EP.143.0 09-18-2011 QMJHL Saint John Sea Dogs VS PEI Rocket Highlights

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SEA DOGS TOP ROCKET TO MOVE INTO WIN COLUMN

Bolstered by the return of three players from NHL camps, the Saint John Sea Dogs earned their first win of the season Sunday, 5-3 over the Prince Edward Island Rocket.

Danick Gauthier, fresh from his experience with the Phoenix Coyotes prospects, recorded his first Quebec Major Junior Hockey League hat trick and added an assist. Scott Oke, making his debut after suiting up with the Dallas Stars at an NHL prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich., added a goal and an assist. Brock Morrison also scored for the Sea Dogs and Sebastien Auger made 40 saves for his first QMJHL win before 3,100 fans at Harbour Station.

Matej Beran, Felipe Corbo and Victor Provencher scored for P.E.I. and Ben Duffy had two assists. Maxime Lagace turned away 33 shots in the loss.

The Dogs opened the scoring at 4:13 of the first. Colin Campbell poked the puck out of the Saint John zone and rushed down the left wing to set up a 3-on-1 with Oliver Cooper and Morrison. Campbell slid a pass across to Morrison, who got the backhand on it to redirect into the open cage for his second of the season. Cooper picked up the other assist. Auger turned away all 17 shots he faced in the first period, including a great save on an Olivier Croteau rebound attempt with just under eight minutes to go.

The Rocket managed to beat the rookie goalie 2:06 into the second, however, when Beran's shot from the left wing found its way through. Corbo gave P.E.I. the lead just 22 seconds later, finishing a 2-on-1 with Duffy.

The Dogs got a great chance to tie it when Kelly Bent and Victor Provencher took back-to-back interference penalties at 6:27 and 7:19 of the second. Early in the two-man advantage Kevin Gagne came close when he snapped a shot from the high slot off the crossbar. The Dogs got the equalizer later in the power play when Oke took a pass down low from point man Jason Seed and sent a cross-crease pass to Gauthier, who banged it in from his perch at Lagace's left. The goal, Gauthier's first of the season, came at 8:07.

Affiliate player Ryan Kelly, one of just five defencemen dressed, nearly gave the Sea Dogs the lead with under seven minutes to go in the second when he rang a shot off the inside of the post from the left point. Gauthier then notched his second at 19:01 as he cut to the net from the right wing with speed and tried a pass out front to Oke that deflected off P.E.I. defender Dylan Capstick's stick and in. Auger flashed the leather on a Capstick point shot in the final minute, preserving the one-goal lead into the intermission.

Oke added the insurance marker at 8:43 of the third. Gauthier spotted Oke charging hard to the net and sent a long cross-ice feed from the top of the left-wing circle that Oke tipped past Lagace for his first of the year.

The Rocket got back within one at 17:43 when Provencher fired a top corner shot from the high slot to make it 4-3. P.E.I. pulled the goalie in a late attempt to equalize, but Auger and the Dogs stood tall. The 17-year-old puckstopper made a nice left pad save on Duffy in close, then came up big again in a late scramble with Beran digging away in front of the net. The Dogs finally relieved the pressure, setting up Gauthier's empty-netter with six seconds to go.

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