Wednesday, March 14, 2012

GAMEDAY 66: at Halifax

GAMEDAY
Saint John Sea Dogs vs Halifax Mooseheads
Tonight at 7pm
Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None
Halifax Metro Centre – Halifax, NS


PREVIEW
HALIFAX, NS – The Saint John Sea Dogs’ quest for a third straight regular season title continues tonight when they take on the Halifax Mooseheads at 7pm at the Metro Centre. A regulation or overtime win tonight will clinch first place for Saint John and give them a spot in the league's history books as the only team to win three consecutive regular season crowns.

The Sea Dogs enter play tonight with a record of 47-15-0-3 for 97 points. They sit first overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, two points up on the Shawinigan Cataractes and have a game in hand.

After winning 17 straight games, the Saint John is coming off a rough weekend in Quebec where they went 0-1-0-1.

The Dogs are in the middle of five-game road stretch. They are 19-10-0-2 on the road this season and have outscored opponents 117-95.

Halifax sits second in the Maritimes Division and sixth overall in the league. They are 38-21-2-4 and have 82 points. They are 7-3-0-0 in their last 10 and are coming off a win.

The Moose are 24-7-1-1 at home and have outscored opponents 140-105. Their 24 home wins are good for second in the league.

After tonight’s game, Saint John wraps the regular season up with back-to-back games in Cape Breton beginning on Friday.

THE NUMBERS

Saint JohnHalifax
Record47-15-0-3 (1st Maritimes)38-21-2-4 (2nd Maritimes)
Home Record- - -24-7-1-1
Road Record19-10-0-2- - -
Streak0-1-0-11-0-0-0
Last 108-1-0-17-3-0-0
Goals For281241
Goals Against175228
Overall PP23.2% (6th)21.7% (9th)
Home PP- - -21.9% (11th)
Road PP23% (4th)- - -
Overall PK80.7% (5th)78.4% (7th)
Home PK- - -80.5% (6th)
Road PK77.1% (8th)- - -
PIM/GAME16.7 (5th)13.6 (16th)

LAST GAMES
The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 loss in Shawinigan on Sunday. Stanislav Galiev and Jonathan Huberdeau recorded Saint John’s only goals. Mathieu Corbeil allowed five goals on 35 shots before getting pulled in the third period. Sebastien Auger allowed one-goal on 14 shots in relief.

The Mooseheads are coming off a 6-3 victory over the PEI Rocket on Monday night at the Metro Centre. Darcy Ashley scored twice while singles came from Nathan MacKinnon, Jonathan Drouin, Matthew Boudreau and Martin Frk. Zach Fucale made just 14 saves in the win.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
The Sea Dogs are 6-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this year while Halifax is 1-6-0-0 against Saint John.

Their last meeting was on February 21 at Harbour Station when the Sea Dogs edged the Mooseheads 4-3. Saint John had goals from Charlie Coyle, Zack Phillips, Jonathan Huberdeau, and Charles Roussel while Halifax had two from Jonathan Drouin and another from Ryan Falkenham. Sebastien Auger made 20 stops in the win while Zach Fucale allowed four goals on 38 shots in the loss.

Halifax tied the game at 3-3 in the third period but Coyle scored shorthanded winner at 12:32 to give Saint John the victory.

LEADING SCORERS
The Sea Dogs are led by Danick Gauthier who has 80 points (44G, 36A) in 63 games this season. Gauthier has a team high 44 goals while Zack Phillips leads the team in assists with 49.

Halifax is led by future/current superstar Nathan MacKinnon who has 76 points (30G, 46A) in 55 games this year. MacKinnon’s 30 goals and 46 assists are both a team high.

GOALTENDERS
Mathieu Corbeil (35-10-0-1, 2.38 GAA, 0.911 SV%) for Saint John and Zach Fucale (31-17-2-3, 3.18 GAA, 0.890 SV%) for Halifax.

MacKINNON
Mooseheads star Nathan MacKinnon had this big time quote in today’s Metro Halifax.

“They’ve had every team’s number this season and they’re coming off a 30,000-game winning streak, so we know we have to come out hard,” said Mooseheads forward Nathan MacKinnon.

NOTES
  • The Mooseheads are averaging 6,487 fans per game this season at the Metro Centre. It is the second highest average in the league.
  • Tonight's match is the Mooseheads’ final home game of the regular season.
  • Sea Dogs defenseman Ian Saab is suspended for tonight’s game after receiving a match penalty for high sticking on Sunday in Shawinigan.
  • Danick Gauthier is second in the league in goals with 44.
  • Zack Phillips is 10th in assists with 49. Nathan MacKinnon is 14th with 46.
  • Matthew Boudreau is third in power play goals with 16.
  • MacKinnon is ninth in power play assists with 22.
  • Brent Andrews is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals with five.
  • Gauthier is fourth in game winning goals with seven.
  • Saab is second in penalty minutes with 164.
  • Jonathan Huberdeau is a league best +48.
  • MacKinnon is second in rookie scoring with 76 points.
  • Huberdeau has a league high five shorthanded assists.
  • Gauthier is second in dangerous shots with 156.
  • Kevin Gagne has assists in five straight road games.
  • Zack Phillips is on a 10-game road scoring streak. Charlie Coyle is on an eight-game road scoring streak.
  • Halifax has won five straight at home.

OTHER GAMES
Cape Breton at Moncton - 7:00 PM ADT
Baie-Comeau at Chicoutimi - 7:30 PM EDT
Blainville-Boisbriand at Gatineau - 7:30 PM EDT

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs head to Cape Breton to face the Screaming Eagles on Friday night at 7pm.

3 comments:

  1. Zack Phillips is on a 100game road scoring streak. Charlie Coyle is on an eight-game road streak.

    ??? 100!!?

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm sure it was meant to say 10 hahahah I had to have a second look at it as well.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Not my fault they put the - and the 0 so close together on the keyboard. wooo

    ReplyDelete