Despres has winner as Sea Dogs edge Olympiques 2-1 in Game 1 of QMJHL final

<p>SAINT JOHN, N.B. – Simon Despres scored the eventual winner 12:17 into the third period as the Saint John Sea Dogs edged the Gatineau Olympiques 2-1 in Game 1 of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s President’s Cup final Thursday night.</p> <p>The best-of-seven championship series continues Saturday, again in Saint John, N.B. </p> <p>Danick Gauthier also scored for the Sea Dogs, who led 1-0 after the first period before surrendering a second-period goal that tied the game. Saint John netminder Jacob DeSerres made 22 saves and assisted on Gauthier’s goal.</p> <p>Hubert Labrie scored for the Olympiques, while Gatineau goalie Maxime Clermont delivered 35 saves.</p> <p>”We had some good chances, but we didn’t always bear down (enough),’’ Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said. “I thought there was some rust in our game tonight. Overall, we played a decent game, but not good enough for what we need and hopefully we’ll be a lot better Saturday night.’’</p> <p>Gauthier’s goal gave Saint John a 1-0 lead at 12:35 of the first period. The Olympiques evened the affair when Labrie’s sharp-angle shot went in off Sea Dogs defenceman Eric Gelinas at 7:38 of the second period.</p> <p>Both goalies came up big late in the middle frame. Clermont stopped Stanislav Galiev on a breakaway and DeSerres stoned Mitchell Porowski in close shortly after. Clermont made another clutch save with 35 seconds left in the stanza, stopping a close-range drive from Pierre Durepos.</p> <p>”We have to get more sustained pressure and more second rebounds,’’ Gallant said. “I didn’t think we were driving to the net nearly as well as we usually do. We’re used to making better low plays and getting more (offence) created near the net.’’</p> <p>Saint John’s Stephen MacAulay was called for boarding at 1:48 of the third period, but the best scoring chance was Gauthier’s short-handed attempt. Gatineau couldn’t capitalize on the remainder of its only power play.</p> <p>The decisive goal came when Sea Dogs forward Aidan Kelly got the puck back to Despres, whose high wrister from the point made its way through traffic. Gatineau applied strong pressure after adding an extra attacker late, but the Sea Dogs survived the late scare.</p> <p>”Saint John deserved to win,’’ Olympiques head coach Benoit Groulx said. “They played better than us and we hung in there, and Clermont was very solid. They have so many guys who can make the difference and they find ways to win.’’</p> <p>The Olympiques were coming off a dramatic Game 7 semifinal win over the Quebec Remparts Tuesday night.</p> <p>”I thought we were nervous early in (Thursday’s) game,’’ Groulx said. “We rushed many plays, but this was a 2-1 game and Maxime gave us a chance to win.’’</p> <p>Saint John has been kept to two goals only one other time in this year’s playoffs, a 3-2 loss to Victoriaville on April 9.</p> <p>”They kind of surprised us with how powerful they were offensively and they have a great defence,’’ Sea Dogs forward Zack Phillips said. “They matched up lines pretty well with us and they worked hard. We shot a lot of pucks through from the point, which is hard for the goalie. We just need to keep getting shots and keep screening him.’’</p>