Monday, May 10, 2010

PRE-GAME NOTES: Sea Dogs vs Wildcats

GAME DAY
What: Presidents Cup Playoffs: Round Four – Game Six
Who: Saint John Sea Dogs vs Moncton Wildcats
When: 7:00 pm
Where: Moncton Coliseum

COUZY HAS TO COME UP BIG
In his biggest start of the year, Saint John goaltender Marco Cousineau has to play his best tonight as the Sea Dogs face elimination.

"Marco Cousineau is going to have to be the same as he was on Friday night in the overtime game," Tim Roszell said to News 88.9, who is for some reason being quoted by his own website. "He was sensational and was the only reason that game got to overtime.”

Cousineau told the Telegraph-Journal that he is ready for the task.

"I will be prepared. I will be ready," Cousineau said. "(Game 6) is our deadline. If we don't show up, we will lose."

QUICK START WILL BE KEY
As mentioned before, the winner of all five games in this series has scored the first goal.

“In all five games of the President's Cup final, the team to score first has won,” reports Kevin Barrett of the Telegraph-Journal. “In the post-season, Moncton is 13-2 when connecting first while Saint John is 10-1 when it scores first, 4-5 when it doesn't.”

Saint John did anything but get out to a solid start on Saturday night, being outshot 17-3 in the first.

“All you really need to know is this: The Wildcats were leading 4-0 on the scoreboard before the Sea Dogs even reached double digits in shots,” said Neil Hodge in today’s Times & Transcript.

WHAT WENT WRONG?
Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant wasn’t too pleased with his team’s performance in Game Five on Saturday; a 5-1 defeat on home ice.

"We had no push back with our effort tonight," said Saint John head coach Gerard Gallant to the Times & Transcript. "I would have to say this was our worst game of the season.

"I don't mind when we give our best effort and lose a game. I can live with that. It just wasn't there for anybody on our team in this game. I think we'll come out hard, play our best and it will be a heckuva game in Moncton (tonight)."

ON THE LINE
The Wildcats can book their trip to the 2010 MasterCard Memorial Cup with a win tonight.

Moncton or Saint John will advance to the Memorial Cup, which opens on Friday in Brandon, Man. The four-team tournament will also feature the host Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League, the WHL champion Calgary Hitmen and the Ontario Hockey League champion Windsor Spitfires.

The QMJHL Champion will open the tournament up on Saturday against the Hitmen. The Calgary Herald reported today that the Hitmen coaching staff were hoping that “Game 6 from the Maritimes was going to be available anywhere on TV locally.”

“Whatever team we do play (Saturday), and I don’t think it matters which one, they’re going to be tough, motivated,” said Hitman Joel Broda. “The teams there are there for a reason. We’re all champions that want to be THE champion.

“So we can’t afford to take our foot off the gas now.”

WHAT IF
If the Sea Dogs are victorious this evening, there will be a Game Seven at Harbour Station tomorrow night at 7:00 pm.

From saintjohnseadogs.com:

In the event that the Sea Dogs win tonight, tickets to Game Seven would go on sale tomorrow morning at 10am at the Harbour Station Box Office (506-657-1234 or www.tickets.harbourstation.ca).

Game Five sold-out in 31 minutes. 31 minutes people.

POLL TIME
This afternoon on News 88.9/News 91.9’s “The Drive,” callers voted that the Wildcats would take this game over the Sea Dogs my a single vote.

MEDIA
Television
: Rogers TV (channel 10)
Webcast: Telus
Radio: News 88.9 FM
Twitter: Station Nation, Vincent Gauthier, Cats on News 91.9, Shaun McKenzie, and Marc Grandmaison.

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