Sea Dogs clinch berth in semi-final
SHAWINIGAN, Wednesday, May 23, 2012 – Jonathan Huberdeau scored two goals and added an assist to lead the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 4-1 win over the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup host Shawinigan Cataractes.
The atmosphere was electric as soon as the puck dropped courtesy of a packed house at the Bionest Centre. The Sea Dogs quieted the hometown fans by scoring the game’s first goal at 4:39. Jonathan Huberdeau accepted a great pass from Charlie Coyle in the slot before burying his third marker of the tournament.
Saint John enjoyed a two-man advantage in the closing minute of the first period and took a 2-0 lead. Stanislav Galiev let a hard wrist-shot go from the front of the crease that got by a screened Gabriel Girard.
Scoring chances in the first half of the second period were kept to a minimum as both clubs tightened play. But that changed in the last half of the frame. Although Gabriel Girard was stellar, repeatedly stopping the Sea Dogs onslaught, Ryan Tesink finally managed to beat the Cataractes goaltender at 16:05.
Shawinigan got one back on the power-play before the end of the second period. Anton Zlobin was relentless in the crease, poking away at the puck, which eventually found itself across the goal line. The goal was Zlobin’s second of the tournament.
The Cataractes were much more aggressive in the third period. They had a few key opportunities to cut into the lead, at one point even hitting the post, but head coach Éric Veilleux’s club was unable to capitalize.
Huberdeau completed the scoring into an empty net.
Corbeil made 30 saves in the win.
Tesink was named the game’s first star after scoring a goal and playing a great all-around game.
In virtue of the Sea Dogs’ victory, the London Knights have earned a berth in the final, while Saint John will play the winner of tomorrow night’s tie-breaker game between the Shawinigan Cataractes and the Edmonton Oil Kings. It will be the tenth tie-breaker game in CHL history.
The tie-breaker game of the 2012 MasterCard Memorial Cup goes tomorrow as the battle the live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports starting at 7 pm ET.