RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 2-1 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 1, Bathurst 2 (OT)

BATHURST – The Saint John Sea Dogs will need some help if they want to finish second overall in the QMJHL standings.

The Sea Dogs fell 2-1 in overtime to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan tonight at the KC Irving Regional Centre, giving them 90 points on the year. The Shawinigan Cataractes also have 90 points but remain in second because they own the tiebreaker (overall wins minus shootout wins). The Cataractes have 39 regulation/overtime wins while Saint John has 38.

It’s certainly possible for the Sea Dogs to still finish in second. Both Saint John and Shawinigan have two games remaining, and anything could happen in those games. The QMJHL's regular season comes to a close on Saturday.

This was also a pivotal game for the Titan who jumped from 16^th overall to 14^th. If the playoffs started today, the Dogs and Titan would meet in the first round.

In Tuesday’s game, Christophe Boivin and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel scored for the Titan. Reilly Pickard made 34 saves in the win.

Thomas Chabot had Saint John’s lone goal. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 stops in the loss. The Dogs were without three of their top scorers – Mathew Highmore, Mathieu Joseph and Adam Marsh – due to injuries.

The Sea Dogs went to the power play at 15:34 of the first period. Despite applying pressure for much of the man advantage and Spencer Smallman hitting iron, Saint John was unable to open the scoring. Shots were 14-4 in favour of the Dogs.

Saint John opened the scoring on a power play at 9:39 of the second. Joe Veleno had the puck in the corner and dished it over to Chabot in the slot. The Ottawa Senators prospect wound up and fired a bomb past Pickard to give the visitors a 1-0 advantage.

After the Sea Dogs were able to kill off a couple penalties early in the third, the Titan went back to the man advantage at 7:24. Not long after Turcotte made a tremendous stop, Boivin beat the Dogs netminder with a wrist shot to tie it at 1-1 at 9:23.

Saint John went to the power play at 12:39. While shorthanded, Daniil Miromanov nearly gave the Titan the lead but his shot hit the post and stayed out. Turcotte made some key saves in the period, sending the game to overtime tied 1-1.

With 2:51 left in overtime, Luke Green was called for high sticking. At 2:26, Viel was parked in front and swept in a rebound to give the Titan the victory.

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs were without defensemen Bailey Webster (upper body – long term) and Alex Bernier (upper body – long term) along with forwards Adam Marsh (upper body – day-to-day), Mathieu Joseph (upper body – day-to-day) and Matthew Highmore (lower body - minor).
• According to the Sea Dogs pre-game show, Matthew Highmore’s lower body is considered minor.
• Jordan King was recalled by the Sea Dogs on Monday and started this game on the fourth line.
• Mark Simpson recorded his 1,000^th faceoff win of the season.
• This was the Titan’s final home game of the regular season.
• Saint John has now posted four wins and six loses overtime this year. They are a perfect 4-0 in a shootouts.

TURNING POINT

Luke Green’s penalty in overtime sent the Titan to the power play, leading to Jeffrey Truchon-Viel’s goal. Bathurst went 2-for-5 on the power play in this game.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Marc-Antoine Turcotte

Christophe Boivin

Elephant Rock – we’re thinking of you, bud

TWEET OF THE GAME

Exciting times pic.twitter.com/fsFDlgqFfr

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 16, 2016

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs take on the Screaming Eagles in Sydney on Friday at 7 p.m.