Music: {allcanada} COYLE PENALTY SHOT LIFTS SEA DOGS OVER OCEANIC

Saturday, May 5, 2012

{allcanada} COYLE PENALTY SHOT LIFTS SEA DOGS OVER OCEANIC

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SAINT JOHN, N.B. -- Charlie Coyle took full advantage of a penalty shot on Saturday.

Coyle scored the eventual winner and added an assist to lead the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 3-2 win over the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday in Game 2 of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's President's Cup final.

"The first two games are big, just to get a head start on them," Coyle said. "It's nice being up by two going into their building."

Saint John has a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven QMJHL championship series, which continues in Rimouski, Que., on Wednesday and Thursday.

Danick Gauthier and Tomas Jurco also scored for the Sea Dogs, while Saint John goalie Mathieu Corbeil stopped 14 of 16 shots.

Petr Straka had back-to-back goals for Rimouski and Jacob Gervais-Chouinard made 29 saves.

Coyle was hauled down during an Oceanic power play and scored on a penalty shot with 8:24 left in the second, going backhand-to-forehand with a deke that had Gervais-Chouinard going the wrong way.

That goal gave Saint John a 3-0 lead.

"It was a foot race and I just tried to use my body," Coyle said about the play that led to the penalty shot. "I have a big body, so I try to use it to my advantage. Being a power forward, that's what I have to do.

"I've been working on that for the last couple of years and that's one of my key points I have to do to be successful."

Straka answered for the Oceanic at 15:50 of the second, pulling the visitors within two.

Saint John defenceman Charles-Olivier Roussel was called for tripping with 5:48 left in the third, but Rimouski couldn't capitalize on the ensuing power play, going 0-for-5 overall.

Straka scored his second with 1:04 left in the third.

Early in the second, Gauthier's goal gave Saint John a 1-0 lead 6:12 into the period and Jurco buried a rebound 50 seconds later for a 2-0 lead.

"I loved our team tonight," Sea Dogs head coach Gerard Gallant said. "I thought we played hard and competed hard and did the right things with the puck. For the majority of the time, I thought we had an excellent game.

"It was a 3-2 win, but I thought we dominated at times and took control of the game. I just think territorially we played really well."

A fifth game, if necessary, would be in Rimouski on Saturday, while Games 6 and 7 would be May 14 and May 16, respectively, in Saint John.