Tuesday, December 29, 2015

DOGS DAILY: About Last Night

Blowing a four-goal third period lead certainly doesn’t happen every day. While Sea Dogs fans may not have liked what they saw last night at Harbour Station, at least it turned a lopsided game quickly into a very entertaining 20-plus minutes of hockey.

The Sea Dogs certainly missed defensemen Thomas Chabot and Jakub Zboril in the game. D-man Bailey Webster was also out with an injury as were strong defensive forwards Samuel Dove-McFalls and Spencer Smallman. This isn’t a team that’s going to blow a four-goal lead too often when they have all their regulars dressed.

A few other notes from the game:
  • Saint John now has a -10 goal differential in third periods this season. They are +6 in first periods and +11 in second periods.
  • This was just the fifth time this season overall – and second time on home ice – that the Sea Dogs have lost a game when leading after two periods. On the other side, this was Bathurst’s third win of the year when trailing after two and the first time they’ve done so on the road.
  • As noted in our pre-game, Bathurst’s five-goal third period tied a league high for goals scored in a third this season.

The Sea Dogs and Titan meet again tonight at 7 p.m. in Bathurst.

CANADA SURVIVES SWISS SCARE
Switzerland gave Team Canada quite a scare today at the world juniors. After trailing 2-0, the heavily favoured Canadians climbed back and ultimately defeated the Swiss 3-2 in a shootout.

It was a fairly strong game for Sea Dogs defenseman Thomas Chabot (pictured) who was on the ice for both of Canada’s regulation time goals. He finished the game with one point and did not record a shot – although he did have a few attempts blocked.

Chabot picked up the primary assist on Canada’s first goal scored in the final minute of the first period, a goal scored from an impossible angle by Dylan Strome. The Ottawa Senators prospect was also on the ice for Canada’s second goal – scored by his defense partner Joe Hicketts – but did not pick up a point.

Canada will need to produce a much better performance when they play their final game of the preliminary round at 2 p.m. on New Year’s Eve against Sweden.

GARLAND KEEPS SCORING
While Team USA got shutout by Sweden yesterday, Connor Garland, who wasn’t even invited to the American world junior selection camp, had two goals and an assist in Moncton’s 3-2 victory in Halifax.
Garland continues to lead the entire CHL in scoring with 83 points in 34 games. Even though he’s small and plays in a high scoring league, it’s really incredible he didn’t even get an invite to the Team USA camp – especially now with Alex DeBrincat hurt.

IMPRESSIVE MOVE BY COYLE
Quite a move by Charlie Coyle in last night’s 3-1 Minnesota win over Detroit.


Coyle now has nine goals and nine assists in 35 games this season.

In other news…
  • Premier Brian Gallant was at the Sea Dogs-Titan game last night.
  • It was a good night for the Joseph family last night. Along with Mathieu Joseph scoring a hat trick in Saint John’s loss, Pierre-Olivier Joseph scored the first goal of his QMJHL career in Charlottetown’s 4-1 victory.
  • In that Islanders win, Daniel Sprong scored twice in his return to the QMJHL. The newly acquired Samuel Blais assisted on both.
  • The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies continue to get stacked, acquiring Nikolas Brouillard from the Quebec Remparts yesterday.
  • Tomorrow at the world juniors, Jakub Zboril and the Czech Republic take on Belarus at 8 a.m. At noon, Juraj Siska and Slovakia take on Finland.
  • At the Spengler Cup, Chris DiDomenico and Team Canada take on HC Davos in the first semifinal at 10 a.m. The championship game is on New Year’s Eve at 7 a.m.
  • Here’s video of Sea Dogs assistant coach Paul Boutilier speaking at the 2015 Hockey Coaches Conference.
  • For all you program buyers out there, here is proof that the Vito’s stamp exists. It only took 10 years to finally see it. Keep the faith, program buyers.

Photo via TSN

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