Game Day 9: at Rouyn-Noranda

In what has the potential to be one the best games of the 2016-17 season, the Saint John Sea Dogs (5-2-1-0) take on the Huskies (6-0-0-1) tonight in Rouyn-Noranda. Puck drops at 8:30 p.m. at Arena Iamgold.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Blainville-Boisbriand on Wednesday. Spencer Smallman and Luke Green scored for Saint John while Alex Bishop made 29 stops in the loss. The Huskies are coming off a 6-2 win over Chicoutimi on home ice last Saturday. William Cyr, Mathieu Boucher, Jeremy Lauzon, Anthony Wojcik, Jean-Christophe Beaudin and Martins Dzierkals all scored for Rouyn-Noranda. Charles-Antoine Poirier-Turcot made 20 stops in the win.

2016-17 head-to-head: This is the first meeting between the two.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs went 0-2-0-0 against the President Cup champions last season while Rouyn-Noranda went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 19 in Rouyn-Noranda where the Huskies defeated the Sea Dogs 4-1. AJ Greer, Jean-Christophe Beaudin, Timo Meier and Francis Perron all scored for the Huskies. Spencer Smallman scored Saint John's lone goal. Chase Marchand made 43 saves in the win. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 27 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Huskies: None

Random stat: How about Alexandre Bernier's start to the season? After recording three assists in 27 games with Saint John last year, Bernier has recored two goals and three helpers in just eight games this year.

Three Things to Know
1. This is the fourth game of Saint John's five-game road trip through Quebec. They are 2-0-1-0 so far, defeating Quebec and Sherbrooke last weekend before falling to Blainville-Boisbriand in overtime on Wednesday.

2. The Huskies were ranked No. 1 in the CHL Top 10 Rankings this week. Saint John was sixth.

3. Rouyn-Noranda has not lost a game in regulation time this year (6-0-0-1). Their only loss came in a shootout on Sept. 23 against Sherbrooke.

Notes: The Sea Dogs are 2-2-1-0 on the road this season... Saint John is 5-0-1-0 in their last six games and had a five-game winning streak end on Wednesday... Matthew Highmore leads Saint John in scoring with six goals and 14 points in eight games... Highmore and Mathieu Joseph each have a team high six goals... Highmore leads the team in assists with eight... Joe Veleno was injured early in Wednesday's game against the Armada... Antoine Waked and Martines Dzierkals each have a team leading nine points for the Huskies... Waked and Mathieu Boucher lead the team in goals with five each... Dzierkals and Bruno-Carl Denis each have five assists... Rouyn-Noranda is 3-0-0-1 at home... Samuel Harvey's save percentage of .941 is second best in the league... Saint John's power play rating of 36.1% is second best in the league... the Dogs continue to lead the league in shots per game (37.82) and shots against (22.37).

Out of town:
Gatineau at Acadie-Bathurst - 7:00 PM ADT
Baie-Comeau at Québec - 7:00 PM EDT
Moncton at Rimouski - 7:30 PM EDT
Halifax at Shawinigan - 7:30 PM EDT
Drummondville at Val-d'Or - 7:30 PM EDT

Next game: Saint John's five-game road trip comes to an end tomorrow night in Val-d'Or. Puck drop against the Foreurs is at 8 p.m.