RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 7-4

FINAL: Baie-Comeau 7, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN – It’s all over for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs had their season come to an end on Saturday at Harbour Station, falling 7-4 to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in game five of their first round playoff series. The Drakkar won the series 4-1.

Maxime St-Cyr led the Drakkar with a hat trick. Jeremy Gregoire had two goals while singles came from Luca Ciampini and Vaclav Karabacek. Philippe Cadorette made 18 saves in the victory.

Nathan Noel had a hat trick for Saint John while Mark Tremaine scored a solo marker. Sebastien Auger made 38 saves in the loss.

Baie-Comeau scored twice within the first 10 minutes of the game and never looked back. The Sea Dogs got within a couple goals a couple times but, for the most part, it was all Drakkar.

The Drakkar will now move on to play a yet-to-be-determined opponent in the second round of the playoffs. The Sea Dogs will now turn their attention towards the QMJHL Entry Draft, which takes place in June in Sherbrooke.

3:18 into the game, a pass from the corner found Gregoire at the top of the crease. The Drakkar forward slipped the puck through Auger to give Baie-Comeau an early 1-0 lead.

Soon after the goal, Noel fed an open Luke Green but was denied by the pad of a stretched out Cadorette. Then at 8:30, a dump in bounced off the backboards and went back to Ciampini at the side of the net. The former Halifax Moosehead shot the puck from a sharp angle and beat Auger to make it 2-0 Drakkar.

After failing to generate anything on a power play, the Sea Dogs fell behind 3-0. At 16:06, a point shot was redirected by St-Cyr and past Auger.

Finally, on a man advantage at 17:34, Noel fired a shot from the top of the circle that went upstairs on Cadorette to make it a 3-1 game and give the Dogs some life. Shots were 15-10 in favour of the visiting side in the opening frame.

On a power play 1:28 into the second, Gregoire one timed a shot from the circle that went in to give Baie-Comeau a 4-1 advantage.

It was a penalty filled second period, but unlike many other times in this series, the teams were actually able to cash in. At 9:30 on a man advantage, Cadorette made an unreal save off Noel in close. Tremaine grabbed the puck during the ensuing scramble and beat the Drakkar netminder to make it a 4-2 contest.

Bailey Webster headed off for high sticking at 9:46 and then Matthew Highmore joined him in the box at 11:19, giving the Drakkar a five-on-three power play. On that man advantage, St-Cyr fired a one timer past Auger to make it 5-2. 27 seconds later, Karabacek beat Auger with a deke to make it 6-2.

At 17:37, Bokondji Imama fed Noel on a three-on-one. Noel went in alone and slid the puck five hole on Cadorette to make it 6-3 heading into intermission. Shots were 18-7 in favour of the Drakkar in the second.

Justice Dundas headed to the box 1:33 into the third. On the power play, a Ciampini pass from the boards was redirected past Auger by St-Cyr, making it a 7-3 match.

There were some nasty moments in the third as the Sea Dogs showed their frustration. Jakub Zboril was given a five minute major and game misconduct at 17:55 for a check to the head on Simon Desbiens. During some four-on-four play with 1:32 left, Mark Tremaine fed Noel from the slot to make it a 7-4 game. That would be as close as the Dogs would get. Shots ended 45-22 in favour of Baie-Comeau.

TURNING POINT/BIG MOMENT

Baie-Comeau’s two goals early in the first set the tone for the game. Unlike Thursday, Baie-Comeau didn’t lose momentum and pretty much cruised to the win.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Nathan Noel for the Dogs; Jeremy Gregoire for the Drakkar.

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs dressed the same lineup as they did on Thursday night, scratching forwards Julien Tessier (healthy), Matt Green (healthy) and Adam Marsh (lower body) along with defenseman Jason Bell (healthy).
• The Sea Dogs were the third team to be eliminated from the playoffs, following Victoriaville and Chicoutimi.
• Justice Dundas took three minor penalties in the third period.
• According to the QMJHL website, the Sea Dogs out hit the Drakkar 24-9.

NEXT GAME

The QMJHL Entry Draft is in June.