POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 6, MAINEiacs 5

RECAP
LEWISTON, Me. – The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading back to the President’s Cup final.

The Sea Dogs advanced to the final after eliminating the Lewiston Maineiacs in a four game sweep in the semifinals. It was entertaining series and the two teams saved the best for last. In Game Four last night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, the Sea Dogs battled back from thee-goals down to win 6-5 and ultimately end the Maineiacs’ season.

It was a rough start for the Dogs and their starting goaltender, Mathieu Corbeil. Cameron Critchlow and Alex Zafiris both scored to give Lewiston a 2-0 lead just 2:43 in. That would be it for Corbeil who allowed two goals on two shots.

Jacob DeSerres came in in relief and also got off to a rough start. Olivier Dame-Malka scored on a wrist shot at 5:05 to extend the Maineiacs’ lead to 3-0.

Saint John finally got things straightened out at 7:07 as Zack Phillips scored to make it a two-goal game going into the second period.

In the middle frame, Nathan Beaulieu scored on an early power play to get the Dogs within one. But Lewiston responded quickly as Stefan Fournier scored at 3:44 to make it a 4-2 contest. The wildness continued as Scott Oke and Jonathan Huberdeau both scored solo markers to tie the match 4-4 heading into the final frame.

At 4:35 on a man advantage, Eric Gelinas let a bomb go that beat Maineiacs goaltender Andrey Makarov to put Saint John in front for the first time. But the lead was short lived as Pierre-Olivier Morin scored a little over a minute later to make it 5-5.

With 2:52 remaining in regulation, Stephen MacAulay scored his second game-winning goal of the series to give the Sea Dogs a 6-5 victory and series win.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
Saint John continues to sport the same lineup. Forwards Aidan Kelly and Jason Cameron along with defenseman Jason Seed were all healthy scratches.

CORBEIL PULLED
It’s been a bizarre series for Saint John’s goaltenders. Mathieu Corbeil made his third straight start in goal for the Dogs after coming up huge in both Games Two and Three. But he had his struggles on Wednesday, allowing two goals on the first two shots he faced.

Cameron Critchlow scored early at 1:21 and then Alex Zafiris found the score sheet at 2:43. Corbeil was yanked after that. Jacob DeSerres came in and allowed three goals on 28 shots, making some big saves when called upon.

DeSerres was pulled in Game One and replaced by Corbeil who then made the next three starts.

GAGNE BREAKING STUFF
Kevin Gagne’s point shot at 3:12 missed the net and shattered a pane of glass behind Lewiston ‘tender Andrey Makarov. The glass stayed together for the most part with the exception of a small slab near the top. The game was delayed and fans moved away as the Androscoggin Bank Colisee staff made the repairs.

They knocked out the remaining glass with a shovel, falling into garbage cans below. The floor was vacuumed and the section of ice was zambonied.

The 12-minute delay hurt the Maineiacs a bit as they had momentum going for them following their two quick goals. But it didn’t seem to hurt them too much as they scored again at 5:05.

The broken glass did create some proto fun, via Max Morin on Twitter:

STRONG WORDS
Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant didn’t sound too happy with the Maineiacs’ game in today’s Telegraph-Journal:

“They were out there running and trying to hurt people,’’ Gallant said. “I wasn’t too happy with that. There were a lot of cheap hits tonight. We don’t mind teams playing aggressive against us, but there’s a line there and I think it was crossed a few times tonight.’’

Speaking of Gallant, he wasn’t too happy with the officials in the second period. The two-time QMJHL coach of the year could be heard yelling some PG-13 words from the bench.

QUITE A COMEBACK
It was quite a comeback by the Sea Dogs who battled back from 3-0 and 4-2 deficits to win the contest. The two teams were tied at 4-4 entering the third period, a frame that saw the Sea Dogs take their first lead of the match.

"After the first five minutes, I was thinking, 'Man, this is turning around, we're starting to get some luck," Maineiacs head coach JF Houle said to the Lewiston Sun Journal. "They're a good team, they found a way to come back and win again."

"One thing we do know is we can score goals," Gallant said to the Sun Journal. "We were sound asleep for the first 15 minutes probably, until the Phillips goal went in. We got embarrassed, the guys don't like that and they showed some character."

It was the Sea Dogs’ second comeback of the series as they won Game One in overtime depite trailing 4-2 in the third period.

SERIES SWEEP
It was just the fourth series sweep by the Sea Dogs in team history and their first in the semifinals. Past series sweeps:

2008 – First round vs PEI
2010 – Second round vs Gatineau
2011 – First round vs Cape Breton

The Sea Dogs have made it to the finals by playing just 13 games. Last year, the club played 15 games before advancing to the finals.

SPECIAL GUESTS
Some big time hockey people attended the game according to several folks on Twitter.

According to Jean-Phillip Martin of the Radio Canada, the Edmonton Oilers were represented by president Kevin Lowe, general manager Steve Tambellini, and head scout Stu MacGregor. New York Islanders GM Garth Snow also took in the contest.

No word on if Snow signed Kirill Kabanov to a 15-year contract.

ANOTHER SMALL CROWD
Only 1,163 took in the Maineiacs’ final game of the season at the Colisee. There was a little under 1,400 in the building for Game Three on Tuesday.

Quickly glancing through Lewiston’s schedule, last night’s game was their smallest crowd of the season.

KIRKPATRICK HURT
Michael Kirkpatrick was injured in last night’s contest. From the T-J:

Meanwhile, Saint John centre Michael Kirkpatrick left the contest early in the second period and didn’t return.

His status is unknown.

QUICK HITS
Stanislav Galiev had a team high seven shots for Saint John… Olivier-Dame Malka had six shots for Lewiston… Kevin Gagne was a minus-three… Gabriel Bourret was a plus-three… Dillon Fournier was a minus-three… Malka had three hits… Saint John has now won seven straight games… Kirill Kabanov failed to score for the first time in this series… the Sea Dogs’ penalty kill is still perfect on the road so far this post-season… Stephen MacAulay scored his second game-winning goal of the series. He was an honourable mention in Buzzing The Net’s CHL Three Stars last night… to relive the game, check out the SN Live Blog Replay.

OUT OF TOWN
The Quebec Remparts took a 3-1 series lead in their semifinal series against Gatineau thanks to a 2-1 win last night.

NEXT GAME
Game One of the President’s Cup Finals will likely be Friday, May 6 at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station. They will play either the Quebec Remparts or Gatineau Olympiques.

Photo Credits: Maineiacs website, Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Max Morin, Cyberpresse

SEA DOGS MOVING ON

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 6, MAINEiacs 5

LEWISTON, Me. – A wild Game Four ended a wild semifinal playoff series against the Saint John Sea Dogs and the Lewiston Maineiacs.

Five minutes into the game and many were already making plans for a Game Five on Friday. But the Sea Dogs pulled off a huge comeback to win the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League match 6-5 and earn a 4-0 sweep in the series.

The victory means that, for the second straight season, the club advances to the President’s Cup Final where they will play the winner of the Quebec - Gatineau series.

It was a game that had a bit of everything. Just 5:05 into regulation there were three goals, a goaltending change, and a broken pane of glass. But Saint John battled back and finally tied it in the second period before pulling ahead in the third.

Zack Phillips, Nathan Beaulieu, Scott Oke, Jonathan Huberdeau, Eric Gelinas, and Stephen MacAulay all scored for winners. Mike Thomas had two assists. Mathieu Corbeil, who was unbelievable in Games Two and Three, was pulled after allowing two goals on two shots. His replacement, Jacob DeSerres, made some big stops to keep the Dogs in the game. He made 25 saves overall on the night.

Other than the terrible start, Saint John played a decent game. They certainly didn’t panic after going down by three. If there is anything we’ve come to realize about the 2010-11 edition of the Sea Dogs, it’s that a three-goal lead with 55 minutes left is not too big of a mountain to climb.

Lewiston was expected to come out flying in the opening frame - and they did just that. After all, it was their season on the line. But the Maineiacs, like in the first three games, just couldn’t keep the goals pumping like Saint John and kept giving them opportunities. They had plenty of chances throughout the game but just couldn’t cash in enough.

Lewiston had goals from Cameron Critchlow, Alex Zafiris, Olivier Dame-Malka, Stefan Fournier, and Pierre-Olivier Morin. Goaltender Andrey Makarov, making his first start of the post-season, allowed six goals on 31 shots.

FIRST PERIOD
Just 1:21 in, Mathieu Corbeil went behind the net to grab the puck but it got away from him and went out in front. Corbeil dove but Cameron Critchlow was too fast and slid it past him to give Lewiston an early 1-0 lead.

Not long after, Samuel Carrier shot the puck from just inside the line. Alex Zafiris tipped it down low and past Corbeil to give the Maineiacs a 2-0 edge on just two shots. That would be the end of Corbeil’s night and was replaced by Jacob DeSerres.

At 3:12, Kevin Gagne let a point shot go that shattered the glass behind the Maineiacs’ goal. That caused a roughly 12-minute delay.

But the delay didn’t hurt the Maineiacs as Olivier Dame-Malka fired a wrist shot from the point that beat DeSerres to make it a 3-0 game and officially make it a brutal start for Saint John.

The Dogs then started to get some things going as Tomas Jurco centered it for Steven Anthony in front but was stopped by the pad of Andrey Makarov.

Some four-on-four action took place at 7:03 following some rough stuff. At 7:07, A faceoff win by Zack Phillips and the departure of the Lewiston defense around him gave him an open lane to beat Makarov and cut the Maineiacs’ lead to 3-1.

The Sea Dogs then had unlimited chances. The puck was loose in front for Jonathan Huberdeau but Makarov made a big stop. Then, the puck was centered again, this time to Jurco, but he couldn’t get a hold of it.

Saint John kept the pressure on moments later as Anthony had the puck and spun to get it on goal but was denied. Phillips tried to create something after that but the puck was taken from him and cleared away.

Lewiston went to the power play at 16:45 but nothing happened.

When Alexnadre Beauregard stepped out of the box, he skated hard to the side boards where Makarov came out the play it. The puck was nearly centered to a Saint John player but the danger was averted.

Shots in the first period were 14-10 Saint John.

SECOND PERIOD
Right off the bat Makarov made a huge glove stop on Phillips.

Nathan Beaulieu made it a 3-2 game at 1:28 on a power play. Beaulieu blasted a point shot that beat Makarov to put the Dogs within one.

But Lewiston would respond at 3:44. A turnover allowed the puck to come to Stefan Fournier in front and make it a 4-2 Maineiacs lead just like that.

But Saint John got back within one at 5:22. The puck came out from behind the goal line and into some traffic in front. The disc came loose to Scott Oke at the side and Makarov was down, allowing Oke to go upstairs and make it a 4-3 contest.

Just after the goal, the insanity continued as Francis Beauvillier came down the wing and hit the post.

Saint John went to the power play as Samuel Finn was called for slashing Stanislav Galiev at 5:54. The Dogs had some pressure but could not tie it up.

When the power play ended, a cross ice pass found Kirill Kabanov along the boards who one-timed the puck. But DeSerres made a nice cross crease stop to keep Saint John in the game.

Saint John went back to the man advantage at 8:49 as Kabanov headed off. Huberdeau had the best chance as he performed a wraparound move but couldn’t get a great shot off.

Some rough stuff ensued at 10:55. It looked like penalties would be even but then Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant was given a bench minor for yelling at the officials or something, giving Lewiston a power play. But nothing would come out of it and the score remained the same.

At 13:39, Huberdeau sprung on a breakaway. He went in alone and made a move to his forehand and beat Makarov, tying the match at 4-4.

Finn was called for cross checking Huberdeau after the goal, giving the Dogs a power play. Simon Despres sent a great pass to Mike Thomas at the dot but he sent it just wide through some traffic.

Danick Gauthier was called for high sticking at 14:57. Lewiston had some decent pressure on the man advantage but just couldn’t score.

Some more rough stuff at 15:01 created some four-on-four play. The puck was loose in front of DeSerres in the Saint John zone but he made a nice play to deflect it away.

Shots in the middle stanza were 12-11 in favour of the visitors.

THIRD PERIOD
The Maineiacs had a power play to open the third period as Beaulieu was called for roughing at the end of the second period. But Lewiston couldn’t get anything going on the man advantage once again and failed to pull ahead.

Anthony was awarded a penalty shot at 2:01 after getting hooked up on a breakaway. But the Vancouver Canucks prospect was denied by the pad of Makarov and the game remained tied.

Ian Saab headed to the box at 2:55 and it would be a costly penalty. At 4:35, Gelinas blasted a bomb from the top of the circle that flew past Makarov to put the Sea Dogs in front for the first time.

Lewiston started to gain some momentum shortly after the goal. At 5:47, Pierre-Olivier Morin tipped the puck through the legs of a gliding DeSerres to make it a 5-5 affair.

Saint John had plenty of chances following the goal. Phillips was at the side of the net but shot it into the glove of the Maineiacs’ ‘tender. Then, Gauthier centered it for Mike Thomas but didn’t get a shot off. A few minutes later, Beaulieu let a big shot go from that produced a rebound for Huberdeau but he was stopped. Then, Lewiston had an opportunity following a wraparound attempt but it went wide.

At 17:08, a point shot went through some traffic and was in the crease area. Stephen MacAulay, the hero of Game One, was there to whack it in and give the Dogs a late 6-5 lead.

The Maineiacs pulled their goaltender late and had some pressure on but couldn’t get any great scoring chances. That would be it as the Dogs went on to win the game and the series.

Shots in the final stanza were 11-9 Saint John.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.

NEXT GAME: Game One of the President’s Cup Final will likely be Friday, May 6 at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station.

LIVE BLOG: Game 4 - Sea Dogs vs MAINEiacs

SEA DOGS NOTEBOOK

ON GALLANT
Michael Arace of the Columbus Dispatch had an interesting commentary on Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant last week. Along with discussing his current role in Saint John, Arace writes about his time with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

"You know what? It was a great seven years there for me," Gallant said. "There was pressure, and maybe (the promotion to coach) happened a little earlier than it should have happened, but it was an excellent experience. I learned a lot from Dave King and Doug MacLean about video, preparation, practice plans and the like, and that was huge for a young coach."

One of the more interesting notes comes near the end of the article.

Gallant would like another crack at the NHL, but he is not getting ahead of himself. He is happy as of today, happy enough to have turned down at least two offers from American Hockey League teams. As Bowman can attest, when a coach can be selective about what comes next, he is in a good place.

ON THE HOT LIST
Kirill Kabanov’s hot play of late put him on The Hockey News’ Hot List on Tuesday. From THN:

Everyone’s favorite junior loose cannon has focused his ammunition at the opposition this spring and the Maineiacs are soaring because of it. Kabanov has posted seven goals and 18 points in 13 games for Lewiston and is looking like the potent offensive force he was once fawned over as.

DRAFT TRACKER
Buzzing The Net featured Sea Dogs forward Scott Oke in their draft tracker this week. On what scouts say he needs to improve on:

"Probably my physical game. I also have to work on my defensive awareness, there's always room to improve on that. I also see myself becoming a power forward, so I need to get bigger, stronger, learn to finish all my checks. I can produce offensively once I get there."

Oke has four assists in 11 playoff games.

ON GELINAS
A solid piece on Eric Gelinas, a former Maineiac, appeared in the Lewiston Sun Journal last week before the series started. The New Jersey Devils prospect started his junior career in Lewiston before ending up in Chicoutimi and eventaully Saint John.

"In my position, being a 19-year-old and pretty much in my last year of juniors, being on the No. 1 team in Canada is the best opportunity for a guy like me," Gelinas said. "I was really happy to be traded to Saint John. I enjoy being here."

"The guys, early in the season, they said they wanted to dominate again this year, they want to win it this year, and that's pretty much what we focus on," Gelinas also said. "We want to work toward winning the President's Cup and the Memorial Cup, too."

PLAYS OF THE WEEK
Some highlights from the first two games of the Sea Dogs’ semifinal series appeared in the QMJHL Plays of the Week.

SHOW SOME LIFE
We’re not sure what to say about this. From Peter McGuire’s column in Tuesday’s Telegraph-Journal:

It would also be nice to see DeSerres show a little enthusiasm when skating through the giant inflatable Sea Dog at the start of the game. It is the QMJHL semifinal after all.

He can only do so much, especially considering the inflatable thing is where his net would be setup.

JURCO’S MOVE
Via YouTube, Tomas Jurco’s slick move from Game Two that nearly gave the Dogs a goal.



UPDATE
Patrick King gave an update on the state of the Maineiacs last week on Sportsnet.ca. Team president and governor Bill Schurman had some interesting things to say.

"Unfortunately, it's kind of like going to a funeral in a way," he said. "It's a bad analogy, but to try to explain it, the ones that are affected the most are the closest -- the family. People come and pay their respects. The ones that are mostly grieving are the family. In our case, it's our loyal fans that are grieving somewhat and worried that we may not be able to survive here because they love us."

Photo Credits: Marc Grandmaison, Marc Henwood/Station Nation

PRE-GAME: Game Four at MAINEiacs

GAME DAY

Game Four, Round Three – President’s Cup Playoffs

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Lewiston MAINEiacs

Tonight, April 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm

Androscoggin Bank Colisee

PREVIEW

LEWISTON, Me. – It’s do or die for the Lewiston Maineiacs tonight at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

The Maineiacs are down three-games-to-none in their best-of-seven semifinal playoff series against the Saint John Sea Dogs. If they are unable to pull off a victory tonight, their season will come to an end.

Lewiston played well last night and had control of the game quite a bit. But when they gave the Sea Dogs chances, they would capitalize. When Lewiston had opportunities, goaltender Mathieu Corbeil was there to make the stop.

The Maineiacs have kept all of the games failry close despite Saint John being up 3-0. They blew a two-goal third period lead in Game One and fell in overtime. In Game Two, the Sea Dogs won the match thanks to a five-minute power play. Then in Game Three, a quick start in the second period was all Saint John would need.

In last night’s game, Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Ryan Tesink, Mike Thomas, and Stanislav Galiev all scored. Mathieu Corbeil was excellent in goal and made 28 saves for the win.

Kirill Kabanov and Christophe Lalonde scored for Lewiston. Nicholas Champion allowed four goals on 22 shots through 40 minutes. Andrey Makarov came in in relief and stopped all seven shots he faced.

The Maineiacs should come out flying this evening with their season on the line. They had a pretty good start last night as well but the Sea Dogs were able to weather that storm and eventually pull ahead with some quick second period goals.

Saint John will also want to try and stay out of the box. The Dogs took three penalties in the third period alone and gave Lewiston a total of seven power plays on the night. Although they have yet to allow a man advantage goal against on the road in the post-season, that will likely catch up with them eventually.

If Lewiston wins, there will be a Game Five on Friday at Harbour Station. A Saint John win, and it’s off to the President’s Cup Finals for the second straight year.

REGULAR SEASON NUMBERS

	Lewiston	Saint John
Record	40-24-1-3 (2nd East)	58-7-1-2 (1st Maritimes)
Home Record	- - -	32-0-1-1
Road Record	19-12-0-3	- - -
Streak	2-0-0-0	2-0-0-0
Last 10	4-4-1-1	8-2-0-0
Goals For	265	324
Goals Against	223	165
Goals/Game	3.90 (3rd)	4.76 (1st)
Goals Against/Game	3.28 (10th)	2.43 (1st)
Shots/Game	36.81 (1st)	36.81 (1st)
Shots Against/Game	26.96 (5th)	26.96 (5th)
Overall PP	17.4% (13th)	25.1% (6th)
Home PP	- - -	24.4% (8th)
Road PP	17.7% (13th)	- - -
Overall PK	80.4% (6th)	83.7% (1st)
Home PK	- - -	86.1% (1st)
Road PK	80.1% (7th)	- - -
PIM/GAME	17.7 (1st)	13.1 (13th)

SERIES SCHEDULE/RESULTS
GAME ONE – Lewiston 4, Saint John 5 (OT)
GAME TWO – Lewiston 1, Saint John 4
GAME THREE – Saint John 5, Lewiston 2
GAME FOUR – Wednesday, April 27: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
*GAME FIVE – Friday, April 29: 7:30 p.m. @ Harbour Station
*GAME SIX – Sunday, May 1: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
*GAME SEVEN – Tuesday, May 3: 7 p.m. @ Harbour Station
*If Necessary

EXPECTED GOALTENDERS
Yesterday we wondered who would start in goal for Saint John. Today, it’s Lewiston’s turn.

He carried the Maineiacs to the semifinals, but goaltender Nicholas Champion has been pulled in both of his last two games after giving up four goals in each.

“I am going to sleep on this one and we will make a decision game-time tomorrow,” said Maineiacs head coach JF Houle to the Maine Hockey Journal. “I was really pleased with Makarov, but Nick Champion brought us to the semifinals. He has played very well for us.”

Champion has a record of 8-3-3-0 in the post-season with a goals against average of 2.97 and save percentage of 0.908. Rookie Andrey Makarov has yet to allow a goal in 47:28 of action.

Saint John will likely start Mathieu Corbeil who has been a major factor in this series. The 19-year old is 4-0-0-0 in the playoffs with a GAA of 0.94 and save percentage of 0.961.

LEWISTON LINEUP NOTES
Also from the Maine Hockey Journal:

Michael Chaput and Olivier-Dame Malka are game-time decisions for tomorrow game. Malka left tonight’s game after a knee-on-knee collision with Danick Gauthier.

Chaput, the team’s leading scoring in the playoffs, is listed as “day-to-day.”

“Michael Chaput (concussion) did not play Tuesday and not expected to play tonight for Lewiston vs. Saint John in QMJHL semis,” tweeted Columbus Dispatch reporter Aaron Portzline this afternoon.

LEADING THE WAY
Point leaders in this series:

Saint John
Stanislav Galiev: 2G – 2A
Steven Anthony: 1G – 3A
Zack Phillips: 0G – 4A
Jonathan Huberdeau: 2G – 1A

Lewiston
Samuel Carrier: 0G – 4A
Kirill Kabanov: 3G – 0A
Jess Tanguy: 1G – 1A
Michael Chaput: 0G – 2A

SPECIAL TEAMS
From the Maineiacs newsletter:

The Saint John penalty killing unit held the MAINEiacs scoreless last night on seven power play opportunities. After lighting the lamp eleven times on the man advantage in round two against Montreal, Lewiston has been limited to just one power play goal in 16 chances against the Sea Dogs. With their performance in this series thus far, Saint John has now killed off 60 of 64 opposition power plays in 12 playoff games, giving them a 93.8% success rate.

CLOSING IT OUT
The Sea Dogs can go for the sweep tonight, something they have done just three times in the history of the franchise.

Saint John swept the PEI Rocket in Round One of the 2008 playoffs, swept the Gatineau Olympiques in Round Two of the 2010 playoffs, and just recently swept the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Round One.

When leading a series 3-0, the Sea Dogs are 3-0 in Game Four matches.

OTHER GAMES TONIGHT
Quebec at Gatineau - 7:30 PM EDT
The Remparts lead the series 2-1.

THE RINK
Venue: Androscoggin Bank Colisee
Capacity: 3,675
Reg. Season Average Attendance: 2,001
Playoff Average Attendance: 1,680
QMJHL Arena Guide

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Telegraph-Journal, Lewiston Sun Journal, Maine Hockey Journal
Live Coverage: Follow Station Nation on Twitter (www.twitter.com/station_nation) or follow the Live Blog on this site for live coverage of tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
If Lewiston wins, Game Five will be Friday at 7:30 pm at Harbour Station. If Saint John wins, the President’s Cup Finals (!) will likely begin Friday, May 7 at the Station.

Photo Credits: Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Google

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 5, MAINEiacs 2

RECAP
LEWISTON, Me. – The Saint John Sea Dogs have the Lewiston Maineiacs on the brink of elimination following a 5-2 victory last night at Androscoggin Bank Colisee. The Game Three win gave the Sea Dogs a 3-0 series lead.

The Maineiacs had the better of the chances in the opening frame although shots were at 10 apiece. Lewiston had some momentum going into the second period, but unfortunately for them, it wouldn’t last.

Just 1:56 into the second frame, Jonathan Huberdeau scored his 12th of the playoffs on the power play to give Saint John a 1-0 lead. The Dogs kept the pressure on and made it a 2-0 game at 3:14 as Tomas Jurco scored. Ryan Tesink blew it open at 7:01 and made it a 3-0 affair.

Kirill Kabanov scored at 11:23 to put Lewiston back within two. But just over seven minutes later, Mike Thomas added his second of the post-season at 18:26 to give the Dogs a 4-1 advantage entering intermission.

Lewiston replaced goaltender Nicholas Champion with Andrey Makarov to start the third period. Just 23 seconds in, Christophe Lalonde netted his first of the playoffs to put the Maineiacs back within two. But Saint John goaltender Mathieu Corbeil shut the door on the home team for the rest of the night and made sure the Maineiacs didn’t get within a goal.

Stanislav Galiev scored an empty net marker at 18:15 to make it a 5-2 final.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
The Saint John lineup was the same for Game Three as it was for Game Two. Forwards Aidan Kelly and Jason Cameron along with defenseman Jason Seed were all healthy scratches.

NO CHAPUT
There was a big hole in the Maineiacs lineup as their playoff leading scoring was out of with an injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Michael Chaput missed the match and is “day-to-day” with an injury. Olivier Dame-Malka – the man who hit Jonathan Huberdeau from behind in Game Two – was also injured in the third period following a collision with Danick Gauthier.

From the Lewiston Sun Journal:

"Michael Chaput is day-to-day, we're not sure what's going to happen with him yet," Houle said. "Malka I believe came back from his injury. He's going to get treated and hopefully he'll be able to play tomorrow."

Chaput leads his team in scoring this post-season with seven goals and 13 assists in 13 games. He is fourth in league scoring.

PUCK DROP
There was a unique ceremonial faceoff prior to the match. 100-year old Doris Makas, who is apparently the oldest season ticket holder in the Canadian Hockey League, dropped the puck for captains Mike Thomas and Cameron Critchlow.

CORBEIL DOES IT AGAIN
What else can you say about Mathieu Corbeil? The goaltender was sensational for a second straight game and was one of the major difference makers in this game.

The Blue Jackets prospect made 28 stops in last night’s win and was certainly tested. He made some unreal stops, but he also made key saves at key times to keep Saint John’s momentum moving forward.

“He’s been very good,’’ Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said of Corbeil to the Telegraph-Journal. “He’s a big guy and he’s getting a chance to play and he’s running with it. He’s playing real well and real solid and he’s making some key saves for us.’’

"I've never been in the playoffs before in junior hockey," Corbeil said to the Lewiston Sun Journal. "It's a whole other feeling. It's very fun and it gives me another level of desire to win. You need to do whatever it takes to win."

It was Corbeil’s second straight start and third of the post-season. The netminder has allowed just three goals in 191 minutes and 49 seconds of action.

KABANOV STRIKES AGAIN
Kirill “The Thrill” Kabanov struck again last night. The Russian’s second period goal gives him a marker in each game of this series. The QMJHL website also credited him with eight shots on goal.

In 14 playoff games he now has eight goals and 11 assists.

THE MORE THINGS STAY THE SAME
You don’t see this everyday:

SMALL CROWD
A small crowd gathered at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee for this contest. Only 1,304 attended the game which is nearly 700 less spectators than the last time the Sea Dogs were in town back in December.

The Maineiacs are averaging 1,680 fans per game in the playoffs.

Obviously, the Boston Bruins – Montreal Canadiens game being on television likely hurt a bit. But, still, this was Game Three of the semifinals.

QUICK HITS
Stanislav Galiev had a Sea Dogs high four shots on goal… Kirill Kabanov had a Maineiacs high eight shots on net… Eric Gelinas and Nathan Beaulieu had two hits each… Pierre-Olivier Morin had four hits for Lewiston… Zack Phillips had three assists… Samuel Carrier had two assists… Saint John has now won six straight games… the Dogs have not lost on the road so far in this year’s post-season. They have won all six games away from Harbour Station… The Maineiacs went 0-for-7 on the man advantage, meaning the Sea Dogs have still not allowed a power play against on the road in the playoffs… to relive the match, check out the SN Live Blog Replay.

NEXT GAME
Game Four of this series goes tonight at 8:00 pm at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Lewiston MAINEiacs

MAINEIACS PUSHED TO THE BRINK

SN RECAP
FINAL: Sea Dogs 5, MAINEiacs 2

LEWISTON, Me. – The Saint John Sea Dogs are one win away from returning to the President’s Cup Finals.

The Sea Dogs took a commanding 3-0 series lead following a 5-2 victory in Game Three of their semifinal playoff series against the Lewiston Maineiacs. Game Four, which could be the final match of the series, is Wednesday night at 8:00 pm at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

It was a hard fought, intense match that saw Sea Dogs capitalize on their chances when they had them. After a scoreless opening frame, Saint John jumped out to 3-0 and 4-1 leads in the second period. Lewiston put up a good battle in the third period but the Dogs would hang on for the victory.

Jonathan Huberdeau, Tomas Jurco, Ryan Tesink, Mike Thomas, and Stanislav Galiev all scored for the winners. Zack Phillips added three assists.

Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil – making his second straight start and third of the playoffs – was terrific in goal once again. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect stopped 28-of-30 shots he faced and kept the momentum going in the Sea Dogs’ favour at key points during the game.

Lewiston had goals from Kirill Kabanov and Christophe Lalonde. Nicholas Champion allowed four goals on 22 shots before getting replaced by Andrey Makarov to start the third period. Makarov stopped all seven shots he faced.

Once again, the Maineiacs kept the game close and outplayed the Sea Dogs at times throughout the contest. But when Lewiston has given Saint John opportunities in this series, they have been able to convert on them.

FIRST PERIOD
Things got off to a rough start for Saint John as Simon Despres went down and stayed down for a few moments just seconds in. He went to the dressing room and missed part of the period but would return before it expired.

Scott Oke created some pressure early in the frame as he centered the puck for a streaking Zack Phillips but he was unable to grab the puck. Matthew Bissonnette then had a great opportunity for the Maineiacs as he caught the Dogs on a line change and had a partial break. He dropped the puck for Christophe Lalonde but he sailed a wrister wide of the cage.

Lewiston went to the power play at 5:39 as Danick Gauthier headed off for hooking. Early in the man advantage, the Maineiacs tried to jam the disc past a down Mathieu Corbeil but were unable to do so.

With Gauthier now out of the box, Nathan Beaulieu belted a point shot that was stopped nicely by Lewiston ‘tender Nicholas Champion. Then, Lalonde had another chance in close but was denied hy the pad of Corbeil.

Some four-on-four action took place at 10:28. During that time, Kirill Kabanov went into thrill mode and had a few great chances down low. But Corbeil was dialed in, using his pads to keep the puck out.

Back at even strength, Phillips sent the puck wide but it bounced off the backboards and went right to Jonathan Huberdeau. He sent a backdoor shot on net but Champion kept it out with his pad. Then, Phillips was at it again as he got past a couple of Maineiacs defenders but was stopped by Champion.

Both teams had their chances in the opening frame and shots were even at 10 apiece.

SECOND PERIOD
Stanislav Galiev created a great chance early on as he sent the puck through the crease to Tomas Jurco but was denied by Champion.

Saint John went to the power play at 1:27. On the ensuing man advantage at 1:56, Michael Kirkpatrick had the puck behind the net and sent a perfect pass to Jonathan Huberdeau in front who beat Champion to make it 1-0 Sea Dogs.

Lalonde had another chance for Lewiston moments later in some traffic but Corbeil was there to keep it out.

The Dogs made it a 2-0 game at 3:14. A massive turnover at the dot by the Maineiacs allowed Jurco to go in all alone. He made some nice stick moves and slid the puck past Champion to double Saint John’s lead.

Simon Despres headed to the box at 4:05 for hooking but the Maineiacs couldn’t get anything going on the man advantage.

Ryan Tesink then hit the post with Despres out of the box. But at 7:01, Tesink would be a bit more accurate with his shot. Huberdeau shoveled the puck out of some players in the slot and skated to the side. He backhanded it to Tesink in front who made it a 3-0 game.

Corbeil had to make a quick save following the goal but he was up to the challenge and kept it out. Then while the Maineiacs were shorthanded, Antoine Houde-Caron had a breakaway but was stopped by the pad of Corbeil.

Just after the stop, Eric Gelinas was drilled into the boards by Etienne Brodeur and the Dogs went back to the power play. Huberdeau had a great chance during the time span as the puck came off the backboards but he sent it through the crease.

Despres was called for roughing at 10:13 with Brodeur still in the box. At 11:23, Kabanov kept his hot streak going by netting his eighth of the playoffs and making it a two-goal game.

A rare semifinal fight took place at 12:51 between Samuel Finn and Danick Gauthier behind the Sea Dogs net. Both players landed some big blows in the short tilt.

The Sea Dogs had yet another power play 14:42 with Lalonde in the box but they couldn’t get anything working.

At 18:26, Champion couldn’t control the puck and it squirted out in front of him. Mike Thomas was there to beat the Lewiston netminder five-hole and restore Saint John’s three-goal lead heading into intermission.

Shots in the middle frame were 12-12.

THIRD PERIOD
Goaltender Andrey Makarov started the second period in net for Lewiston.

The Maineiacs gave their new netminder some support just 23 seconds in as they made it a 4-2 game. Pierre-Olivier Morin fed Lalonde in front who tipped it past Corbeil to get the home team within two.

Lewiston had another great chance moments later but Corbeil made a stop with the glove.

The Maineiacs went to the power play at 3:33 as Gelinas headed off for holding. Kabanov had an opportunity on the man advantage but Corbeil made a cross crease stop to keep it out.

After Lewiston failed to connect on yet another power play, Stephen MacAulay had breakaway but was hooked up by Samuel Carrier in his attempt, sending the Dogs to the man advantage. The Dogs had some pressure but couldn’t much going otherwise.

At 11:11, Gauthier tripped Olivier Dame-Malka who would head to the dressing room with an apparent injury. While shorthanded, Thomas was taken down while coming down the wing but no call was made. Then, MacAulay had a partial breakaway but was denied by Makarov’s shoulder.

With the power play over, Lewiston’s last great chance of the game came when Alex Zafiris let a shot go through some traffic but was stopped by Corbeil.

The Maineiacs pulled Makarov in the dying minutes in exchange for the extra attacker. But it wouldn’t have any effect as Phillips fed Galiev for the empty net marker at 18:15 to seal the deal.

Shots in the third period were 8-8.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.

NEXT GAME: Game Four of the best-of-seven series goes tomorrow night at 8:00 pm at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

LIVE BLOG: Game 3 - Sea Dogs vs MAINEiacs

PRE-GAME: Game Three at MAINEiacs

GAME DAY

Game Three, Round Three – President’s Cup Playoffs

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Lewiston MAINEiacs

Tonight, April 26, 2011 at 8:00 pm

Androscoggin Bank Colisee

PREVIEW

LEWISTON, Me. – The semifinal playoff series between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Lewiston Maineiacs shifts to the United States if America this evening for Game Three. The Sea Dogs currently lead the best-of-seven matchup 2-0.

A Sea Dogs win will give them a stranglehold on the series while a Maineiacs victory will make things little bit more interesting. The winner of this game could carry a lot of the momentum moving forward.

Saint John battled back to take Game One by score of 5-4 in overtime on Friday at Harbour Station. Game Two was a much better game for the Sea Dogs as they beat the visitors 4-1 thanks in most part to three goals on the same power play.

The Sea Dogs played a solid game on Saturday and they will look for a similar outing tonight. The top-ranked team in Canada sat back a little bit in the third period of Game Two, but the first two periods were typical Sea Dogs hockey.

Lewiston hasn’t played horribly in this series and they certainly have the ability to comeback from two games down. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s lone American franchise had the Sea Dogs on the ropes in Game One but weren’t able to pull it off. They didn’t play all that bad in Game Two, either, but their penalty woes got them in trouble.

Now on home ice, the Maineiacs will look to do what they have done once already this season – defeat the Sea Dogs at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Back on December 10, the Maineiacs beat Saint John 5-2 to give the Dogs one of their seven regulation loses all season.

The Maineiacs are 5-1-0-0 at the ABC during the post-season and have outscored their opposition 21-11. In the regular season, the team was 21-12-1-0 on home ice and outscored their opponents 142-107.

So far in the playoffs, Saint John is a perfect 5-0-0-0 on the road and have outscored their opponents 23-10.

Game Four of the series is tomorrow night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee while Game Five, if needed, would be on Friday at Harbour Station.

REGULAR SEASON NUMBERS

	Lewiston	Saint John
Record	40-24-1-3 (2nd East)	58-7-1-2 (1st Maritimes)
Home Record	- - -	32-0-1-1
Road Record	19-12-0-3	- - -
Streak	2-0-0-0	2-0-0-0
Last 10	4-4-1-1	8-2-0-0
Goals For	265	324
Goals Against	223	165
Goals/Game	3.90 (3rd)	4.76 (1st)
Goals Against/Game	3.28 (10th)	2.43 (1st)
Shots/Game	36.81 (1st)	36.81 (1st)
Shots Against/Game	26.96 (5th)	26.96 (5th)
Overall PP	17.4% (13th)	25.1% (6th)
Home PP	- - -	24.4% (8th)
Road PP	17.7% (13th)	- - -
Overall PK	80.4% (6th)	83.7% (1st)
Home PK	- - -	86.1% (1st)
Road PK	80.1% (7th)	- - -
PIM/GAME	17.7 (1st)	13.1 (13th)

SERIES SCHEDULE/RESULTS
GAME ONE – Lewiston 4, Saint John 5 (OT)
GAME TWO – Lewiston 1, Saint John 4
GAME THREE – Tuesday, April 26: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
GAME FOUR – Wednesday, April 27: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
*GAME FIVE – Friday, April 29: 7:30 p.m. @ Harbour Station
*GAME SIX – Sunday, May 1: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
*GAME SEVEN – Tuesday, May 3: 7 p.m. @ Harbour Station
*If Necessary

EXPECTED GOALTENDERS
One of the big questions going into Game Three: who will start in goal for Saint John.

Will the Sea Dogs stay with the hot hand and go with Mathieu Corbeil or will they go back to the experienced Jacob DeSerres who has played the majority of the team’s playoff games?

"There's a good chance I'm going to start with (Corbeil on Tuesday), but I haven't talked to my goalies yet," Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said to the Lewiston Sun Journal. "All season long I've been rotating goalies, and I've tried to be fair with them game in and game out ... I pulled (DeSerres) out of there, not because he played bad, but to try and spark the team, and then (Corbeil) comes in and stands on his head and lets only one goal in the next 70 or 75 minutes."

In the playoffs, DeSerres is 7-1-0-0 with a 2.14 GAA and a 0.910 save percentage. Corbeil is 3-0-0-0 with a 0.46 GAA and a save percentage of 0.978%.

Nicholas Champion was pulled from the Maineiacs' crease after the Sea Dogs made it 4-0 on Saturday. There wasn’t much he could do, though, given that his team played shorthanded for much of the game.

LEWISTON LINEUP
A couple of lineup notes for the Maineiacs. According to the Sun Journal, Samuel Finn and Michael Chaput are both day-to-day.

Meanwhile, Olivier Dame-Malka, the player who hit Jonathan Huberdeau from behind in Game Two, has not been suspended by the QMJHL. Malka was given a game misconduct and five-minute major for his actions. Huberdeau would be okay and returned a few minutes later.

AN EXTRA BODY
The Maine Hokey Journal reports that the Maineiacs called up goaltender Nathan Kelly to be an extra body in practice.

“Nathan Kelly is a real good guy and fun to be around,” Maineiacs head coach JF Houle said to the MHJ. “He wanted to spend sometime around the team, so it’s nice to have him.”

THE RUSSIANS
Good article in the Telegraph-Journal today on the relationship between fellow Russian forwards Stanislav Galiev of the Sea Dogs and Kirill Kabanov of the Maineiacs.

"He's my good friend,'' Kabanov said of Galiev. "I've known him since childhood, since I was about six years old. He was always good.

Speaking of Kabanov, he has been hot of late. From the team’s newsletter:

Lewiston's Kirill Kabanov had a slow start to the postseason, as he was held scoreless in the club's first three games against Moncton. Since then, the 18-year old forward has been anything but quiet, recording 18 points (7g, 11a) in ten games. Kabanov's ten-game point streak is the longest active streak in the QMJHL, and is one game away from tying Jonathan Audy-Marchessault and Frederick Roy for the longest streaks during the 2011 playoffs.

PAYING TRIBUTE
We’ve seen a lot of on-ice pre-game ceremonies this season. But this is definitely a first. From the team’s newsletter:

The Lewiston MAINEiacs are proud to honor Ms. Doris Makas, the oldest season ticket holder in the Canadian Hockey League tonight.

Ms. Makas, age 100, will drop the ceremonial puck prior to Game 3 of the series between the MAINEiacs and Saint John Sea Dogs at 7:00 PM.

Ms. Makas has been a season ticket holder with the MAINEiacs since the inaugural season of the Lewiston franchise in 2003-04.

She is seen in the first row of Section 12 at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, in the accompaniment of her daughter, Elaine night after night, and year after year.

The MAINEiacs are truly honored and privledged for the tremendous support of people like Ms. Makas and hundreds of other loyal season ticket holders just like her!

Please come early to tonight's game, and help us honor at true hockey matriarch!

GAME TWO HIGHLIGHTS


OTHER GAMES TONIGHT
Quebec at Gatineau - 7:30 PM EDT
The series is tied at 1-1.

THE RINK
Venue: Androscoggin Bank Colisee
Capacity: 3,675
Reg. Season Average Attendance: 2,001
Playoff Average Attendance: 1,743
QMJHL Arena Guide

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Telegraph-Journal, Lewiston Sun Journal, Maine Hockey Journal
Live Coverage: Follow Station Nation on Twitter (www.twitter.com/station_nation) or follow the Live Blog on this site for live coverage of tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
Game Four of the series is tomorrow night at 8:00 pm at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Photo Credits: Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Roaming The Rinks

FANS ASKED TO CHILL OUT

By Bert Richardson
Station Nation Staff

Things got a little rowdy on the Lewiston Maineiacs’ official Facebook page over the weekend, forcing the team to post this message:

You may have noticed: due to a recent series of facebook exchanges between a small number of Maineiacs and Sea Dogs fans (in which fans of both teams used profanity and directed cyber-verbal attacks against players, facebook administrators, and individual fans), settings for posts have been temporarily changed to better maintain an atmosphere of respect and courtesy. We learned, because of a few individuals, that facebook is less ideal than the proboard for opposing fans to talk about hockey. This page is dedicated to support for and love of Maineiacs hockey. If you find a comment that is otherwise, please "report as abuse" by clicking on the upper right of the comment box, rather than responding in kind. Let's hear it for our MAINEiacs! Games 3&4, Tues/Wed this week!

What a drama.

The page is really the only place on the interweb where frequent discussion about the team takes place. A lot of teams have had similar problems with their page this season, which brings up the question – what is the etiquette for visiting fans?

I have no problem with fans of different teams “liking” the page, but ripping the Maineiacs apart on their own page should be frowned upon. Don’t be trolling, haters.

The Maineiacs seem to have deleted a lot of comments, many of them asking for those haters to leave the page.

POSTSCRIPT: MAINEiacs 1, Sea Dogs 4

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs to a 2-0 series lead in their semifinal playoff series against the Lewiston MAINEiacs thanks to a 4-1 win in Game Two on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

It was a pretty solid game for the Sea Dogs and was a much better one than on Friday night when the team needed overtime to defeat the 5-4 Maineiacs in Game One.

The Sea Dogs got off to a good start as Michael Kirkpatrick made it 1-0 just 2:16 in. Saint John had control of the play for most of the frame, outshooting the Maineiacs 17-6.

In the second period, things opened up a bit. Olivier Dame-Malka nailed Jonathan Huberdeau from behind and was given a game misconduct and five-minute major penalty. The penalty proved costly as the Dogs would score three times with Malka in the box. Stanislav Galiev, Kevin Gagne, and then Huberdeau – on a five-on-three man advantage – all netted markers to make it 4-0 Saint John after two.

Lewiston would get on the board in the third period as Kirill Kabanov scored at 9:54 on a delayed penalty. But the Russian’s goal wouldn’t be enough as the Dogs sailed to a 4-1 victory.

SAINT JOHN SCRATCHES
The Sea Dogs sported the same lineup as they did for Game One of the series. Forwards Jason Cameron, Aidan Kelly, and defenseman Jason Seed were all healthy scratches.

BIG NIGHT FOR CORBEIL
The Sea Dogs made the bold move of replacing goaltender Jacob DeSerres with Mathieu Corbeil in the second half of Game One’s third period on Friday night. Corbeil played well, backstopping the Dogs to a 5-4 overtime victory.

Head coach Gerard Gallant explained to move to Lewiston Sun Journal:

"It was a genius move," Gallant joked. "To be honest with you, I was frustrated. Nothing against Jake DeSerres. That fourth goal was a great shot. But sometimes you have to pull the goalie anyway. I wasn't going to pull him right away. I waited until the timeout just so it was casual."

On Saturday, Corbeil was given the start and once again put forth a solid performance. The netminder looked very comfortable; more so than at times during the regular season. He showed plenty of confidence, coming out to play the puck and keeping square with his shooters.

The 19-year old Columbus Blue Jackets prospect made 24 stops in the win. In three playoff appearances, Corbeil has been playing in record setting fashion. From the Sea Dogs website:

Mathieu Corbeil made 24 saves for the win and established a new team record by running his shutout streak to 121:43 before allowing a third-period goal to Kirill Kabanov.

THE HIT
The turning point of the game came at 7:57 of the second period when Olivier Dame-Malka nailed Jonathan Huberdeau from behind. Huberdeau lay flat on the ice for several minutes while Malka was escorted off to the dressing room.

Here be the video:



Malka was given a five-minute penalty and a game misconduct. The Sea Dogs would score three times on the man advantage, making it 4-0 at that point.

Huberdeau left the ice with the help of two teammates and looked a little dazed as he left. He would return in time to score on the man advantage, though.

Is this hit suspension worthy? The QMJHL, like the NHL, seems to be all over the map when it comes to plays like this. We shall wait and see.

KIRKPATRICK’S RETURN
Michael Kirkpatrick’s nose didn’t get in his way of scoring the team’s first goal of the match. He also added an assist, was a plus-one, and had three shots.

In the dying moments of Game One, Kirkpatrick went awkwardly into the boards and cut his nose badly thanks to his visor. Via Sea Dogs equipment manager David Kelly, here’s the pic of his nose following the incident.

GOALIE SWITCH
Nicholas Champion didn’t play horribly but got the yank following the Sea Dogs’ fourth goal. Champion allowed four goals on 33 shots and now has a 2.81 goals against average and a 0.913 save percentage in 13 post-season games.

Andrey Makarov came in in relief. He made a few big saves but wasn’t tested as much as Champion, stopping all 13 shots he faced.

There were a lot of “Champion Sucks” signs at Harbour Station, which may or may not have affected his play.

HOULE SPEAKS
Maineiacs head coach JF Houle spoke his thoughts on the game to the Canadian Press:

“You can’t be in the penalty box against this team,” Maineiacs coach Jean-Francois Houle said. “We ran out of juice (after the major) and we had nothing left. We were flat and we just didn’t have the fire in our hearts that we had (in Game 1). You can’t be undisciplined against this team.”

Houle said his team came up short in other areas as well.

“I didn’t think we competed hard

HIGHLIGHTS
From SeaDogsTV:



QUICK HITS
Nathan Beaulieu had a team high eight shots on goal for the Sea Dogs… Ian Saab and Stefan Fournier had a team high four shots each for the Maineiacs… Eric Gelinas led the way with five hits for Saint John… Cameron Critchlow had a team high five hits for Lewiston… to relive the game, check out the SN Live Blog Replay… for photos of the game, check out Marc Henwood’s album.

OUT OF TOWN
The Quebec Remparts and Gatineau Olympiques are now knotted at 1-1 after the Remparts won Game Two, 3-2.

NEXT GAME
Game Three of the series is Tuesday night at 8:00 PM at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Photo Credits: Marc Henwood/Station Nation, Marc Henwood/Station Nation, David Kelly

SAINT JOHN TAKES 2-0 SERIES LEAD

SN RECAP
FINAL: MAINEiacs 1, Sea Dogs 4

SAINT JOHN – Olivier Dame-Malka’s hit from behind on Jonathan Huberdeau proved to be costly for the Lewiston Maineiacs on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

Malka was given a game misconduct and five-minute major penalty for the hit, giving the Saint John Sea Dogs a long power play opportunity. The Sea Dogs would connect not once, not twice, but three times during Malka’s penalty, making it 4-0 at point.

Saint John would cruise to a 4-1 win from there, taking a 2-0 series lead in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League semifinal playoff series. Games Three and Four now shift to Lewiston on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Game Two proved to be much better than Game One for the Sea Dogs. They controlled the play for most of the game and both their offense and defense were both clicking. Goaltender Mathieu Corbeil, who replaced Jacob DeSerres in the third period of Game One, was dialed in in net and made 24 stops for the victory.

Michael Kirkpatrick, Stanislav Galiev, Kevin Gagne, and Jonathan Huberdeau all scored for Saint John.

Kirill Kabanov had the lone Lewiston goal near the halfway point of the third period. Nicholas Champion allowed four goals on 29 shots before being pulled in favour of Andrey Makarov who stopped all 13 shots he faced.

FIRST PERIOD
Saint John had a good chance early in the period as a shot was deflected off the crossbar. Then Lewiston came back with a great chance of their own on a two-on-one. Etienne Brodeur let the shot go in close but Mathieu Corbeil was there to make the stop.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring at 2:16. Michael Kirkpatrick had the puck at the bottom rim of the circle and let a shot go that beat Lewiston netminder Nicholas Champion to make it 1-0.

The Dogs had another great chance just moments following a turnover in the Maineiacs zone. The puck went down low to Stanislav Galiev who made a sipn move but was stopped nicely by the pad of Champion.

The Sea Dogs had a five-on-three power play chance at 6:50. During that time span, Zach Phillips tried to center the puck for Kirkpatrick but he couldn’t get a shot off. Then, Eric Gelinas blasted a point shot but Champion made a big pad stop.

Saint John went back to the power play at 16:29. Phillips had another good opportunity as he threw it through the blue paint but it went out the other side. Saint John had some okay pressure on the man advantage but could not connect.

Some four-on-four action took place at 18:45 following a couple of penalties from a scrum. Pierre-Olivier Morin let a big point shot go during the span but was stopped by Champion. The puck came out for Kirill Kabanov but he just couldn’t reach the disc.

Shots in the first period were 17-6 in favour of the Sea Dogs.

SECOND PERIOD
Saint John was buzzing early in the second frame. Mike Thomas fed Stephen MacAulay in front but had the puck tipped away. Then Phillips let a sharp angle shot go that just sailed wide and may have deflected off the toe of Champion. Finally, Huberdeau was at the dot and let a weak shot go through traffic that just trickled wide.

At 7:57, Olivier Dame-Malka nailed Huberdeau from behind along the backboards. Malka was given a misconduct and five-minute major, giving Saint John a huge opportunity to break the game open.

On that man advantage at 9:50, Galiev made it a 2-0 game with a low shot from the bottom of the circle that beat Champion.

Not long after at 10:08, Kevin Gagne came flying down the wing and slowly cut in front. He let a bad angle wrist shot go that fooled Champion to give the Dogs a 3-0 advantage. Just after that marker, Galiev had a great chance in front but was denied by the pad of Champion.

Lewiston took another penalty at 11:38 with Malka still in the box. On the five-on-three, Nathan Beaulieu was stopped but the rebound came right to Huberdeau who chipped it upstairs to make it a 4-0 game. That would chase Champion from the net and put in rookie Andrey Makarov.

With the power play finally over, MacAulay fed Scott Oke in front but was robbed by Makarov. Lewiston then had an opportunity as the puck was centered for Bryce Milson but he couldn’t get a shot off.

The Maineiacs had their first power play of the game at 15:03 as MacAulay headed off for hooking. Then Beaulieu took a cross checking penalty at 16:30 to give the visitors a five-on-three man advantage. On the power play, Brodeur had an open net but couldn’t get a shot off.

After the penalties expired, Pierre-Olivier Morin sent a shot through traffic but Corbeil was there to make the pad stop.

Shots in the second period were 19-6 Saint John.

THIRD PERIOD
Lewiston went to the power play at 1:10. The Maineiacs had some decent pressure on and the puck even went to the goal line but couldn’t get across. After the man advantage, Morin had a clear shooting lane from the dot but was stopped nicely by Corbeil who came out of his net a bit to make the save.

After Corbeil made another nice toe save on Stefan Fournier, Tomas Jurco made some unreal move around a Lewiston defenseman along the boards but failed to register a shot on goal.

The Maineiacs got on the board at 9:54. Kirill Kabanov fired a shot on goal that Corbeil couldn’t handle. Kabanov skated down low to the goal line and picked up his own rebound to make it a 4-1 game.

Soon after Pierre Durepos was denied in the slot, the Sea Dogs went back to the power play at 15:31. Mike Thomas had a decent scoring opportunity as he came down the wing, cut in front, but had his shot stopped by Makarov.

Lewiston had a late power play chance but couldn’t get anything going.

Shots in the third stanza were 13-10 Lewiston.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript later today on SN.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs travel to Lewiston to face to the Maineiacs on Tuesday at 8:00 pm at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

LIVE BLOG: Game 2 - MAINEiacs vs Sea Dogs

PRE-GAME: Game Two vs MAINEiacs

GAME DAY

Game Two, Round Three – President’s Cup Playoffs

Lewiston MAINEiacs vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight, April 23, 2011 at 7:00 pm

Harbour Station

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – After a thrilling Game One, the Saint John Sea Dogs and Lewiston MAINEiacs meet again this evening at Harbour Station for Game Two of their semifinal playoff series. Game time is 7:00 pm.

The Sea Dogs escaped with a 5-4 overtime win last night thanks to an epic third period comeback. Down 4-2 with less than six minutes to play Nathan Beaulieu and Tomas Jurco went into beast mode by scoring clutch goals to send the match into overtime. In the extra frame, Simon Despres setup Stephen MacAulay with an unreal pass through the crease to give Saint John the Game One victory.

Along with MacAulay, Jurco, and Beaulieu, Pierre Durepos and Steven Anthony scored single markers. Lewiston had goals from Matthew Bissonnette, Jess Tanguy, Kirill Kabanov, and Antoine Houde-Caron.

The game was a bit of a mess. Both teams had their chances and both teams had their mistakes.

For Saint John, they got outplayed for the most part in the second period and parts of the third frame. They definitely didn’t play a 60-minute game and looked a little disoriented at times with some of their plays. But today is a new day, and the Sea Dogs will look to pull it all together and take a 2-0 series lead this evening.

The Sea Dogs’ coaching staff pulled goaltender Jacob DeSerres and replaced him with Mathieu Corbeil during the third period media timeout. DeSerres didn’t play horribly, but the move seemed to spark Saint John a bit as they netted two goals following the replacement. Corbeil looked a little cold at times but also made some big saves.

Nicholas Champion was pretty solid in the Maineiacs net, allowing five goals on 31 shots. But there is no escaping his third period error when he came out to play the puck, giving it away to Tomas Jurco who had an open net to tie the game at 4-4.

Lewiston probably won’t be too worried after dropping last night’s game as they lost the opening game of both their first round and second round series. They know what it takes to comeback in a series.

The series shifts to Lewiston for Games Three and Four, making today’s game rather large for both teams.

Just remember, this is the playoffs, where anything can happen.

REGULAR SEASON NUMBERS

	Lewiston	Saint John
Record	40-24-1-3 (2nd East)	58-7-1-2 (1st Maritimes)
Home Record	- - -	32-0-1-1
Road Record	19-12-0-3	- - -
Streak	2-0-0-0	2-0-0-0
Last 10	4-4-1-1	8-2-0-0
Goals For	265	324
Goals Against	223	165
Goals/Game	3.90 (3rd)	4.76 (1st)
Goals Against/Game	3.28 (10th)	2.43 (1st)
Shots/Game	36.81 (1st)	36.81 (1st)
Shots Against/Game	26.96 (5th)	26.96 (5th)
Overall PP	17.4% (13th)	25.1% (6th)
Home PP	- - -	24.4% (8th)
Road PP	17.7% (13th)	- - -
Overall PK	80.4% (6th)	83.7% (1st)
Home PK	- - -	86.1% (1st)
Road PK	80.1% (7th)	- - -
PIM/GAME	17.7 (1st)	13.1 (13th)

SERIES SCHEDULE/RESULTS
GAME ONE – Lewiston 4, Saint John 5 (OT)
GAME TWO – Saturday, April 23: 7 p.m. @ Harbour Station
GAME THREE – Tuesday, April 26: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
GAME FOUR – Wednesday, April 27: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
*GAME FIVE – Friday, April 29: 7:30 p.m. @ Harbour Station
*GAME SIX – Sunday, May 1: 8 p.m. @ Androscoggin Bank Colisee
*GAME SEVEN – Tuesday, May 3: 7 p.m. @ Harbour Station
*If Necessary

EXPECTED GOALTENDERS
For Saint John, Jacob DeSerres will likely get the call in goal. DeSerres had a record of 27-3-0-0 in the regular season with a 2.22 goals against average and a 0.916 save percentage. In the playoffs, he is 7-1-0-0 with a 2.14 GAA and a 0.910 save percentage.

For Lewiston, Nicholas Champion. The former Acadie-Bathurst Titan had a record of 27-11-0-2 in the regular season to along with a 2.83 goals against average and a 0.897 save percentage. In the playoffs, he has a record of 8-1-3-0 with a 2.62 GAA and a 0.916 save percentage.

GAME ONE HIGHLIGHTS



WINNING THE FIRST ONE
The good news for the Sea Dogs – they have never lost a playoff series after winning the first game.

Playoff series where they have won the first game:

2008 round one vs PEI - 4-0 series win
2008 round two vs Bathurst - 4-2 series win
2010 round one vs PEI - 4-1 series win
2010 round two vs Gatineau - 4-0 series win
2010 round three vs Victoriaville - 4-2 series win

LOSING THE FIRST ONE
The Maineiacs lost the first game of the series. Big deal.

Lewiston lost Game One of round one against Moncton by score of 4-1 but went on to win the next four games to take then series. Then in Game One of the second round in Montreal, the Maineiacs lost 6-5 in overtime but eventually took the series in six games.

Of note, Lewiston won Game Two of each of those series.

ON A ROLL
If this was the regular season, the Maineiacs would be on quite a roll right now. Unfortunately for them, overtime loses don’t gain you points in the post-season.

Since their Game One loss in the first round, Lewiston has not lost a game in regulation. Their two loses in the Montreal series and their loss last night were both in extra time, meaning they are on a 8-0-3-0 run.

OTHER GAMES TONIGHT
Gatineau at Quebec - 7:00 PM EDT

THE RINK
Venue: Harbour Station
Capacity: 6,297
Reg. Season Average Attendance: 4,478
Playoff Average Attendance: 4,716
QMJHL Arena Guide

MEDIA GUIDE
Radio (Sea Dogs): News 88.9 FM
Live Web Feed: Telus
Television: None
Post-Game Coverage: Station Nation, Telegraph-Journal, Lewiston Sun Journal, Maine Hockey Journal
Live Coverage: Follow Station Nation on Twitter (www.twitter.com/station_nation) or follow the Live Blog on this site for live coverage of tonight’s game.

AFTER THE BUZZER
Game Three of the series shifts to Lewiston on Tuesday. Game time is 8:00 pm at Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

Photo Credit: Marc Henwood/Station Nation, La Nouvelle Union

DOGS WIN GAME ONE THRILLER

SN RECAP
FINAL (OT): MAINEiacs 4, Sea Dogs 5

SAINT JOHN – Anything can happen in the playoffs, and on Friday night at Harbour Station, that was proven to be true.

A dramatic third period comeback by the Saint John Sea Dogs in Game One of their semifinal series against the Lewiston Maineiacs gave them a 5-4 overtime win and a 1-0 series lead. Game Two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoff series is tonight at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.

Lewiston had a 4-2 lead with just under six minutes to play. But clutch goals by Nathan Beaulieu and Tomas Jurco tied the match a 4-4, allowing Stephen MacAulay to score in the extra session to give the Dogs a dramatic come-from-behind win.

Also scoring for Saint John was Pierre Durepos and Steven Anthony. Jacob DeSerres made 13 saves on 17 shots in 51:10 of action. He was pulled in favour of Mathieu Corbeil in the third period who also made 13 stops.

It wasn’t a perfect game by any means. Saint John jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period but then hit the snooze button. Lewiston had control of the second period and much of the third period. But both teams won’t have much time to think about it with Game Two less than 24 hours away.

The Maineiacs had goals from Matthew Bissonnette, Jess Tanguy, Kirill Kabanov, and Antoine Houde-Caron. Nicholas Champion made 26 saves in net.

FIRST PERIOD
There was some back-and-forth action in the first few minutes of the game but that didn’t last long. The first opportunity of the game came from Simon Despres who centered the puck into a mess in the front of the net but no Sea Dog could get to it. Zack Phillips then had a chance from a sharp angle but was denied by the pad of Lewiston netminder Nicholas Champion.

The Sea Dogs made it 1-0 at 10:16. Pierre Durepos gained possession of the puck at the line. He then blasted it past Champion to make it a 1-0 Saint John advantage. The goal went under a brief review but it would stand.

Saint John went to the power play at 12:10 as Cameron Critchlow was called. Critchlow scored just after he was called, but, of course, it was disallowed. Nathan Beaulieu had the best chance early in the man advantage but was robbed by the glove of Champion.

The Sea Dogs would strike on the power play at 13:40. Stanislav Galiev had the puck behind the net and centered it for Steven Anthony. The Vancouver Canucks prospect crept in from the dot and beat Champion with a low shot to make it 2-0 Sea Dogs.

The Dogs went back to the power play at 14:25 but couldn’t get anything going like the first one.

On a rush following a decent Zach Phillips chance, Lewiston broke in on a two-on-one. Stefan Fournier slid the puck across the ice to Matthew Bissonnette who had a yawning cage to make it a 2-1 game.

Shots in the first stanza were 9-3 Saint John.

SECOND PERIOD
The teams started the second period with some four-on-four action after some rough stuff at the end of the first. During that play at 1:33 a long shot was bobbled a by Sea Dogs goaltender Jacob DeSerres. Jess Tanguy was there to find the loose puck and slide it home to tie the match at 2-2.

Danick Gauthier had a great chance in front moments later but couldn’t get the puck through the scramble.

Alexandre Beauregard went to the box at 3:00 for roughing but Lewiston couldn’t get anything going on the power play.

At 5:26, Kevin Gagne flipped the puck into section ‘A’ and was called for delay of game. The Maineiacs would take advantage at 6:15. The puck was passed from the corner and hit a Sea Dogs player. Kirill Kabanov was there to grab it and beat DeSerres five-hole to give the vicitors a 3-2 lead.

A few moments later, DeSerres came up huge with the pad and denied a Maineiac player.

Saint John then took over with some pressure. Jonathan Huberdeau was alone in front with the puck with Champion out of position but a Lewiston player got in the way in time to keep the shot stopped. Tomas Jurco then blasted the puck from the rim of the circle and hit the corner post. The goal went under review but it would not count.

Before that review took place though, Lewiston had a two-on-one chance but sent it high. Then following the review, DeSerres committed a brutal giveaway but Lewiston couldn’t get a shot off as he scrambled back to the crease.

The Sea Dogs then started to pour it on again. Beaulieu wired a shot from the slot but was stopped, then Despres fed Beauregard in front but was robbed by the pad of Champion.

Saint John went back to the power play at 17:25 with Stefan Fournier in the box for hooking. On the man advantage, Gagne fired a point shot that was tipped and just missed Phillips at the side. The Dogs had some good power play pressure but could not score.

Shots in the middle frame were 9-9.

THIRD PERIOD
Gabriel Bourret headed to the box early on to give the Maineiacs a power play. It looked like Lewiston had scored at 15:40 after the puck was centered and battled out of mid-air into the cage. The play went under review but it was called a high stick.

With the penalty over, Jonathan Huberdeau came through the crease but was robbed by the pad of Champion.

Saint John headed to the power play at 5:10. But in stunning fashion, Lewiston broke in on a two-on-one while shorthanded. Antoine-Houde Caron kept the puck and wired a shot top shelf on DeSerres to give the Maineiacs a 4-2 lead.

Despres headed to the box at 6:59 to make things even worse for Saint John. During the power play, Kabanov tried to cross the line but was belted by Beaulieu with a big hit. That would be the only excitement in the man advantage.

During the media time-out at 8:50, the Sea Dogs made a surprising move by replacing DeSerres with Mathieu Corbeil. The Columbus Blue Jackets prospect was tested early as Samuel Henley just shot the puck wide of the cage from the goal line.

The move seemed to spark the Dogs as they made it a one-goal game again at 14:28. Phillips faked a shot from the dot and sent it across to Beaulieu who ripped one into the empty cage to make it a 4-3 affair.

Soon after the marker, Kirkpatrick was left alone in the slot but was stopped nicely by Champion.

Harbour Station blew up at 15:42. Champion came out to chip the puck away before the Sea Dogs could enter the zone but hit a body in his attempt. The puck went to Jurco who had a wide open net to make it a 4-4 game.

Just as Saint John was taking over momentum they were called for too many men at 18:06. On the man advantage, Michael Chaput had a wide open net with Corbeil way out of position but he missed the net. Their power play would end at 19:56 as Ian Saab was called for holding.

Shots in the third period were 15-10 in favour of Lewiston.

OVERTIME
During the Sea Dogs’ power play that carried over into the extra frame, the Maineiacs had a two-on-chance but Corbeil made a solid pad stop to keep the game tied.

With the penalty over, Despres skated into the zone at 2:59 and centered it through the blue paint. Stephen MacAulay was at the other side of the cage and tapped it in to give Saint John a 5-4 victory.

Shots in overtime were 3-2 Saint John.

Both teams were 1-for-5 on the man advantage.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow.

NEXT GAME: Game two of the semifinal series goes tonight at 7:00 pm at Harbour Station.