Saint John splits a pair with titan
Published Monday September 8th, 2008
Hockey After 3-1 win Saturday, Sea Dogs drop pre-season finale
BATHURST - On the first Sunday of the National Football League season, the Saint John Sea Dogs gave up a touchdown in a game full of unnecessary roughness.
The Acadie-Bathurst Titan even added a two-point conversion as they hammered the visiting Dogs 8-4 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season action.
Seven Titan players had multi-point nights, led by 17-year-old rookie Jordan Bernier with two goals and an assist.
Ryan Sparling, Alex Grant, Chris DiDomenico and Kevin Gagne had two points each for the Dogs in a penalty-filled affair.
It was the first pre-season loss for Saint John, which finished 4-1, while Bathurst is 2-2-0-1 heading into their final tune-up tonight against the Moncton Wildcats.
Cameron Critchlow opened the scoring at 6:41 of the first period with a great individual effort at the end of a penalty kill. He jumped on a loose puck in the neutral zone, fought off Gagne and danced through a narrow alley around starting goalie Troy Passingham to tuck it in and give Bathurst the early lead.
Grant evened it up on a two-man advantage at 10:17, beating Frederic Piche high to the glove side with backhand from the slot.
But Bernier scored at 13:10 and 13:50 to put the Titan up 3-1. With the extra attacker on for a delayed penalty, he picked up Critchlow's bank shot off the back boards and tucked a backhander in before Passingham could jam the post. Then 40 seconds later, he one-timed a cross-crease pass from Matheiu Jean-Boulianne past Passingham for a power-play goal.
Tomy Joly kept the Titan train rolling 33 seconds into the second. The 44-goal scorer was somehow left alone at the bottom of the faceoff circle to Passingham's left and deposited a laser one-timer on a cross-crease pass from Faille.
Passingham's night ended at 2:51 of the third on a 4-on-4, as Critchlow threw a backhander from a sharp angle off the right wing that somehow bounced off Passingham and found net. He finished with 13 saves on 18 shots. Karel St-Laurent came on in relief and turned away 13 of 16 shots. Piche finished with 33 saves for the win.
Chris DiDomenico got the Dogs back within three on a power play at 5:50, but goals by Eric Faille and Gabriel Cote made it 7-2. Payton Liske added a power play marker late in the second to make it 7-3.
Things got ugly at 5:31 of the third period when Saint John's Mike Thomas flattened an unsuspecting Jean-Boulianne at the Bathurst blueline, then turned around to drop the gloves with Olivier Jannard.
Less than two minutes later, Bathurst's Vincent Arseneau tried to hit Sparling, who danced around the check. Arseneau slammed into the boards loudly, DiDomenico went after Arseneau and everyone grabbed a dance partner.
The Dogs ended up with a two-man advantage, and Keven Charland scored at 10:16 to make it 7-4. Couture tallied at 15:07 to round out the scoring. Saint John finished 4-for-12 on the power play while Bathurst was 3-for-10.
"It's part of the game and those situations happen," said Bathurst coach Ron Choules.
"There's a little animosity from (losing to the Sea Dogs in the playoffs) last year obviously," he said. "And it's the end of training camp and both teams are tired."
Saint John coach Jacques Beaulieu described the game as "sloppy from the start," and said he doesn't expect any carry-over when the teams open their regular season Friday in Bathurst.
The Titan avenged Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Dogs in front of 2,774 fans at Harbour Station.
Defenceman David Stich, who went all last season without a goal, opened the scoring in the first period of his first pre-season game.
Steven Anthony and Chris DiDomenico added goals 18 seconds apart late in the second period to make it 3-0. Robert Mayer stopped 19 of 20 shots, with Vincent Arseneau spoiling the shutout with 4:18 to play.
Nicolas Champion made 30 saves in the loss. Both teams were 0-for-4 on the power play.
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