer.
FLASHBACK FRIDAY: One Year Ago...
One year ago tonight, one of the most entertaining games of the 2009-10 season took place at the Moncton Coliseum.
The Moncton Wildacts held a 3-1 lead going into the second intermission against the Saint John Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs have never had much luck in Moncton in terms of winning.
“We came in the room after the second period and no one was talking,” said Mike Hoffman to the Telegraph-Journal, via the SN post-game. “We were just thinking about what we had to do in the third period.
"All the boys were focused in the room and we went out there and dominated them in the third period. Coming back from 3-1 in Moncton isn't an easy thing to do.''
But Saint John did it, coming all the way back. Danick Gauthier scored early in the third and Yann Sauve tied it, eventually taking the match to a shootout. Mike Hoffman and Tomas Jurco scored in the breakaway challenge to pick up the extra point.
Probably the most memorable moment of the game came when Marco Cousineau made an unreal save in the dying moments to send the game to extra time.
Apparently, these are the highlights. For some bizarre reason, the goals are not in order.
And here is the shootout:
NOTES
- Nicola Riopel made his 2009-10 home debut for the Wildcats.
- Marco Cousineau made his Sea Dogs debut wearing red pads and a white mask.
- In the guess-how-many-jelly-beans-there-are contest, an incredible eight people had the winning amount.
- Mike Thomas was serving a suspension in this game. What a shock.
The Moncton Wildacts held a 3-1 lead going into the second intermission against the Saint John Sea Dogs. The Sea Dogs have never had much luck in Moncton in terms of winning.
“We came in the room after the second period and no one was talking,” said Mike Hoffman to the Telegraph-Journal, via the SN post-game. “We were just thinking about what we had to do in the third period.
"All the boys were focused in the room and we went out there and dominated them in the third period. Coming back from 3-1 in Moncton isn't an easy thing to do.''
But Saint John did it, coming all the way back. Danick Gauthier scored early in the third and Yann Sauve tied it, eventually taking the match to a shootout. Mike Hoffman and Tomas Jurco scored in the breakaway challenge to pick up the extra point.
Probably the most memorable moment of the game came when Marco Cousineau made an unreal save in the dying moments to send the game to extra time.
Apparently, these are the highlights. For some bizarre reason, the goals are not in order.
And here is the shootout:
NOTES
- Nicola Riopel made his 2009-10 home debut for the Wildcats.
- Marco Cousineau made his Sea Dogs debut wearing red pads and a white mask.
- In the guess-how-many-jelly-beans-there-are contest, an incredible eight people had the winning amount.
- Mike Thomas was serving a suspension in this game. What a shock.
PRE-GAME: Rivalry Cup Game 3 - Moncton Wildcats vs Saint John Sea Dogs
GAME DAY
WHO: Moncton Wildcats vs Saint John Sea Dogs
WHEN: Tonight, 7:30 pm
WHERE: Harbour Station
VISITING TEAM: Moncton Wildcats
Record: 20-14-1-3 (3rd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 4-1 loss vs PEI yesterday
Leading Scorer: Allain Saulnier (38GP-17G-29A-46Pts)
Notes: The Moncton Wildcats enter play on this New Year’s Eve with a record of 20-14-1-3 which places them third in the Maritimes Division and tenth overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Wildcats are 16 points back of the division leading Saint John Sea Dogs and four points back of the the second place Acadie-Bathurst Titan… Moncton is coming off a 4-1 loss last night at the Moncton Coliseum against the Prince Edward Island Rocket. Thomas Flynn opened the scoring in the first period and that would prove to be the lone ‘Cats goal as the Rocket scored four unanswered markers. Shane Owen made 29 saves in the loss… Moncton is on a bit of slide of late. They have lost three straight contests and have been outscored 11-3 during that time. They include a shutout loss against Bathurst, a one-goal defeat against the cellar dwelling Halifax Mooseheads, and last night’s loss… 4-5-1-0 in their last 10 games… the Wildcats are 11-8-0-1 on the road so far this season but have been outscored 72-66 along the way… Moncton’s power play has been decent this year. They are currently ranked fifth in the league with a rating of 26.9%. On the road, their power play is operating at 26.2%... the Wildcats’ penalty kill is ranked eighth in the QMJHL with a rating of 80.1%. On the road, their penalty kill improves to 81%... Allain Saulnier leads the Wildcats in scoring with 46 points on the year. His twin, Alex, is a close second with 45 points… Marek Hrivik is currently playing with Team Slovakia at the world juniors but still leads Moncton in goals scored with 18. Allain Saulnier and Daniel Pettersson are a close second with 17 markers each… Daniel Milan is a team worst -13… 20-year old Shane Owen will likely get the start in net for Moncton. He has a record of 11-11-0-3, a goals against average of 3.14, and a save percentage of 0.910… Hrivik and Alex Saulnier are tied for fifth in the QMJHL with 15 power play assists… goaltender Shane Owen is tied for the league lead in shootout loses with three… Milan leads all rookies in power play points with 14… Moncton is 16-4-0-1 when scoring first… the ‘Cats are averaging 3.45 goals per game and 3.50 goals against per game… the ‘Cats are allowing a league high 33.42 shots against per game… Moncton is 1-0-0-1 when playing Saint John on New Year’s Eve… they are 0-2-0-0 against the Sea Dogs this season.
Record: 29-5-0-2 (1st in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 5-4 loss at Bathurst yesterday
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (36GP-24G-32A-56Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter play this evening with a record of 29-5-0-2 which is good for first in the Maritimes Division and third overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Dogs slipped to third after losing in Bathurst last night, falling three points back of the Quebec Remparts and one point back of the Montreal Juniors. The Sea Dogs have played four fewer games than Quebec and three fewer than Montreal… in the last BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings, the Sea Dogs were ranked first… Saint John is coming off a 5-4 loss in Bathurst last night. Kevin Gagne and Steven Anthony both scored early to give the Dogs a 2-0 lead. But the Titan climbed back to eventually win the game with a late third period marker. Stanislav Galiev and Scott Oke were the other goal scorers. Jacob DeSerres and Federic Piche combine to stop 28 shots… Saint John has the sixth best power play in the league with a rating of 24.1%… the team's penalty kill is operating at 81.3%, good for fifth overall in the QMJHL… Saint John remains a remarkable 17-0-0-1 at Harbour Station this season, picking up 35 of a possible 36 points. They have outscored their opposition 94-38 on home ice this season... 8-2-0-0 in their last 10 games and are coming off a loss. Prior to yesterday’s loss, the Sea Dogs had won three straight… Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Dogs in points with 56 in 36 games this season. He also leads the team in assists with 32 and is second in goals with 24… Zach Phillips leads Saint John in goal scoring with 25 markers on the season… Huberdeau is a league best +33 this year… Jacob DeSerres will likely get the start in net. He has a record of 12-2-0-0, a goals against average of 2.37, and a save percentage of 0.916. DeSerres replaced Frederic Piche halfway through yesterday’s game… Michael Kirkpatrick is second in the QMJHL with 96 shots on goal… DeSerres’ GAA of 2.37 is the second best in the QMJHL… Saint John leads the league in shots for per game with an average of 35.67… the Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 against Moncton this season and have outscored them 15-9.
SAINT JOHN NOTES
Simon Despres and Tomas Jurco are away representing their countries at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo. Both Canada and Slovakia play today.
Danick Gauthier left last night’s game in the second period and did not return.
ALSO AT THIS GAME
From the Sea Dogs website:
Not only will the Dogs and Cats resume the Brunswick News Rivalry Cup, but Saint John sports heroes of the past will be honoured as part of the city’s 225th anniversary celebrations. In addition, the Sea Dogs and Sea Dogs Foundation have set a goal of collecting $10,000 for flood relief efforts in Charlotte County. Fans will be asked to make donations at the game, with the Sea Dogs Foundation matching every donation dollar for dollar, up to the first $5,000.RIVALRY CUP STANDINGS
Tonight is the third installment of the 2010-11 Brunswick News Rivalry Cup.
The Point system that will be involved for tonight’s game: three (3) points awarded to a team for a regulation win, two (2) points awarded for an overtime/shootout victory, and one (1) point awarded for an overtime/shootout loss. Three (3) points awarded for 6,000 fans, two (2) points for 5,000 fans, and one (1) point for 4,000 fans.
Saint John currently leads the challenge 8-2. With over 6,000 tickets already sold for tonight’s game, the Sea Dogs take an 11-2 lead.
MONCTON IS HURTING
The Wildcats have a bunch of players both on the injury list or away at some world junior tournament.
From Tuesday’s Times &Transcript:
The Wildcats also have three players on the injured list: defenceman Brandon Gormley and forwards Daniel Pettersson and Ted Stephens.AFTER THE GAME
Gormley was sidelined with a knee injury on Nov. 26 and he's being targeted for a mid January return to the lineup. Pettersson was expected to miss 6-8 weeks after suffering a broken wrist on Dec. 12 so that means he will likely return in late January or early February.
Stephens hasn't played since suffering a concussion on Sept. 22. He will begin practising with the club this week doing non contact drills. If he does well there, he will move on to contact drills and could be cleared to play within the next two weeks.
The Wildcats are missing three more forwards. Marek Hrivik is with Slovakia at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship in Buffalo. Ryan Penny and Brett Malone are with Team Atlantic at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Championship, which begins tomorrow in Winnipeg.
The Wildcats are also without defenceman James Melindy. He remained in Newfoundland to spend time with his family following the death of his grandmother.
Moncton defenceman Patrick Downe (concussion) will return to the lineup for Thursday's game.
Bunch of New Year's Eve stuff going down on the Market Square Boardwalk after the game. HERE is all the info.
ARENA INFO
Venue: Harbour Station
Seating Capacity: 6,297
Average Attendance: 3,852
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, Times & Transcript, L’Acadie Nouvelle
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 Moncton Sunday to face the Wildcats. Please note that this game is a 2:00 pm start.
TONIGHT'S GAME IS SOLD OUT
Tonight’s Saint John Sea Dogs game against the Moncton Wildcats at Harbour Station is completely sold out. Harbour Station released 200 standing room tickets yesterday but they have since been sold as well.
This is the first sell out for a Sea Dogs game since Game Five of the 2010 President’s Cup Final when tickets were bought in just minutes for the Sea Dogs – Wildcats tilt.
The annual New Year’s Eve game has proven to be a success when held at night. Last year’s game at the Moncton Coliseum was sold out as well.
Fans wishing to follow the Rivalry Cup match can listen on News 88.9, purchase the game on Telus webcast, or follow Station Nation on Twitter or the live blog for updates.
This is the first sell out for a Sea Dogs game since Game Five of the 2010 President’s Cup Final when tickets were bought in just minutes for the Sea Dogs – Wildcats tilt.
The annual New Year’s Eve game has proven to be a success when held at night. Last year’s game at the Moncton Coliseum was sold out as well.
Fans wishing to follow the Rivalry Cup match can listen on News 88.9, purchase the game on Telus webcast, or follow Station Nation on Twitter or the live blog for updates.
Philippine Lotto Results - December 31, 2010 (Friday) | MegaLotto 6/45, 4Digit, Swertres Lotto, EZ2 Lotto
Below are the results of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) MegaLotto 6/45, 4Digit, Swertres Lotto, and EZ2 Lotto December 31, 2010 (Friday) Draws:
Philippine Mega Lotto 6/45
Winning Number Combination: 40-35-27-38-26-13
Jackpot Prize: Php 4,500,000.00
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
4Digit
1-3-9-2
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
Swertres 3 Lotto
Morning 11:00 am: 9-5-2
Afternoon 4:00 pm: 4-4-4
Evening 9:00 pm: 3-2-6
Php 4,500
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
EZ2
Morning 11am: 10-29
Afternoon 4pm: 28-28
Evening 9pm: 27-15
Php 4,000
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
Check out past Philippine Lotto Results here
Winning Number Combination: 40-35-27-38-26-13
Jackpot Prize: Php 4,500,000.00
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
4Digit
1-3-9-2
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
Swertres 3 Lotto
Morning 11:00 am: 9-5-2
Afternoon 4:00 pm: 4-4-4
Evening 9:00 pm: 3-2-6
Php 4,500
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
EZ2
Morning 11am: 10-29
Afternoon 4pm: 28-28
Evening 9pm: 27-15
Php 4,000
Draw Date: 12/31/2010
Check out past Philippine Lotto Results here
WJC TODAY - 12-31-10
Switzerland pulled off a 6-4 victory over Slovakia yesterday at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo.
Switzerland took a 3-1 lead after 20-minutes and a 4-2 lead through 40. But in the third, the Slovaks battled back to tie the match at 4-4. A Swiss goal at 14:06 of the final frame and an empty netter in the final minute would guarantee a Switzerland win.
Saint John Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco failed to register a point – or a shot on goal – in the loss. He finished the match with a -1 rating. What his stats don’t show, however, is a glorious scoring opportunity he couldn’t cash in on.
From the Buffalo News:
In his game Thursday against the Swiss, Slovakia's Tomas Jurco saw the rebound bounce to him with a wide-open net in his vision. In anticipation of what seemed like a sure goal, whoever operates the goal light signaled the red light instantly.More from Yahoo! Sports:
Not so fast. Jurco couldn't corral the loose puck for the easy goal -- a theme for the Slovaks all game. Switzerland kept the lead and went on the win. The play was one, of many, missed opportunities for Slovakia. Just ask whoever was operating the goal light.
Draft-eligible forward Tomas Jurco was shaking his head after missing a glorious chance in the second period. He had a wide open net to goalie Benjamin Conz’s left, but a defender just managed to tip the puck away.Slovakia is now 1-2 at the world juniors and play their final preliminary round game today against Finland.
“I tried the rebound, the defenceman put his stick there and it was just bad luck, it missed (by) like a couple of centimetres,” Jurco said. “He put his stick on my stick, it was a hard rebound but still I should have scored.”
THE BIG ONE
Coming off a 6-3 win against the Czech Republic, the 3-0 Swedes will face their toughest test of the tournament today when they face the Canadians at HSBC Arena.
Game time is 5:00 pm AST with the TSN pre-game show beginning at 4:30 pm. For those travelling to Harbour Station for today’s Rivalry Cup game, the match is supposed to be on News 88.9 beginning at 4:30.
Canada, also 3-0, is coming off a 10-1 blowout victory over Norway Wednesday night. The day off yesterday was probably the best thing for the beat up Canadians. Cody Eakin and Calvin de Haan are expected to return from injuries tonight. Meanwhile, Zack Kassian will be suspended and Jaden Schwartz is out for the remainder of the tournament with an ankle injury.
Brayden Schenn enters tonight’s game on a hot streak after scoring four goals against the Norwegians. He leads the Canadians in points with six goals and 12-points. Four players for Sweden are tied with a team high four points.
Acadie-Bathurst Titan goaltender Olivier Roy is expected to start in net for Canada.
OTHER GAMES
Other games at the world juniors today include the Czech Republic taking on Russia and the United States facing Switzerland.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Rockets win fourth straight
- The Kelowna Rockets know the value of good goaltending. So do the Kamloops Blazers. Adam Brown showed his worth Thursday night. Blazers netminder Jeff Bosch, who started the game, witnessed it from the bench. Brown was his 'Steady Eddie' self in the Rockets 7-1 win over the Blazers. Brown was one of the main reasons why his team enjoyed a 3-0 lead after 40 minutes before his teammates buried the Blazers in the third.
- Bosch was yanked after two periods after giving up three suspect goals, including two wrap-around chances by Cody Chikie and Geordie Wudrick. Chikie's opening goal is scored on a long range shot that sneaks past Bosch and trickles into the net. The soft goal comes after the Blazers are applying the pressure. Brown is holding his team in the game at one end while Bosch is letting his team down at the other.
- The Blazers deserved a better fate, so don't let the score fool you. But again Brown was a difference maker when his team was out-shot 12-6 in the second period alone. Brown makes 12 saves while Bosch allows three goals on just those six shots. That's the difference.
- Chikie, Wudrick and Shane McColgan each had two goal games. Brown's shutout bid comes to an end when Blazers captain Chase Schaber fires a low shot past the 19 year-old goaltender with about four minutes to play in the game. Brown had gone over 154 minutes without allowing a goal after shutting out the Everett Silvertips 4-0 on Tuesday and allowing just one goal in a 5-1 win over Calgary on December 17th.
- This was a physical affair, with two fighting majors and several big hits. It starts when Colton Sissons runs into Austin Madiasky at the Blazers blue line. Sissons falls down but while Madiasky stays on his feet and slowly makes his way to the bench, he appears to have the wind knocked out of him. The best hit came later when Rockets defenceman Kevin Smith comes out of the penalty box after serving a holding penalty and clocks Blazers forward Thomas Frazee. Smith finds himself challenged by Blazers forward J.T Barnett after the hit is applied.
- Smith ended the game with two assists, a fight and a +4 rating...the best plus/minus of any player on the ice. Smith is now a +10 in the month of December. No Rockets player has a better +/- during the month than Smith.
- The only other fight saw Blazers forward J.C Lipon tangle with Rockets d-man MacKenzie Johnston late in the game. Lipon is the aggressor, but Johnston answers the bell. It was Lipon's 7th fighting major this season. Johnston does well with only his second tilt of the season.
- Johnston comes within inches of scoring his first WHL goal when he hits the cross bar early in the first period. Johnston has yet to register a point this season and is now the only Rockets regular to do so.
- Gal Koren earned his first career point with an assist on Geordie Wudrick's second period goal.
- Let's take our hat off to defenceman Colton Jobke who played through pain yet played an affective game. Despite suffering a knee injury Tuesday against Everett, the 18 year-old was pressed into service and played some big minutes.
- The win is the Rockets 4th straight and moves them back into second place in the Western Conference. The Rockets have now out-scored their opponent 19-4.
TITAN CLIMB BACK TO DROP SEA DOGS
SN POST-GAME
FINAL: Sea Dogs 4, Titan 5
BATHURST – It wasn’t the way the Saint John Sea Dogs wanted to open up the second half of their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season.
The Sea Dogs blew a 2-0 first period lead as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan battled back to win 5-4 Thursday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre.
Bathurst scored three straight goals after falling behind 2-0 early. The Titan would fight all game despite the Sea Dogs tying the match up twice. A late third period goal by Jeremie Malouin iced the game for the home team who were also playing their first match of the second half.
Gabriel Levesque, Jonathan Lessard, Jeremie Blain, and Daivid Gilbert also scored for Bathurst. Robert Steeves made 32 saves in the win.
For Saint John, Kevin Gagne, Steven Anthony, Stanislav Galiev, and Scott Oke all scored. Frederic Piche was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots while Jacob DeSerres made 17 stops in relief.
FIRST PERIOD
Just a few minutes in, Tyrone Sock turned the puck over in front, giving Sebastien Trudeua a glorious chance. But Saint John goaltender Frederic Piche was able to dive and get a piece of it to keep it scoreless.
Not long after, Guillaume Cloutier fired a shot from the point that hit something on its way by and forced Titan netminder Robert Steeves to make a nice save. Then, Stephen MacAulay centered the puck for Mike Thomas at the top of crease but Steeves was there to keep it out with a nice pad stop.
Saint John opened the scoring at 7:28 when Kevin Gagne fired the puck from just above the faceoff circle and through a mild amount of traffic to make it 1-0 Sea Dogs.
Gabriel Levesque had a great opportunity for the Titan moments later when he was left alone in the slot. But a Saint John player got his stick in the way and deflected the shot high and wide of the cage.
After Danick Gauthier put a big hit on Jeremie Malouin at the blue line, the newly acquired Marc-Olivier Mimar had a solid chance for Bathurst but was robbed by the glove of Piche.
A questionable call against Ryan Tesink at 14:47 gave Bathurst a power play chance. With just a few seconds left in the man advantage, Jeremie Blain was called for hooking at 16:28 and put an end to the Titan’s power play.
On the man advantage at 17:16, Nathan Beaulieu fired the puck down low to Steven Anthony who stood along the goal line. Anthony walked out and fired a shot on Steeves who made the save, but the Vancouver Canucks prospect pounced on the rebound to make it a 2-0 Sea Dogs lead.
New Sea Dog Alexandre Beauregard collided with Daniel Tanel at 18:27, giving Bathurst a power play. Zach O’Brien had the puck along the goal line and walked out in front, feeding Levesque at the side of the net to make it a 2-1 affair heading into intermission.
Shots in the opening stanza were 14-6 in favour of the visitors.
SECOND PERIOD
The Sea Dogs went to the power play 16 seconds into the second period but could not connect. A few minutes later, Bathurst had a great chance to tie the match in front but was denied by the pad of Piche.
Sock was called for tripping at 4:13. On the man advantage, Jonathan Lessard let a point shot go that was stopped by Piche. A big rebound was produced and Lessard skated in and beat Piche with a shot that just barely rolled across the line to make it a 2-2 affair.
The goal seemed to lift Bathurst as they a several minutes of solid offensive pressure. Yoan Pinette centered the puck in front but the pass deflected off a skate and out of danger. Then David Gilbert tried to jam the disc past the pads of Piche but had no such luck.
Shortly after Trudeau missed a breakaway pass, the Titan would take the lead. Blain fired a point shot through traffic at 8:44 and skimmed past the glove of Piche to make it a 3-2 Titan game.
But Saint John would respond just over a minute later at 9:58. Beaulieu let a point shot go that was stopped by Steeves but he couldn’t handle the rebound. Stanislav Galiev pulled off a small deke to beat the Bathurst backstop and tie the match once again.
But the Titan would keep coming. At 12:07, Mimar sent a pass ahead to Gilbert who went in alone. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect made a move to the forehand to give Bathurst a 4-3 advantage. Piche would get the hook following the goal, giving way to Jacob DeSerres.
At 12:34, Zach Phillips was whistled for tripping. Lessard had the best power play chance for the Titan when he was robbed by the leather of DeSerres on a backhand shot.
Shots in the middle stanza were 13-7 Bathurst.
THIRD ROUND
Pinette had the best chance early in the third when he ripped a rebound shot just high and over the glove of DeSerres. Then a few moments later, a shot from below the circle caused a scramble in the crease. Zach Phillips found the loose puck and flipped out of danger. Unfortunately, the puck went up and over the glass and was given a penalty for his actions.
While shorthanded, Jonathan Huberdeau and Steven Anthony broke in on a two-on-one. But Huberdeau was taken down and couldn’t get a shot off. That would be the only decent scoring chance even though it was a Bathurst power play.
At 7:22, a Cloutier shot from inside the line was stopped by Steeves and the puck dribbled to the side of the net. Scott Oke poked the puck across the line to tie the match up once again, this time by score of 4-4.
After several minutes of back-and-forth junk, the Sea Dogs fourth line caused a solid scramble in the crease that forced Steeves to make a quick stop.
Disaster struck for Saint John at 17:01. Jordan Murray dished the puck out of a small scramble just below the dot. Murray sent a beautiful cross ice pass to Malouin who had an open cage to make it a 5-4 Titan lead.
The Sea Dogs pulled DeSerres in the final minute for the extra attacker. Despite having five forwards on the ice in the final minute, the Dogs couldn’t get a needed marker as the Titan went on to win 5-4.
Shots in the third period were 15-14 Saint John.
Bathurst went 2/5 on the power play while Saint John went 1/2.
SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Tomas Jurco is away with Team Slovakia and Simon Despres is away with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, making them unavailable for the Sea Dogs.
Forward Jason Cameron was the lone healthy scratch.
PRE-GAME STUFF
There was an unreal pre-game ceremony to honour “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” star and Bathurst native Janick Arseneau.
Arseneau was escorted onto the ice in a convertible. At center ice, a bunch of people stood on the carpet and did some kind of dance thing. It took forever; News 88.9 had about five minutes straight of commercials.
BEAUREGARD’S DEBUT
Alexandre Beauregard made his Sea Dogs debut Thursday after being acquired last week. He started the game on a line with Stanislav Galiev and Michael Kirkpatrick, filling the spot usually filled by Tomas Jurco.
Beauregard finished the game with one assist, a +1 rating, no shots, two penalty minutes, 3/4 on faceoffs, and had one shot.
The grinder wore Chris DiDomenico’s old No. 25.
NOTES
Frederic Piche allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled… decent crowd for a Thursday night game in Bathurst: 1,816… Michael Kirkpatrick had a team high seven shots. Three of them were considered dangerous… Stanislav Galiev was a team best +2… Danick Gauthier left in the second period and did not return... two of Saint John's five regulation loses have come in Bathurst... Jacob DeSerres was the News 88.9 Top Dog… to relive the match, check out the SN Live Blog Replay.
THE NUMBERS
Saint John, Sea Dogs 4 at Acadie-Bathurst, Titan 5 - Status Unofficial Final
Thursday, December 30, 2010 - Centre régional K.C. Irving
Saint John 2 1 1 - 4
Acadie-Bathurst 1 3 1 - 5
1st Game Period-1, Saint John, Gagné 5 (Anthony, Huberdeau), 7:28. 2, Saint John, Anthony 12 (Beaulieu, Huberdeau), 17:16 (pp). 3, Acadie-Bathurst, Lévesque 17 (O'Brien, Trudeau), 18:47 (pp). Penalties-Tesink Snb (tripping), 14:47; Blain Bat (hooking), 16:28; Beauregard Snb (tripping), 18:27.
2nd Game Period-4, Acadie-Bathurst, Lessard 17 (Blain, Lévesque), 4:39 (pp). 5, Acadie-Bathurst, Blain 1 (O'Brien), 8:44. 6, Saint John, Galiev 17 (Beaulieu, Beauregard), 9:48. 7, Acadie-Bathurst, Gilbert 14 (Lessard, Mimar), 12:07. Penalties-Murray Bat (charging), 0:16; Sock Snb (tripping), 4:13; Phillips Snb (tripping), 12:34.
3rd Game Period-8, Saint John, Oke 5 (Cloutier, Phillips), 7:22. 9, Acadie-Bathurst, Malouin 5 (Murray, Pinette), 17:01. Penalties-Phillips Snb (delay of game), 4:21.
Shots on Goal-Saint John 36. Acadie-Bathurst 33.
Power Play Opportunities-Saint John 1 of 2; Acadie-Bathurst 2 of 5.
Goalies-Saint John, Piché 13-2-0-2 (15 shots-11 saves); DeSerres 12-1-0-0 (18 shots-17 saves). Acadie-Bathurst, Steeves 7-2-0-0 (36 shots-32 saves).
A-1,816
Referees-Guy Pellerin (17), Jonathan Langille (12).
Linesmen-Ryan Burke (46), Christian Boudreau (48).
NEXT GAME
Game Three of the 2010-11 Brunswick News Rivalry Cup goes tomorrow at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station.
FINAL: Sea Dogs 4, Titan 5
BATHURST – It wasn’t the way the Saint John Sea Dogs wanted to open up the second half of their Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season.
The Sea Dogs blew a 2-0 first period lead as the Acadie-Bathurst Titan battled back to win 5-4 Thursday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre.
Bathurst scored three straight goals after falling behind 2-0 early. The Titan would fight all game despite the Sea Dogs tying the match up twice. A late third period goal by Jeremie Malouin iced the game for the home team who were also playing their first match of the second half.
Gabriel Levesque, Jonathan Lessard, Jeremie Blain, and Daivid Gilbert also scored for Bathurst. Robert Steeves made 32 saves in the win.
For Saint John, Kevin Gagne, Steven Anthony, Stanislav Galiev, and Scott Oke all scored. Frederic Piche was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 15 shots while Jacob DeSerres made 17 stops in relief.
FIRST PERIOD
Just a few minutes in, Tyrone Sock turned the puck over in front, giving Sebastien Trudeua a glorious chance. But Saint John goaltender Frederic Piche was able to dive and get a piece of it to keep it scoreless.
Not long after, Guillaume Cloutier fired a shot from the point that hit something on its way by and forced Titan netminder Robert Steeves to make a nice save. Then, Stephen MacAulay centered the puck for Mike Thomas at the top of crease but Steeves was there to keep it out with a nice pad stop.
Saint John opened the scoring at 7:28 when Kevin Gagne fired the puck from just above the faceoff circle and through a mild amount of traffic to make it 1-0 Sea Dogs.
Gabriel Levesque had a great opportunity for the Titan moments later when he was left alone in the slot. But a Saint John player got his stick in the way and deflected the shot high and wide of the cage.
After Danick Gauthier put a big hit on Jeremie Malouin at the blue line, the newly acquired Marc-Olivier Mimar had a solid chance for Bathurst but was robbed by the glove of Piche.
A questionable call against Ryan Tesink at 14:47 gave Bathurst a power play chance. With just a few seconds left in the man advantage, Jeremie Blain was called for hooking at 16:28 and put an end to the Titan’s power play.
On the man advantage at 17:16, Nathan Beaulieu fired the puck down low to Steven Anthony who stood along the goal line. Anthony walked out and fired a shot on Steeves who made the save, but the Vancouver Canucks prospect pounced on the rebound to make it a 2-0 Sea Dogs lead.
New Sea Dog Alexandre Beauregard collided with Daniel Tanel at 18:27, giving Bathurst a power play. Zach O’Brien had the puck along the goal line and walked out in front, feeding Levesque at the side of the net to make it a 2-1 affair heading into intermission.
Shots in the opening stanza were 14-6 in favour of the visitors.
SECOND PERIOD
The Sea Dogs went to the power play 16 seconds into the second period but could not connect. A few minutes later, Bathurst had a great chance to tie the match in front but was denied by the pad of Piche.
Sock was called for tripping at 4:13. On the man advantage, Jonathan Lessard let a point shot go that was stopped by Piche. A big rebound was produced and Lessard skated in and beat Piche with a shot that just barely rolled across the line to make it a 2-2 affair.
The goal seemed to lift Bathurst as they a several minutes of solid offensive pressure. Yoan Pinette centered the puck in front but the pass deflected off a skate and out of danger. Then David Gilbert tried to jam the disc past the pads of Piche but had no such luck.
Shortly after Trudeau missed a breakaway pass, the Titan would take the lead. Blain fired a point shot through traffic at 8:44 and skimmed past the glove of Piche to make it a 3-2 Titan game.
But Saint John would respond just over a minute later at 9:58. Beaulieu let a point shot go that was stopped by Steeves but he couldn’t handle the rebound. Stanislav Galiev pulled off a small deke to beat the Bathurst backstop and tie the match once again.
But the Titan would keep coming. At 12:07, Mimar sent a pass ahead to Gilbert who went in alone. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect made a move to the forehand to give Bathurst a 4-3 advantage. Piche would get the hook following the goal, giving way to Jacob DeSerres.
At 12:34, Zach Phillips was whistled for tripping. Lessard had the best power play chance for the Titan when he was robbed by the leather of DeSerres on a backhand shot.
Shots in the middle stanza were 13-7 Bathurst.
THIRD ROUND
Pinette had the best chance early in the third when he ripped a rebound shot just high and over the glove of DeSerres. Then a few moments later, a shot from below the circle caused a scramble in the crease. Zach Phillips found the loose puck and flipped out of danger. Unfortunately, the puck went up and over the glass and was given a penalty for his actions.
While shorthanded, Jonathan Huberdeau and Steven Anthony broke in on a two-on-one. But Huberdeau was taken down and couldn’t get a shot off. That would be the only decent scoring chance even though it was a Bathurst power play.
At 7:22, a Cloutier shot from inside the line was stopped by Steeves and the puck dribbled to the side of the net. Scott Oke poked the puck across the line to tie the match up once again, this time by score of 4-4.
After several minutes of back-and-forth junk, the Sea Dogs fourth line caused a solid scramble in the crease that forced Steeves to make a quick stop.
Disaster struck for Saint John at 17:01. Jordan Murray dished the puck out of a small scramble just below the dot. Murray sent a beautiful cross ice pass to Malouin who had an open cage to make it a 5-4 Titan lead.
The Sea Dogs pulled DeSerres in the final minute for the extra attacker. Despite having five forwards on the ice in the final minute, the Dogs couldn’t get a needed marker as the Titan went on to win 5-4.
Shots in the third period were 15-14 Saint John.
Bathurst went 2/5 on the power play while Saint John went 1/2.
SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Tomas Jurco is away with Team Slovakia and Simon Despres is away with Team Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo, making them unavailable for the Sea Dogs.
Forward Jason Cameron was the lone healthy scratch.
PRE-GAME STUFF
There was an unreal pre-game ceremony to honour “So You Think You Can Dance Canada” star and Bathurst native Janick Arseneau.
Arseneau was escorted onto the ice in a convertible. At center ice, a bunch of people stood on the carpet and did some kind of dance thing. It took forever; News 88.9 had about five minutes straight of commercials.
BEAUREGARD’S DEBUT
Alexandre Beauregard made his Sea Dogs debut Thursday after being acquired last week. He started the game on a line with Stanislav Galiev and Michael Kirkpatrick, filling the spot usually filled by Tomas Jurco.
Beauregard finished the game with one assist, a +1 rating, no shots, two penalty minutes, 3/4 on faceoffs, and had one shot.
The grinder wore Chris DiDomenico’s old No. 25.
NOTES
Frederic Piche allowed four goals on 15 shots before being pulled… decent crowd for a Thursday night game in Bathurst: 1,816… Michael Kirkpatrick had a team high seven shots. Three of them were considered dangerous… Stanislav Galiev was a team best +2… Danick Gauthier left in the second period and did not return... two of Saint John's five regulation loses have come in Bathurst... Jacob DeSerres was the News 88.9 Top Dog… to relive the match, check out the SN Live Blog Replay.
THE NUMBERS
Saint John, Sea Dogs 4 at Acadie-Bathurst, Titan 5 - Status Unofficial Final
Thursday, December 30, 2010 - Centre régional K.C. Irving
Saint John 2 1 1 - 4
Acadie-Bathurst 1 3 1 - 5
1st Game Period-1, Saint John, Gagné 5 (Anthony, Huberdeau), 7:28. 2, Saint John, Anthony 12 (Beaulieu, Huberdeau), 17:16 (pp). 3, Acadie-Bathurst, Lévesque 17 (O'Brien, Trudeau), 18:47 (pp). Penalties-Tesink Snb (tripping), 14:47; Blain Bat (hooking), 16:28; Beauregard Snb (tripping), 18:27.
2nd Game Period-4, Acadie-Bathurst, Lessard 17 (Blain, Lévesque), 4:39 (pp). 5, Acadie-Bathurst, Blain 1 (O'Brien), 8:44. 6, Saint John, Galiev 17 (Beaulieu, Beauregard), 9:48. 7, Acadie-Bathurst, Gilbert 14 (Lessard, Mimar), 12:07. Penalties-Murray Bat (charging), 0:16; Sock Snb (tripping), 4:13; Phillips Snb (tripping), 12:34.
3rd Game Period-8, Saint John, Oke 5 (Cloutier, Phillips), 7:22. 9, Acadie-Bathurst, Malouin 5 (Murray, Pinette), 17:01. Penalties-Phillips Snb (delay of game), 4:21.
Shots on Goal-Saint John 36. Acadie-Bathurst 33.
Power Play Opportunities-Saint John 1 of 2; Acadie-Bathurst 2 of 5.
Goalies-Saint John, Piché 13-2-0-2 (15 shots-11 saves); DeSerres 12-1-0-0 (18 shots-17 saves). Acadie-Bathurst, Steeves 7-2-0-0 (36 shots-32 saves).
A-1,816
Referees-Guy Pellerin (17), Jonathan Langille (12).
Linesmen-Ryan Burke (46), Christian Boudreau (48).
NEXT GAME
Game Three of the 2010-11 Brunswick News Rivalry Cup goes tomorrow at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station.
LIVE BLOG: Sea Dogs vs Titan
NOTE: The internet is being a joke tonight so no comments can be posted.
PRE-GAME: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan
By Station Nation Staff
GAME DAY
WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan
WHEN: Tonight, 7:30 pm
WHERE: KC Irving Regional Centre
VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 29-4-0-2 (1st in Atlantic Division)
Last Game: 2-1 win at Cape Breton on December 18
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (35GP-24G-30A-54Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter action tonight with a record of 29-4-0-2 which is good for first in the Maritimes Division and a tie for second overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They are a single point back of the league leading Quebec Remparts but have played four fewer games than Patrick Roy’s club… in the latest BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings, the Sea Dogs were placed as the No. 1 team in the Canadian Hockey League… the Sea Dogs have not played since December 18 when Stephen MacAulay scored with less than a second remaining in regulation to give Saint John a 2-1 victory over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at Centre 200. Jacob DeSerres made 22 stops in the road win. Saint John was supposed to travel to Charlottetown on Tuesday to face the Rocket but couldn’t because of bad weather… Saint John has won three straight games going into tonight’s match and are 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games. Their last loss came December 10 in Lewiston against the MAINEiacs… the Dogs continue to lead the QMJHL in goals scored this season with 168 in 35 games. They are averaging 4.8 goals per game… Saint John has also allowed the fewest goals against this year with 90 for an average of 2.6 goals against per game… 12-4-0-1 on the road and have outscored their opposition 74-52 along the way… Saint John has the sixth best power play in the league with a rating of 23.7%… the team's penalty kill is operating at 82.1%, good for fourth overall in the QMJHL. On the road however, their penalty kill slips to 78.6%... Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Dogs in points with 54 in 35 games this season. He also leads the team in assists with 30, is second in goals with 24, has a team high +34 rating, and is second only to the newly acquired Alexandre Beauregard in penalty minutes with 45… Zach Phillips leads the club in goals with 25 and sits just three points back of Huberdeau for the team lead in points… if the goaltending rotation carries over into the second half of the season, Frederic Piche should be getting the call in net. He has a record of 13-2-0-2, a goals against average of 2.45, and a save percentage of 0.915. He has not played since December 17 in Cape Breton, a 6-2 Saint John win… Phillips is second in the league with 11 power play goals… Phillips is tied for the league lead in first goals with seven… Stanislav Galiev, Tomas Jurco, and Huberdeau are tied for second in the league in insurance goals… Beauregard’s 80 penalty minutes place him fifth in the league in time spent in the box.
HOME TEAM: Acadie-Bathurst Titan
Record: 23-14-0-0 (2nd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 5-4 loss at Halifax on December 18
Leading Scorer: Gabriel Levesque (37GP-16G-35A-51Pts)
Notes: The Acadie-Bathurst Titan enter play this evening with a record of 23-14-0-0 which places them second in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Titan are currently 14-points back of the division leading Sea Dogs and have played two more games… like the Sea Dogs, the Titan have not played since December 18. Their last game was a 5-4 loss at the Halifax Metro Centre to the cellar dwelling Mooseheads. Vincent Arseneau, Gabriel Levesque with two, and David Gilbert all scored for Bathurst in the loss. Derek Tait allowed two goals on 15 shots while Robert Steeves allowed three of 12 shots. The offensively challenged Mooseheads outshot the Titan 27-25 in the match. Like Saint John, the Titan were scheduled to play on Tuesday but the match was postponed due to poor weather conditions… Bathurst’s power play is ranked eighth in the league with a rating of 22.5%. At home, their power play is operating at 21.3%... the Titan’s penalty kill has been solid this year and has been working at 83%, good for second in the league and only behind the Drummondville Voltigeurs. At home, their penalty kill slips all the way to 78.3%... At the KC Irving Regional Centre this season, the Titan are 12-6-0-0 and have outscored their opposition 68-55… 6-4-0-0 in their last 10-games and are coming off a loss… Gabriel Levesque leads the Titan in scoring with 51 points in 37 games this year. He also leads the team in assists by a large margin with 35… Sebastien Trudeau is the team’s goal scoring leader. He has 17 markers in 37 contests. Levesque and Jonathan Lessard are second on the team in goals with 16 each… Vincent Arseneau has been very involved in the past few Saint John – Bathurst meetings. He leads the club in penalty minutes with 94… Lessard is tied for second in the league in game winning goals with six… no Titan player is in the top-20 of the plus/minus category… Zach O’Brien is fifth in rookie scoring with 27 points… with No. 1 netminder Olivier Roy away with Team Canada at the world juniors, Robert Steeves and Derek Tait are sharing the goaltending duties. Steeves has a record of 7-2-0-0, a goals against average of 1.75, and a save percentage of 0.939. Tait has a record of 4-3-0-0, a GAA of 3.10, and a SV% of 0.894. Steeves has played more minutes than Tait.
AWAY AT THE WORLDS
Three players will be missing from this game due to duties at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo. Sea Dogs defenseman Simon Despres and the Titan’s No. 1 netminder, Olivier Roy, are currently teammates on Team Canada. Saint John forward Tomas Jurco is also away representing Slovakia.
Also missing from the Titan is forward Brent Turnbull who is playing for Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Hockey Championships in Manitoba. Sea Dogs’ Hockey Administration Coordinator Greg Leland is the coach of Team Atlantic and Titan equipment manager Nathan Beliveau is also working for the team.
Titan defenseman Jeremie Fraser is also playing at the event with Team Quebec.
BEAUREGARD DEBUT
The newly acquired Alexandre Beauregard will likely make his debut for Saint John tonight in Bathurst. The Sea Dogs acquired the gritty forward from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last week in exchange for a first round draft pick in 2011.
With the last place Huskies this season, Beauregard has four goals and six assists in 35 games to go along with 80 penalty minutes.
It will be interesting to see if Beauregard simply replaces Tomas Jurco or if the lines will be juggled a bit.
NEW FACES
The Titan have been a bit busy during the holiday trading period. From yesterday’s Telegraph-Journal:
A very special guest will appear at tonight’s game at the KC Irving Regional Centre. From the Titan’s website:
ARENA INFO
Venue: KC Irving Regional Centre
Seating Capacity: 3,542
Average Attendance: 1,578 (18th)
Year Built: 1996
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
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
Game Three of the 2010-11 Brunswick News Rivalry Cup goes tomorrow at Harbour Station as the Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats do battle. A limited number of standing room tickets remain for this 7:30 pm match.
GAME DAY
WHO: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan
WHEN: Tonight, 7:30 pm
WHERE: KC Irving Regional Centre
VISITING TEAM: Saint John Sea Dogs
Record: 29-4-0-2 (1st in Atlantic Division)
Last Game: 2-1 win at Cape Breton on December 18
Leading Scorer: Jonathan Huberdeau (35GP-24G-30A-54Pts)
Notes: The Saint John Sea Dogs enter action tonight with a record of 29-4-0-2 which is good for first in the Maritimes Division and a tie for second overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They are a single point back of the league leading Quebec Remparts but have played four fewer games than Patrick Roy’s club… in the latest BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings, the Sea Dogs were placed as the No. 1 team in the Canadian Hockey League… the Sea Dogs have not played since December 18 when Stephen MacAulay scored with less than a second remaining in regulation to give Saint John a 2-1 victory over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at Centre 200. Jacob DeSerres made 22 stops in the road win. Saint John was supposed to travel to Charlottetown on Tuesday to face the Rocket but couldn’t because of bad weather… Saint John has won three straight games going into tonight’s match and are 9-1-0-0 in their last 10 games. Their last loss came December 10 in Lewiston against the MAINEiacs… the Dogs continue to lead the QMJHL in goals scored this season with 168 in 35 games. They are averaging 4.8 goals per game… Saint John has also allowed the fewest goals against this year with 90 for an average of 2.6 goals against per game… 12-4-0-1 on the road and have outscored their opposition 74-52 along the way… Saint John has the sixth best power play in the league with a rating of 23.7%… the team's penalty kill is operating at 82.1%, good for fourth overall in the QMJHL. On the road however, their penalty kill slips to 78.6%... Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Dogs in points with 54 in 35 games this season. He also leads the team in assists with 30, is second in goals with 24, has a team high +34 rating, and is second only to the newly acquired Alexandre Beauregard in penalty minutes with 45… Zach Phillips leads the club in goals with 25 and sits just three points back of Huberdeau for the team lead in points… if the goaltending rotation carries over into the second half of the season, Frederic Piche should be getting the call in net. He has a record of 13-2-0-2, a goals against average of 2.45, and a save percentage of 0.915. He has not played since December 17 in Cape Breton, a 6-2 Saint John win… Phillips is second in the league with 11 power play goals… Phillips is tied for the league lead in first goals with seven… Stanislav Galiev, Tomas Jurco, and Huberdeau are tied for second in the league in insurance goals… Beauregard’s 80 penalty minutes place him fifth in the league in time spent in the box.
Record: 23-14-0-0 (2nd in Maritimes Division)
Last Game: 5-4 loss at Halifax on December 18
Leading Scorer: Gabriel Levesque (37GP-16G-35A-51Pts)
Notes: The Acadie-Bathurst Titan enter play this evening with a record of 23-14-0-0 which places them second in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. The Titan are currently 14-points back of the division leading Sea Dogs and have played two more games… like the Sea Dogs, the Titan have not played since December 18. Their last game was a 5-4 loss at the Halifax Metro Centre to the cellar dwelling Mooseheads. Vincent Arseneau, Gabriel Levesque with two, and David Gilbert all scored for Bathurst in the loss. Derek Tait allowed two goals on 15 shots while Robert Steeves allowed three of 12 shots. The offensively challenged Mooseheads outshot the Titan 27-25 in the match. Like Saint John, the Titan were scheduled to play on Tuesday but the match was postponed due to poor weather conditions… Bathurst’s power play is ranked eighth in the league with a rating of 22.5%. At home, their power play is operating at 21.3%... the Titan’s penalty kill has been solid this year and has been working at 83%, good for second in the league and only behind the Drummondville Voltigeurs. At home, their penalty kill slips all the way to 78.3%... At the KC Irving Regional Centre this season, the Titan are 12-6-0-0 and have outscored their opposition 68-55… 6-4-0-0 in their last 10-games and are coming off a loss… Gabriel Levesque leads the Titan in scoring with 51 points in 37 games this year. He also leads the team in assists by a large margin with 35… Sebastien Trudeau is the team’s goal scoring leader. He has 17 markers in 37 contests. Levesque and Jonathan Lessard are second on the team in goals with 16 each… Vincent Arseneau has been very involved in the past few Saint John – Bathurst meetings. He leads the club in penalty minutes with 94… Lessard is tied for second in the league in game winning goals with six… no Titan player is in the top-20 of the plus/minus category… Zach O’Brien is fifth in rookie scoring with 27 points… with No. 1 netminder Olivier Roy away with Team Canada at the world juniors, Robert Steeves and Derek Tait are sharing the goaltending duties. Steeves has a record of 7-2-0-0, a goals against average of 1.75, and a save percentage of 0.939. Tait has a record of 4-3-0-0, a GAA of 3.10, and a SV% of 0.894. Steeves has played more minutes than Tait.
Three players will be missing from this game due to duties at the World Junior Hockey Championships in Buffalo. Sea Dogs defenseman Simon Despres and the Titan’s No. 1 netminder, Olivier Roy, are currently teammates on Team Canada. Saint John forward Tomas Jurco is also away representing Slovakia.
Also missing from the Titan is forward Brent Turnbull who is playing for Team Atlantic at the World Under-17 Hockey Championships in Manitoba. Sea Dogs’ Hockey Administration Coordinator Greg Leland is the coach of Team Atlantic and Titan equipment manager Nathan Beliveau is also working for the team.
Titan defenseman Jeremie Fraser is also playing at the event with Team Quebec.
BEAUREGARD DEBUT
The newly acquired Alexandre Beauregard will likely make his debut for Saint John tonight in Bathurst. The Sea Dogs acquired the gritty forward from the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies last week in exchange for a first round draft pick in 2011.
With the last place Huskies this season, Beauregard has four goals and six assists in 35 games to go along with 80 penalty minutes.
It will be interesting to see if Beauregard simply replaces Tomas Jurco or if the lines will be juggled a bit.
NEW FACES
The Titan have been a bit busy during the holiday trading period. From yesterday’s Telegraph-Journal:
So far, Couturier has added forward Marc-Olivier Mimar in a deal with the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in exchange for forward Danny Chiasson and a pair of draft picks (a second-round pick in 2011 and a fourth-round selection in 2012); sent forward Bryce Milson of Miramichi to Lewiston in exchange for a second-round pick in 2012; and acquired forward Yoan Pinette from Gatineau in exchange for a second-round pick in 2011.SPECIAL GUEST
A very special guest will appear at tonight’s game at the KC Irving Regional Centre. From the Titan’s website:
The Titan organization will welcome Janick Arseneau during our December 30th game. She was a top 4 finalist on the show '' SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE CANADA''. Janick was a great ambassador for N.B and especially for the Chaleur region. We will be giving away a picture of Janick to the first 2000 fans coming to the game, there will also be an authograph session.
ARENA INFO
Venue: KC Irving Regional Centre
Seating Capacity: 3,542
Average Attendance: 1,578 (18th)
Year Built: 1996
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
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
Game Three of the 2010-11 Brunswick News Rivalry Cup goes tomorrow at Harbour Station as the Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats do battle. A limited number of standing room tickets remain for this 7:30 pm match.
Rockets game notes vs. Blazers
Tonight’s Preview: The Kelowna Rockets officially hit the half way point of the season with a game tonight against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. These two teams are meeting for the 4th time this season. The Rockets will play Kamloops three times in their next six games. The Rockets are in Kamloops Sunday night (6 PM). Overall the Rockets are 1-2-0-0 in the seasonal series, with the last loss coming at the Interior Savings Centre back on November 13th in a 4-0 setback. Overall, the Rockets enter tonight’s game having won three straight and ten of their last fourteen games and sixteen of their last twenty-one (16-5-0-0). Following tonight’s game the Rockets host Spokane Saturday in a rare New Year’s game.
Rockets recent game: The Rockets used four power play goals in a 4-0 win Tuesday night over the visiting Everett Silvertips. Evan Bloodoff scored twice in the win while Shane McColgan and Geordie Wudrick added third period goals in the team’s 20th win of the season. Adam Brown made 26 saves for his first shutout of the season and 9th of his career. The Rockets were 4 for 10 on the power play while allowing the Tips just one chance with the man advantage.
Who’s Hot: Shane McColgan has 3+3=6 in his last three games…Mitchell Callahan has 4+4=8 in his last ten games…Brett Bulmer has 2+5=7 in his last three games. Tyson Barrie has gone ten games without a goal yet has points in five of his last eight games (0+9=9)…Geordie Wudrick has ten goals in his last twelve games.
Who’s Not: Cody Chikie has just two goals in his last 21 games. Max Adolph has no goals in his last 18 games. Zach Franko has no goals in his last nine. Spencer Main has one goal in his last 17.
McColgan’s the man: Second year forward Shane McColgan has been named to the CHL Home Hardware NHL/Top Prospects game next month in Toronto. Forty of the top players eligible for this summer’s draft will participate in the two day event (Jan 18-19) at the Air Canada Centre. McColgan will play for Team Orr.
This and That: The Rockets have just one loss in their last nine home games. That loss came in a 4-1 setback to the Swift Current Broncos back on December 8th…While the Rockets own the 4th best penalty killing unit in the league, the team has allowed the fewest power play goals (23) in the WHL….The Rockets are the only team in the WHL this season that have not lost in overtime or the shoot-out…Geordie Wudrick has 17 goals this season in 34 games. Last season, Wudrick scored 19 goals in 38 regular season games after being acquired from Swift Current…Adam Brown earned his 9th career shutout Tuesday night. Brown is now one shutout shy of tying Kristofer Westblom, who had 10 shutouts with the Rockets from 2004-2008. Derek Yeomans, who played for the Rockets from 2003-2006, had 11 career shutouts. Kelly Guard is the franchise leader with 19…Tyson Barrie became the 11th player in Rockets’ history to be named to the Canadian World Junior Team. Barrie is joined on that list by Rockets’ defenceman like Shea Weber, Josh Gorges, Tyler Myers and Luke Schenn…Forward Mitchell Callahan was named to the USA World Junior Team…..The Rockets have allowed two power play goals against in their last eight games. The Rockets are 31 for 33 over that period…The Rockets are 7 for 32 on the power play in their last six games (21.9%).….Adam Brown was the WHL goaltender of the month for November. Brown went 9-1-0-0 with a goals against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .934….Andreas Stene is playing for Norway at the World Junior Hockey Championships. ..Two members of the Rockets are participating in the Under 17 Hockey Challenge in Manitoba. Rookies Damon Severson and Colton Heffley are part of Team West…. The Rockets have been involved in fifteen-one goal games this season. The Rockets are 10-5-0-0 in those fifteen-one goal games…Adam Brown has started twenty-two of the last 25 games…The Rockets franchise played in its 1400th regular season game December 14th in Medicine Hat. The team has 718 regular season wins….Zak Stebner (307) is one of three Rockets with over 300 penalty minutes in their career. Mitchell Callahan (415) and Geordie Wudrick (341) are the others….Sixteen year-old Tyrell Goulbourne has joined the team. Goulbourne is playing midget hockey in Edmonton this season. He was taken in the 5th round of the 2009 draft…The Rockets are 7 and 6 in 13 games this season without Tyson Barrie in the lineup. Barrie missed seven games at the start of the season with a hip injury and six games as a member of Team Canada…
STANDING ROOM TICKETS AVAILABLE
Standing room only tickets have been release for tomorrow’s Saint John Sea Dogs – Moncton Wildcats tilt at Harbour Station. Game time is 7:30 pm.
According to the Harbour Station website, “Standing Room Tickets available only at the Harbour Station Box Office or by calling 657-1234/1-800-267-2800.”
Standing room tickets are $12 for the New Year’s Eve clash.
The Moncton Times & Transcript reported this morning that “there's only 120 seats and 250 standing room tickets remaining for the New Year's Eve game in Saint John.”
With all of the seats sold, Saint John has earned three more points in the Brunswick News Rivalry Cup Challenge.
The standing room tickets will likely sell quickly, giving the Sea Dogs their first sell-out of the season.
According to the Harbour Station website, “Standing Room Tickets available only at the Harbour Station Box Office or by calling 657-1234/1-800-267-2800.”
Standing room tickets are $12 for the New Year’s Eve clash.
The Moncton Times & Transcript reported this morning that “there's only 120 seats and 250 standing room tickets remaining for the New Year's Eve game in Saint John.”
With all of the seats sold, Saint John has earned three more points in the Brunswick News Rivalry Cup Challenge.
The standing room tickets will likely sell quickly, giving the Sea Dogs their first sell-out of the season.
WJC TODAY - 12-30-10
Finally, Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Simon Despres picked up his first point at the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championship. Despres assisted on Sean Couturier’s third period tally in Canada’s 10-1 rout over Norway last night at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo.
The Sea Dogs defenseman was the last player on Canada’s roster to earn a point at the world juniors.
With three injured players and one suspended for Canada, several persons would have to step up. Luckily, their opponent hardly gave Canada a test and now have a day off to recover for the final game of the preliminary round against Sweden Friday.
Despres saw a bit of ice time in just about every situation. He almost had two assists as he sent a bullet pass to Brett Connolly in the second period that sprung the Prince George Cougar on a breakaway but was stopped by the Norwegian netminder.
Canada held a 6-1 advantage after 20-minutes but were somehow outshot by Norway, 16-15. Things slowed down in the middle frame as Canada scored just one. But in the third, the Canadians scored three to take the game by score of 10-1.
Los Angeles Kings prospect Brayden Schenn was in beast mode all night, scoring four goals and tying a Canadian world junior record for goals in a game. Surprisingly, Erik Gudbranson was named the player of the game for Canada, forcing the arena into a universal state of shock. Pierre McGuire was close to crying on air.
Along with Schenn’s four goals, Gubranson had a pair while singles came from Casey Cizikas, Louis Leblanc, Marcus Foligno, and Couturier. Goaltender Mark Visentin made 31 saves in the game.
DANGLE RECAP
UP NEXT
Canada plays their final game of the preliminary round Friday at 5:00 pm AST against the powerful Swedes in what should be an excellent test for both clubs. TSN’s coverage begins at 4:30 pm.
The Canadian juniors will be without Zack Kassian who was suspended an additional game by the International Ice Hockey Federation following his illegal hit Wednesday against the Czech Republic. Players who were injured yesterday include Cody Eakin, Jaden Schwartz, and Calvin de Haan.
Unless the Czechs pull off an unlikely win over the Swedes tonight, tomorrow’s game will likely see two 3-0 teams do battle with the winner taking Group A.
Acadie-Bathurst Titan goaltender Olivier Roy is expected to start his third game of the tournament tomorrow.
THE SLOVAKS
Tomas Jurco and the 1-1 Slovaks face Switzerland this afternoon at 4:00 pm AST at HSBC Arena. Tomorrow, Team Slovakia will play Finland.
The squad is coming off a 6-1 loss to the Americans where Jurco scored the lone Slovakian goal.
Philippine Lotto Results - December 30, 2010 (Thursday) | SuperLotto 6/49, Lotto 6/42, 6Digit Lotto, Swertres Lotto, EZ2 Lotto
Check out below the results of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) SuperLotto 6/49, Lotto 6/42, 6Digit Lotto, Swertres Lotto, and EZ2 Lotto Draws for December 30, 2010 (Thursday):
Philippine SuperLotto 6/49
Winning number combination: 20-17-05-13-43-04
Jackpot: P48,122,427.60
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
Winning number combination: 20-17-05-13-43-04
Jackpot: P48,122,427.60
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
Lotto 6/42
14-36-24-02-17-20
Php 42,627,556.80
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
14-36-24-02-17-20
Php 42,627,556.80
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
6Digit
5-7-2-7-4-5
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
5-7-2-7-4-5
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
Swertres Lotto
11:00 am: 0-1-5
4:00 pm: 6-6-2
9:00 pm: 7-6-7
Php: 4,500.oo
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
11:00 am: 0-1-5
4:00 pm: 6-6-2
9:00 pm: 7-6-7
Php: 4,500.oo
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
EZ2 Lotto
11am: 12-28
4pm: 18-01
9pm: 08-20
Php 4,000.00
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
Check the previous Philippine Lotto Results here
11am: 12-28
4pm: 18-01
9pm: 08-20
Php 4,000.00
Draw Date: 12/30/2010
Check the previous Philippine Lotto Results here
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
New Year's Resolutions!
Whenever the New Year rolls around, we all like to think about the past year and reflect on the changes we want to make for the upcoming year. And year after year, we find the same resolutions on our lists. The key is to follow through!
Here are a few tips from Friends and Family Circle to help you make the most of 2011!
CREATE A PLAN: In order for your resolution to be resolved, you must
WJC TODAY - 12-29-10
A blowout win for the Canadians turned into an eventful game for Quebec Major Junior Hockey Leaguers. In the end, Team Canada won the World Junior Hockey Championship match against Team Czech Republic by score or 7-2 at HSBC Arena in Buffalo yesterday.
For the second straight game, Canada failed to score the opening goal. Antonin Honejsek opened the scoring just 49 seconds into the game, forcing fans across the twitterverse to send hate messages towards Acadie-Bathurst Titan goaltender Olivier Roy.
At 14:17, Halifax Mooseheads rookie import forward Martin Frk hauled down Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Simon Despres in the neutral zone, giving Canada a power play chance. Brayden Schenn would score on the man advantage opportunity to tie the match at 1-1.
Then on another power play at 16:40, Jaden Schwartz scored to give the Canadians their first lead of the game going into the second period.
In the middle frame at 5:53, Windsor Spitfire Zack Kassian leveled Czech defenseman Petr Senkerik in open ice. Kassian was tossed from the game and given a five minute major while Senkerik was carted off the ice on a stretcher.
On the power play for the Czechs, Roy made an unreal pad stop in the crease area. Play then went up ice with Montreal Juniors forward Louis Leblnac avenging the penalty with a shorthanded marker to make it 3-1 Canada. With the penalty over, Ryan Ellis and Cody Eakin scored later in the period to make it 5-1 Canada after 40 minutes.
Frk lost his mind at 5:49 of the third, spearing Despres’ defense partner Erik Gudbranson in an area that should never be speared. Frk was tossed was given a game misconduct and five-minute major.
“I’ll give you two guesses,” said Gudbranson to the Montreal Gazette when asked where Frk speared him. “And the first one doesn’t count.”
At 9:36, Tyson Barrie scored on a two-man advantage to give Canada a 6-1 lead before Jared Cowen scored 23 seconds later to give the favourites a six-goal advantage. The Czechs would score one more at 15:26 to make it a 7-2 final.
Roy made 17 saves in the win for the Canadians while Filip Novotny allowed seven goals on 39 shots.
It was a good game for Despres, helping to draw the Frk penalty that resulted in a Canadian goal. He finished the match with two shots and a +1 rating.
JURCO SCORES IN LOSS TO AMERICANS
In a 6-1 loss to the United States last night at HSBC Arena, Team Slovakia’s only goal came off the stick of Saint John Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco in the second period.
From the Buffalo News live blog of the game:
The Slovaks get a rise from the crowd and allow the Canadians to start mocking U.S. goalie Jack Campbell as Tomas Jurco scores with 7:34 left to make it 4-1.Playing on the third line, Jurco had a goal, four shots, and a +1 rating. A friend of SN who was in attendance said the Slovak wasn’t getting great amounts of ice time.
Here are the highlights. Jurco’s goal comes at 3:12:
Jurco also turned 18-years old yesterday.
JURCO INTERVIEW
After Slovakia’s 2-1 overtime win against Germany, Tomas Jurco was interviewed by the New England Hockey Journal.
“It was a pretty hard game and we’re really happy we stayed focused till the end,” he said about the win. “Our goalie was awesome; he had a few great saves and we really appreciate it. He’s a really good guy and goalie so it’s even better for us.”
He was also asked about Saint John’s season.
“I think things are really good; we’re on a winning streak,” he said. “I hope we are going to continue out there and I hope we’re going to win the league and get to the (Memorial) Cup.”
LOCAL NEWS VIDEO OF THE DAY
Our local news video of the day today is about the rising cost of parking at the world juniors.
TODAY
Tonight, Canada takes on what should be their easiest opponent of the tournament in the Norwegians. Game time is 8:30 pm AST with the TSN pre-game show beginning at 8:00 pm.
Canada’s power play has been sensational in the tournament, scoring on seven of 11 opportunities. Meanwhile, Norway’s penalty kill has yet to allow a goal in seven chances.
Mark Visentin is expected to get his first start of the tournament tonight, replacing Olivier Roy in net. Zack Kassian is suspended for tonight’s game after receiving a five minute major and game misconduct yesterday. Calvin de Haan is questionable with a lower body injury while Jaden Schwartz was seen limping off the bench yesterday.
In other action today, Finland faces Germany.
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