MISSISSAUGA, Ont – The Saint John Sea Dogs outlasted the host Mississauga St Michaels Majors riding the performance of forward Michael Kirkpatrick who registered three points on a goal and two assists to the disappointment most of the crowd of 5,429 at Hershey Centre. This was game one of the 2011 MasterCard Memorial Cup. Kirkpatrick helped Saint John overcome the heroics of Casey Cizikas led the Majors with two strikes and Devante Smith-Pelly who had a three point night (1g-2a) in the loss.
Nathan Beaulieu scored the game winner at the 8:00 minute mark of the third period on a power play for Saint John the Quebec Major Junior League Playoff Champions. The goal which turned out to be the game winner was controversial as officials may have missed an offsides call on the strike. The Sea Dogs cashed in three times on eight power play opportunities while the Majors went two for seven with the man advantage.
The Memorial Cup is emblematic of junior hockey supremacy in the Canadian Hockey League made up of the top three junior leagues in Canada. The playoff champions from the Quebec Major Junior League, the Ontario Hockey League and the Western Hockey League are squaring off with the host team Mississauga in the 93rd edition of the Memorial Cup. The OHL’s Owen Sound Attack and the Kootenay Ice will play tonight in game two of the first round robin phase of the tournament. The Majors lost the OHL playoff title to Owen Sound in the OHL final.
In addition to Kirkpatrick and Beaulieu the Sea Dogs got goals from Tomas Jurco and Jonathan Huberdeau. The Sea Dogs have yet to be beaten in post season play as they went 10-0 in QMJHL playoff action on their way to qualifying for the Memorial Cup.
The game was a see saw affair as Jurco sent the Sea Dogs out to a 1-0 early in period one just 1:44 into the game on a breakaway backhander. He bested the Majors’ goaltender J. P. Anderson who took the loss in the contest. Cizikas tied the game 1-1 with his first of the night just over five minutes later deflecting a rebound home past Sea Dogs net minder Jacob DeSerres.
Next up Smith-Pelly gave the Majors their only lead of the game 2-1 with a power play strike at 13:55. The lead did not last however as Saint John cashed in on their own power play late in the period. Huberdeau got the second Sea Dogs’ goal also on a deflection. It came off a shot by Kirkpatrick that eluded Anderson and sent the teams off tied 2-2 at the end of period one.
Another power play helped Saint John retake the lead 3-2 at the 6:58 mark of the second stanza. Kirkpatrick got his goal hammering a shot past Anderson on the glove side. The 3-2 lead held up until Beaulieu got his controversial goal in period three to extend the score to 4-2. His goal came after Mississauga squandered an early third period two man advantage.
The Majors fought back immediately however as Cizikas got his second goal just 33 seconds later to cut the lead to 4-3 which turned out to be the final score. Anderson made 27 saves on 31 Sea Dogs shots on goal while DeSerres faced 27 shots stopping 23 of them in the win.
Faceoff time tonight is at 7:00 PM in a game televised in the U.S. on the NHL Network and in Canada on RDS and Rogers Sportsnet in Canada.
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