Dogs make history
Published Monday March 8th, 2010
Hockey: Saint John captures first QMJHL regular-season crown with win over Halifax
SAINT JOHN - Simon Despres believes the roots of clinching first-place overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League started to grow back in the fall, months before his Saint John Sea Dogs made it official by defeating the Halifax Mooseheads 5-2 on Sunday at Harbour Station.
The hulking defenceman feels winning the Jean Rougeau Trophy as the league's top regular-season team is the result of a renewed spirit that set in at the beginning of the season.
"The dressing room changed a lot this year compared to last year,'' Despres said after Sunday's clincher. "There's a different atmosphere in the room and a lot of good leaders. We have a good group of guys and we could go all the way this year.''
Home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs could help that cause. And that's what the Sea Dogs (52-11-1-1) gained by virtue of claiming the top spot.
"There's a sigh of relief,'' Despres said. "It's a great accomplishment. Our goal this season was to finish first overall in the league and we did, so we're happy and we're looking forward to the playoffs. That's where the real season starts.''
First, though, the Sea Dogs have three regular-season games remaining, all of which are on the road against Atlantic Division opponents. The club faces the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles Wednesday night before visiting the Prince Edward Island Rocket Friday evening. Saint John wraps up its record-setting season Sunday night in Moncton against the Wildcats.
The quest for the President's Cup begins March 19 when the Sea Dogs host the fourth-place team in the Atlantic Division at Harbour Station. But Sunday's post-game mindset allowed some room for reflection.
"I'm proud of our hockey team,'' Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant said. "We worked for this and it was nice to finish it off at home. We knew we had to get one point to clinch and I thought the guys worked hard. The first period was just fair, but we picked up the momentum after that and played really well.''
Five different players scored for Saint John - Nathan Beaulieu, Tomas Jurco, Steven Anthony, Mike Hoffman and Nick Petersen, who also picked up an assist. Hoffman had two helpers while single assists went to Michael Kirkpatrick, Zack Phillips and Stanislav Galiev. Konrad Abeltshauser scored both goals for Halifax (13-46-2-4), losers of 10 straight.
Kirkpatrick said clinching first overall is especially sweet after last year's disappointing finish, which saw Saint John swept in the first round of the playoffs.
"It's huge,'' the 19-year-old centre said. "It's great for this team and great for the organization and great for Saint John. A lot of hockey has to do with confidence and I think our team has a lot confidence. I think we'll go pretty far.''
Saint John took a 1-0 lead when Phillips set up Beaulieu at 11:30 of the first period, awakening the sellout crowd of 6,488. Beaulieu saw an open seam and went to the slot, where he took a perfect pass from Phillips. Beaulieu showed no hesitation, snapping the puck past Halifax goalie Mathieu Corbeil for his 11th goal of the season, a mark that leads the Saint John defence corps.
The hosts went up 2-0 on Jurco's power-play goal at 2:19 of the second period, a wicked one-timer that came courtesy of a perfect pass by Hoffman. But just over four minutes later, Despres lofted the puck over the glass from the defensive zone and was called for delay of game, setting the stage for Abeltshauser's power-play goal.
The Sea Dogs regained their two-goal lead when Anthony pushed his way into the Halifax zone and finished by beating Corbeil at 12:23. The Sea Dogs made it 4-1 just 13 seconds into the third period, as Petersen dished the puck to Hoffman, who cruised into the zone and fired a shot that went high and wide. But the puck hit the glass and then bounced off Corbeil and over the goal line.
Petersen notched his career-high 38th goal of the campaign when he one-timed the puck past Corbeil off a perfect feed from Galiev at the 51-second mark.
Halifax, however, didn't die. Abeltshauser tallied his second of the contest, a long-range point shot that beat Sea Dogs goalie Marco Cousineau at 4:35.
_
OUT OF ACTION: Saint John captain Mike Thomas missed Sunday's game as part of a suspension after his five-minute charging major and game misconduct from Friday's night's contest against Moncton. The league is scheduled to review the hit today to determine the length of the suspension. Sea Dogs defenceman Yann Sauve missed Sunday's game due to a death in the family.
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I would like to thank you for making the fan appreciation day, one of my most remebered experiences at a Sea Dogs game. Mary thank you for ripping the horn out of my sons hand and telling him he is not alot to have a horn in the arena. You handled that situation very professionaly by saying i am just doing my job, by showing my a sign saying no stadium horns and also by informing me that the horn section is only in 6 and 7. Well guess what Mary you didnt do your job as good as ypu said. I told you my daughter who is 3 had a horn around her neck, and she was sitting in section S , why wasnt that taken away. I also noticed other kids in section J and M who had horns (stadium) great job again by you. The way you handled the situation was poor and pathetic, must feel good to ruin a childs experience at a hockey game. But as a season ticket holder who spends over $3000 at games a year on food and merchandise is no gone.
Mary the funny thing is after you left arguing with me lots of fellow friends that i have met over the year, as a ticket holder came up and said that you have given there children or grand childdren grief about noise makers. Remember if it was for the hockey fans you would only have a part time job as the HS cannot find enough acts in a week to give you alot of hours like the Sea dogs and there fans,.
Go dogs Go
GO DOGS GO
Go Dogs Go....
I remember being at concerts in the past and they would come and tell people to sit down... At least they stopped doing that...
It is a hockey game folks, noise is a big part of it...
Go DOGS GO!!!!!!!!