Dogs extend win streak to 17 games
Published Monday November 30th, 2009
Hockey: 20-year-old sensations combine(for eight points as Saint John outlasts Quebec
SAINT JOHN - The Quebec Remparts don't own the best record in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
But they're easily the top team in the Telus Eastern Division and they came into Harbour Station riding a three-game winning streak that had vaulted them into second place overall. The Remparts also bring the aura and mystique that comes from being coached by Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy. All of those factors apparently motivated the Saint John Sea Dogs, who posted a 6-4 victory over the Quebec squad on Sunday before 4,710 fans. The triumph was Saint John's 17th straight, tying Rimouski's streak from last season for fifth-longest in league history.
"I thought our pace was really good today,'' Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant said. "The offence was definitely carrying us and we gave up too much defensively, and we let them back in the game a couple of times. But we're scoring goals and when our team is skating and forechecking like we did today, that's going to happen.''
Saint John 20-year-olds Nick Petersen and Mike Hoffman went on a tear, combining for eight points. Petersen produced two goals and two assists, while Hoffman had a hat trick and an assist. Stanislav Galiev and Benjamin Lecomte each had two helpers for the Sea Dogs (25-4-1-0), first overall in the QMJHL thanks in part to a 10-0 November.
"You measure yourselves against this type of team,'' Gallant said. "Quebec has some good skill and they work hard. €¦€‰It was two good teams and nobody wanted to give an inch, and there was a little jawing going on out there - more than any other game this year.''
The Remparts (19-6-2-3) were playing their third game in four nights, including Saturday night's 4-2 win in Halifax. Regardless, Quebec was up for Sunday's clash, described by Roy as his team's most intense game of the season.
"Saint John is a team that plays high-tempo and I like that type of game,'' Roy said. "We opened up and that's the type of hockey we like to play and I thought it was a great show for the fans.
"At the same time, it's good for us. There are things we need to learn. We can't take penalties in the offensive zone like we did in the first period and we have to be better in our defensive zone, but it's clear to me that Saint John is the best team in the league and it will be up to us to work and try to improve.''
If Sunday's contest was any indication, Saint John's rematch with the Remparts on Jan. 22 in Quebec will be a big draw at the Colisee Pepsi.
"Saint John has a very good transition game,'' Roy said. "They're fast and the line of Hoffman (Petersen and Galiev) is probably the best line I've seen so far in the league. Hoffman is skating very well right now and deserves a lot of credit for their (success).''
Mikhail Stefanovich scored during a two-man advantage to give Quebec a 1-0 lead at 3:01 of the first period, beating Sea Dogs netminder Marc-Antoine Gelinas on a bad-angle shot along the goal line to Gelinas' right. But Saint John struck back at 7:06 of the first frame when Petersen threaded a perfect pass to Hoffman on a 2-on-1, a play that started with a pass from Lecomte from the left corner.
Remparts forward Dmitri Kugryshev was called for slashing at 7:12 of the first, setting the stage for Steven Anthony's power-play goal, a rebound effort resulting from Simon Despres' point shot.
Saint John captain Mike Thomas took two for tripping at 11:58 of the second period, setting the stage for Mikael Tam's power-play tally. The play unfolded in the left face-off circle, where Ryan Bourque fed a pass across the ice to Stefanovich, who then found Tam in front.
The Sea Dogs answered with two goals 17 seconds apart - the first when Galiev set up Petersen and the second when Hoffman bolted down the left side and went forehand to backhand on Quebec goalie Peter Delmas. The hosts held their 4-2 lead through 40 minutes.
The Remparts roared back when Marc-Olivier Vallerand's one-timer from the slot found the mark at 7:04 of the third period. Saint John went up 5-3 when Petersen connected again with Hoffman, whose low laser from the slot beat Delmas at 8:49. Quebec came back yet again when Bourque finished a 3-on-1 play just 43 seconds later, making it 5-4. Saint John responded by protecting the lead and with 28. 7 seconds remaining, Petersen fired the puck from just inside his own blue-line into an empty net to complete the scoring.
"We knew this weekend was going to be one of the hardest of the year, so we had to be ready,'' Hoffman said, also referring to Saint John's 4-2 win Friday night over Drummondville. "We tried to limit our mistakes and most of their goals were on the power play (Quebec went 2-for-4 and Drummondville 1-for-5) or from turnovers that were our fault.''
The Sea Dogs' next game goes Wednesday at 7 p.m. against the Prince Edward Island Rocket at the Charlottetown Civic Centre, the site of Saint John's last loss back on Oct. 13.
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SUSPENSION: Cape Breton forward Ashton Bernard and Acadie-Bathurst forward Marshall Worden each received 10-game suspensions for their fight during the warm-up of Friday night's game at Centre 200 in Sydney, N.S. Other suspensions and/or fines could be announced after videotape review and discussions with the concerned parties, according to a QMJHL release.
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BACK WITH THE PACK: Russian forward Sergey Ostapchuk is returning to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies, according to a QMJHL website release. Ostapchuk tallied 29 goals and 34 assists in 61 games with the Huskies last season before adding four points in five playoff games.
"We are extremely happy to have him back," Rouyn-Noranda head coach and general manager Andre Tourigny said in the release. "Sergey is an explosive offensive player who will undoubtedly help us tremendously in the second half of the season and beyond."
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