RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 5, Rimouski 1

Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

RIMOUSKI, Que. – The Saint John Sea Dogs kicked off their four game Quebec road trip in style on Thursday, posting an impressive 5-1 victory over the Rimouski Oceanic.

Goal scorers for the Sea Dogs were Bokondji Imama (two), Mathieu Joseph, Thomas Chabot and Oliver Felixson. Alex D’Orio had another solid performance, stopping 28 shots.

Scoring the lone goal for the Oceanic was Hunter Moreau while netminder Alexandre Lagace was able to stop 24 shots in the contest.

To the notes…

• Joseph picked up the game’s first tally at 9:38 of the opening period, pulling off a deke to get by an Oceanic defender and going high on Lagace.
• The first period also saw a tilt between former Sea Dog Nico Blachman and Chase Stewart. Stewart landed a couple solid shots while Blachman shot a nice little smile to the Sea Dogs bench. 
• Chabot extended the Sea Dogs lead to 2-0 at 10:18 of the second period after making a nice move to his backhand and beating Lagace. 
• The Sea Dogs wouldn’t wait long to strike again as Imama got in on the act at 11:38 of the middle frame. 
• Then it was time for Felixson to pick up his first goal of the season at 14:48, letting a seeing eye wrist shot go that found it’s way into the back of the net and making it 4-0 Sea Dogs.
• Imama picked up his second of the game at 1:06 of the third period when he banged home his own rebound, making it 5-0 for the Dogs. 
• Moreau ended the shutout bid of D’Orio at 9:54 of the final frame when he finished off a partial breakaway with a backhand shot.
• Joseph beat his personal best point streak, which now sits at 13 straight games. The Sea Dogs' team record is 22 games which is held by Zack Phillips (2011).
• Joseph also climbed into the top 10 in all time scoring with 163 points. He is now tied for 10th with Steven Anthony.
• Imama tied a personal best with his 13th goal of the season.
• Earlier on Tuesday, Sea Dogs equipment manager David “DK” Kelly rang the bell, completing his 20 rounds of chemotherapy. 
• Joe Veleno is getting very close to returning to action. He took the warm up in this game but still may not play on this trip.

Chabot, Joseph invited to WJC camp

Embed from Getty Images

Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph of the Saint John Sea Dogs have both been invited to Canada's national junior team selection camp.

This year's camp will take place Dec. 10-14 in Blainville, Que. The world junior tournament will begin on Boxing Day, as usual, in Toronto and Montreal.

The selection camp roster includes 19 forwards, 10 defencemen and three goaltenders.

A total of nine players from the QMJHL received invites. They are: defencemen Chabot, Guillaume Brisebois (Charlottetown Islanders), Samuel Girard (Shawinigan Cataractes), Jeremy Lauzon (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies) and Philippe Myers (Rouyn-Noranda Huskies); forwards Joseph, Pierre-Luc Dubois (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles),  Julien Gauthier (Val-d’Or Foreurs) and Nicolas Roy (Chicoutimi Saguenéens).

The total is one of the best ever for the league.

9 joueurs #LHJMQ invités #ECJ2017

D: Chabot, Girard, Lauzon, Myers, Brisebois

A:Roy, Gauthier, Dubois, Joseph

Record : 10 en 2000 et 2010

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) November 29, 2016

Chabot, who played on last year's team, is a lock to be on this year's squad. Joseph, who is tied for the QMJHL lead in goals and had a strong showing at Team Canada's summer evaluation camp, will need to win a job. It won't be easy - especially with the possibility of NHL players joining the team at some point - but Joseph has proven this year and last that he is capable of playing at very high level.

The Sea Dogs have had two players on one world junior team only once and that was in 2012 when Jonathan Huberdeau and Nathan Beaulieu both made the squad. Zack Phillips was also invited to camp that year but did not make the team.

Sea Dogs to play for Team Canada include Chris DiDomenico (2009 - Gold), Simon Despres (2011 - Silver), Nathan Beaulieu (2012 - Bronze), Huberdeau (2012 - Bronze, 2013 - 4th) and Chabot (2016 - 6th).

GAME DAY 26: at Rimouski

The Saint John Sea Dogs (16-6-2-1, 1st Maritimes, 2nd QMJHL) are in Rimouski tonight to take on the Oceanic (12-13-1-0, 5th East, 13th QMJHL) for the first time this season. Game time is 8:30 p.m.

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

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 home win over the Quebec Remparts on Friday. Nathan Noel had a hat trick while Mathieu Joseph added a solo marker. Alex D'Orio made 24 saves in the victory. The Oceanic are coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Sunday. Hunter Moreau had Rimouski's lone goal. Alexandre Lagace made 21 saves in the loss.

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

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Oceanic last season while Rimouski went 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 29 in Rimouski where the Sea Dogs defeated the Oceanic 5-3. Spencer Smallman had a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Daniel Del Paggio, Matt Murphy and Mathieu Joseph. Oceanic goals came from Samuel Laberge, Antoine Dufort-Plante and Deven St-Hilaire. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 20 saves in the victory. Louis-Philip Guindon made 28 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Oceanic: Forward Nico Blachman.

Random stat: Nathan Noel, the league's second star of the week, has six goals and an assist in his past two games. Interestingly, of Noel's 23 points, only six have been recorded on the road.

Three Things to Know
1. Mathieu Joseph enters this game on a 12-game point streak. He has recorded 19 points during the span. Joseph has also recorded points in eight straight road games.

2. The Sea Dogs have picked up points in seven straight games, going 5-0-1-1 during that span.

3. Former Sea Dogs forward Nico Blachman has appeared in five games with Rimouski this season, recording no points and 20 penalty minutes.

Another big road trip has come

The Saint John Sea Dogs are set to begin their second big Quebec road trip of the season on Tuesday.

Tomorrow night's game in Rimouski will be the first of four straight in the province of Quebec. The Sea Dogs will then travel to Shawinigan on Thursday, Drummondville on Friday and Gatineau on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs have not played Rimouski, Shawinigan or Drummondville yet this season. They have played Gatineau previously - at Harbour Station - where the Sea Dogs defeated the Olympiques 5-4 in overtime on Oct. 5.

Saint John has performed fairly well on the road this season, posting a record of 7-4-1-1. In Quebec the Dogs have performed extremely well, registering a 4-0-1-0 record.

All Saint John's previous road wins in Quebec came on one road trip. The team defeated Quebec, Sherbrooke, Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or during the trek while falling to Blainville-Boisbriand in overtime. It was, without question, one of the best road trips in team history and the Sea Dogs will look to replicate that success this week.

This week's road trip won't be easy, even with Rimouski (13th), Drummondville (14th) and Gatineau (16th) all sitting in the lower half of the standings. The biggest game on this trip will be in Shawinigan, of course. While the history between the two franchises always creates some hype for head-to-head meetings, the fact that the two are tied for second overall in the league standings with 35 points makes for an even more intriguing match.

Following this road trip, Saint John will play five straight games at home. The team goes to Quebec just one more time this season - Feb 17-19 - when they visit Victoriaville, Chicoutimi and Baie-Comeau.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Panthers fire Gallant and Kelly

The Florida Panthers made a surprise move on Sunday night, firing both head coach Gerard Gallant and assistant coach Mike Kelly.

Gallant will be replaced by general manager Tom Rowe behind the bench.

Coaching change in @NHL with the  @FlaPanthers. @Sportsnet has learned Gerard Gallant has been relieved of his duties.

— Nick Kypreos (@RealKyper) November 28, 2016

Gallant was given extension last season, but this year he and front office disagreed on direction of the team. Things brewing behind scenes.

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) November 28, 2016

Speculation from media is that there were philosophical differences between Gallant and the team's higher ups in the hockey operations department - which has seen changes over the past few months. The Panthers have had a rough start to the season, but many of those problems have been out of Gallant's control.

Gallant and Kelly have been with the Panthers since the 2014-15 season. Gallant, who guided the Panthers to a 47-26-9 record last season and a playoff berth, finished second in NHL coach of the year voting.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-2

FINAL: Quebec 2, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN - Nathan Noel had another big game to lead the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 4-2 victory over the Quebec Remparts on Friday night at Harbour Station.

After scoring two goals in Wednesday's win over Cape Breton, Noel had a hat trick on Friday to guide the team's offence. Mathieu Joseph had the other Saint John goal. Alex D'Orio made 24 saves in the victory.

The Sea Dogs have now picked up points in each of their past seven games. They are 5-0-1-1 during that stretch.

Quebec goals came from Derek Gentile and Matthew Boucher. Evgeny Kiselev made some big saves throughout the game and finished the night with 34 stops.

To the notes...

• The Remparts opened the scoring but the goal was called off due to an early blow of the whistle by an official. It was a big break for the Sea Dogs as the puck was clearly loose in the crease.
• Saint John opened the scoring at 14:33 of the first. Spencer Smallman dropped the puck at the top of the circle where Noel riffled a wrist shot top shelf.
• Joseph made it 2-0 at 18:41. After Thomas Chabot's shot was blocked in the slot, the puck came loose to Joseph who fired it through some scrambling play in the crease. 
• Both teams had some decent scoring chances in the second but couldn't connect. Both D'Orio and Kiselev made some good saves.
• Gentile got Quebec on the board at 7:25 of the third. Gentile was in the high slot and fired a wrist shot past the glove of D'Orio to make it a 2-1 game.
• At 8:38, Saint John regained its two-goal lead. Luke Green passed to Smallman in the slot who sent a great backhand feed to Noel at the bottom the circle. Noel wired a sharp angle shot past Kiselev, making it 3-1 Sea Dogs.
• Joseph was awarded a penalty shot for the second straight game at 13:13. Joseph had the Quebec netminder beat but hit the post.
• Quebec got back within one at 14:21. A point shot created a rebound which Boucher put in, making it a 3-2 game.
• Noel completed the hat trick at 18:33, scoring into the empty net and securing a Saint John victory.
• Smallman and Chabot each had two assists.
• Joseph extended his point streak to 12 games.
• Noel has three game-winning goals this season.
• There were plenty of penalties in this one. Quebec went 1/9 on the power play while Saint John went 0/5.
• The Sea Dogs won both regular season games against the Remparts this year.
• Vincent Martineau returned from a two-game suspension.
• Alexandre Bernier (mono) appeared in his first game since Oct. 30.
• The Sea Dogs announced before the game that defenceman Ian Smallwood and forward Alexandre Lafreniere had been reassigned to the MHL's Woodstock Slammers.
• Olivier Mathieu is expected to be sent back to AAA Magog. 

GAME DAY 25: vs Remparts

The Quebec Remparts (14-9-1-1, 2nd East, 5th QMJHL) are in town to take on the Saint John Sea Dogs (15-6-2-1, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) tonight at 7 p.m.

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

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on home ice Wednesday. Nathan Noel scored two goals while singles came from Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph. Alex Bishop made 39 saves in the win. The Remparts are coming off a 6-5 shootout win in Halifax last night. Jonathan Bourcier had two goals while singles came from Philipp Kurashev, Matthew Boucher and Olivier Garneau. Callum Booth made 42 saves in the victory.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Remparts this season while Quebec is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 7 in Quebec City where the Sea Dogs defeated the Remparts 4-2. Samuel Dove-McFalls had two goals for Saint John while Bokondji Imama and Matthew Highmore also scored. Ross MacDougall and Louis-Filip Cote scored for Quebec. Alex Bishop made 14 saves in the win. Callum Booth made 31 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Remparts: None

Random stat: The Sea Dogs are 8-2-1-0 on home ice this season and have outscored opponents 47-28.

Three Things to Know
1. The Sea Dogs, coming off an exciting 4-3 win over the Screaming Eagles on Wednesday, are 4-0-1-1 in their past six games and 6-2-1-1 in their last 10 games.

2. This is Saint John's final home game until Dec. 7. The Sea Dogs begin a four-game Quebec road trip - which features stops in Rimouski, Shawinigan, Drummondville and Gatineau - on Tuesday.

3. This is the second game of a three-game road trip through the Maritimes for the Remparts. They defeated the Mooseheads in a shootout last night, visit Saint John tonight and travel to Charlottetown tomorrow.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-3

FINAL: Cape Breton 3, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN - Nathan Noel picked a good time to heat up.

After not scoring in three games and failing to register a point in his past two, Noel had two goals and an assist on Wednesday to lift the Saint John Sea Dogs past the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, 4-3.

Noel netted the game-winner with 56 seconds remaining in regulation time. He also opened the scoring for Saint John, scoring shorthanded in the second period. Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph had the other Sea Dogs goals. Alex Bishop returned to the Sea Dogs net and made 39 stops in the win.

Cape Breton goals came from Giovanni Fiore, Massimo Carozza and Marcus Tesink. Kyle Jessiman made 30 stops in the loss.



Some notes...

• Saint John erased a 2-0 second period deficit to earn this win the hard way. Noel's winner also came less than a minute after Tesink tied the game.
• The Sea Dogs gave up a very un-Sea Dogs like 42 shots in this game. They were outshot for just the second time all season and the first time on home ice,
• The reason for the Sea Dogs giving up so many shots no doubt had a bit to do with the team's depleted defence unit. The team's third pairing was call-up Ian Smallwood and forward Kyle Ward.
• The 42 shots Bishop faced was a season high.
• Saint John's power play came through when it had to, going 2-for-7.
• Joseph has now scored 21 goals in 22 games this season, a league high.
• Couple tweets worth noting:

#QMJHL #LHJMQ CAP/SNB:  If @SJSeaDogs Mathieu Joseph gets another penalty shot, he might want to decline. Had his 3rd of year, 6th of career

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) November 24, 2016

#QMJHL #LHJMQ CAP/SNB:  If @SJSeaDogs Mathieu Joseph gets another penalty shot, he might want to decline. Had his 3rd of year, 6th of career

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) November 24, 2016

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Quebec Remparts on Friday night at 7 p.m.

GAME DAY 24: vs Screaming Eagles

The Saint John Sea Dogs (14-6-2-1, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) return home tonight to host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles (11-11-2-0, 4th Maritimes, 10th QMJHL). It's Support our Troops Night at Harbour Station. Game time is 7 p.m.

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

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Moncton on Sunday. Matthew Highmore and Jakub Zboril scored for Saint John while Alex D'Orio made 23 saves. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 5-3 win over the Charlottetown Islanders on Saturday. Giovanni Fiore had a hat trick while singles came from Phelix Martineau and Tobie Paquette-Bisson had singles. Kevin Mandolese made 30 saves in the win.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 1 at Centre 200 where the Sea Dogs defeated the Screaming Eagles 6-1. Samuel Leblanc, Mathieu Joseph, Matt Green, Jakub Zboril, Bokondji Imama and Bailey Webster scored for Saint John. Phelix Martineau had Cape Breton's lone goal. Alex Bishop made 23 saves in the win. Kyle Jessiman allowed four goals on 22 shots and Colten Ellis allowed one on eight in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Screaming Eagles: Defenceman Olivier Leblanc.

Random stat: Cape Breton's Pierre-Luc Dubois, the third overall pick in this year's NHL Draft, has four goals and seven assists in 14 games this season.

Three Things to Know
1. The Sea Dogs had a three-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday in Moncton. They are still an impressive 3-0-1-1 in their last five games, though.

2. Saint John has the league's best power play with a rating of 32.4%. They'll go up against one of the league's top penalty killing teams tonight. The Screaming Eagles have the fourth best PK with a rating of 82.6%.

3. Sea Dogs defenceman Jakub Zboril has been suspended five games for a hit to the head. He'll serve game one of that suspension tonight.

Zboril suspended five games

Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman Jakub Zboril has been suspended five games by the QMJHL for a hit to the head during Sunday's game in Moncton.

Ironically, Zboril was named the game's first star with a goal and an assist. He was not penalized for his hit on Moncton's Zach Malatesta.

The QMJHL website has video of the hit.

Here is the league's reasoning behind the suspension:

• The player at fault attempted a shot towards the net from the blue line. 
• The puck deflected on a player and headed towards the slot. 
• The opponent redirected it in the neutral zone. 
• The player at fault accelerated and hit him. 
• He jumped before the impact and hit the opponent’s head with his forearm and elbow. 
• The opponent was not injured on the play. 
• This is not the first offense of the player at fault.

The Sea Dogs will be without Zboril until Dec. 4 in Gatineau. It's a big loss, obviously - especially with the Sea Dogs hurting right now. On Sunday in Moncton the team was without defencemen Bailey Webster (upper body), Chase Stewart (illness), Alexandre Bernier (illness) and Vincent Martineau (suspension).

Saint John hosts the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles tonight at 7 p.m.

Auger, Weckworth invited to University Games camp

Two former Saint John Sea Dogs have been invited to next month's FISU World University Games Training Camp in Caledon, Ont.

This year's team will be made up entirely of players from Ontario University Athletics. According to a press release, "the players will participate in a four-day training camp where a team of 22 student-athletes will be selected to represent OUA, U Sports and Canada at the upcoming World University Games in Almaty, Kazakhstan from January 25-February 10."

Defenceman David Weckworth of the Carleton Ravens and goaltender Sebastien Auger of the UQTR Patriotes will be the Sea Dogs alumni in attendance.

Weckworth spent the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons with the Sea Dogs after playing with the Gatineau Olympiques for two years. The Ottawa native had two goals and 18 assists in 107 career games with Saint John.

The 23-year-old is in his third season with the Ravens. In 14 games this year, Weckworth has a goal and four assists.

Auger spent his entire QMJHL career with the Sea Dogs. In four seasons, Auger posted a record of 77-98 to go along with a 3.14 goals against average and a .907 save percentage.

Auger is in his second season at UQTR. This year he is 5-2 with a 2.77 GAA and .914 SV%.

Former Sea Dog Michael Kirkpatrick helped Canada win gold at the 2013 Winter Universiade.

Olivier Mathieu recalled

The Saint John Sea Dogs made a roster move on Monday, recalling first-round pick Olivier Mathieu.

Mathieu has eight goals and 16 points in 17 games with the Magog Cantonniers of the Quebec midget AAA ranks this season.

The 16-year-old was selected 11th overall by Saint John in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft.

Mathieu played in two games with Saint John in September, recording one assist and four shots.

The Sea Dogs have been bombarded with injuries and sickness of late. On Sunday in Moncton, the team was without Joe Veleno (lower body), John Warren (upper body), Matt Green (upper body), Bailey Webster (upper body), Chase Stewart (illness), Alexandre Bernier (illness) and Vincent Martineau (suspension).

Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn noted on the 96.1 NewSong FM pre-game show the other night that Warren could be back soon, Veleno is likely out until December and Green will miss four to six weeks. Safe to say the Dogs could use some help up front.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, Mathieu is expected to be available when the team hosts the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 3-2 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 2, Moncton 3 (SO)

Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

MONCTON - The Moncton Wildcats managed to end the Saint John Sea Dogs' winning streak at three games with a 3-2 shootout victory on Sunday.

Goal scorers for the Sea Dogs were Matthew Highmore and Jakub Zboril. Alex’ D’Orio, making his third straight start, stopped 23 shots in the shootout loss.

Picking up goals for the Wildcats were Jeremy McKenna and Kelly Klima. Julian Galloway, who came in to relieve an injured Matthew Waite, stopped 12 of the 14 shots sent his way. Waite had stopped all 12 of the shots he faced prior to his injury.

To the notes...

• The Wildcats opened the scoring on a penalty shot at 18:14 of the opening period. D'Orio got a big chunk of the McKenna shot but was unable to keep the puck from squeaking through and giving the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. 
• Highmore tied the game with a power play marker at 3:18 of the second period on a backdoor feed from Mathieu Joseph.
• The Sea Dogs would take their first lead of the game at 4:51 of the second period when Zboril took a feed down low and slid a backhand deke past Galloway. 
• The Wildcats would even things back up at 2-2 at 11:08 of the middle frame with Kelly Klima finished off a two-on-one with Manuel Wiederer. 
• Kelly Klima scored the only goal of the shootout. 
• D’Orio suffered the first loss of his major junior career - but he has still not lost a game in regulation time. D’Orio has put up some impressive numbers through November, posting a 2.05 GAA while maintaining a .920 SV% through three games and a period. 
• Zboril was named the game’s first star and led the team in shots with six.
• The Sea Dogs thought they had a lead in the third period when Highmore scored. But after review, the goal was reversed due to an offside. 
• The loss ends Saint John's three-game winning streak. However, they still have points in five straight contests including an overtime and shootout loss. 
• After the Sea Dogs scored two goals on their first three shots on Galloway, he was perfect the rest of the way - including the shootout.
• Ian Smallwood was recalled before today today’s game and was in the lineup. 
• Luke Green was questionable but took the warm up and did play.
• Vincent Martineau was suspended for two games as the aggressor in his fight against Bathurst's Rodrigo Abols on Friday.

GAME DAY 23: at Moncton

The Saint John Sea Dogs (14-6-2-0, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) look to win their fourth straight game this afternoon in Moncton against the Wildcats (8-14-0-0, 6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL). Game time is 4 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 win in Bathurst on Friday. Matthew Highmore, Mathieu Joseph, Cedric Pare, Thomas Chabot, Samuel Leblanc and Samuel Dive-McFalls scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 27 saves in the win. The Wildcats are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Mooseheads on Friday. Manuel Wiederer scored Moncton's lone goal while Matthew Waite made 23 saves in the loss.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 1-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 30 in Moncton where the Wildcats edged the Sea Dogs 4-2. Nathan Noel and Spencer Smallman scored for Saint John. Moncton goals came from Manuel Wiederer (two), Adam Capannelli and William Bower. Matthew Waite made 31 saves in the win. Alex Bishop made 15 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: None

Random stat: With Friday's win, Alex D'Orio improved to 6-0 on the season with a 2.73 goals against average and .880 save percentage.

Three Things to Know
1. The Wildcats are 4-6 in their last 10 games and have lost two straight.

2. Saint John's seven road wins are the second most in the league. Only the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada have more with eight.

3. The Sea Dogs are 6-3-1-0 in their last 10 games. They have won three straight and have picked up points in each of their last four games.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 6, Bathurst 3

BATHURST – The Saint John Sea Dogs have finally defeated the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

After losing the first two meetings of the season, the Sea Dogs posted a 6-3 victory over the Titan on Friday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Matthew Highmore, Mathieu Joseph, Cedric Pare, Thomas Chabot, Samuel Leblanc and Samuel Dove-McFalls all had goals for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 27 saves in the win.

Dawson Theede, Felix Boivin and Christophe Boivin scored for the Titan. Reilly Pickard was pulled after allowing three goals on 15 shots in the first period. Francis Lavallee made 18 saves through the final 40 minutes.

To the notes…

• Highmore opened the scoring at 5:23 of the first, beating Pickard up high on a shorthanded breakaway.
• Theede, the former Sea Dog, tied the game at 6:34.
• Joseph put Saint John back in front at 11:17. The league's leading goal scorer picked up the puck in the neutral zone and made a few nice moves to beat the Bathurst defence. Joseph then beat Pickard top corner to make it 2-1 for the visitors.
• Pare gave the Dogs some insurance at 13:31, sending Saint John to the dressing room up 3-1.
• Felix Boivin scored at 2:08 of the second, cutting Saint John's lead to 3-2. But Chabot scored at 14:30 and Leblanc added another at 17:22 to make it 5-2 Dogs through 40 minutes.
• In the third, Christophe Boivin scored some goal at 5:03 to give Bathurst a chance. But Dove-McFalls put it away at 13:28 to make it a 6-3 final.
• The game got a bit a chippy at the end but nothing crazy happened.
• The game started 10-15 minutes late due to a lighting issue. 
• Joseph and Chabot were both in Saint John’s lineup after playing in both CIBC Canada Russia Series games this past week. 
• D’Orio made his second straight start. 
• The Sea Dogs recalled forward Alexandre Lafreniere from MHL Woodstock before the game.
• According to Tim Roszell on the Sea Dogs pre-game show, Matt Green will miss four to six weeks with an upper body injury. 
• According to head coach Danny Flynn on the Sea Dogs pre-game show, John Warren could be back within two to three weeks while Joe Veleno likely won’t be back until December.
• Highmore now has points in three straight games.
• Bailey Webster and Chase Stewart both missed the third period, leaving Saint John with five defencemen. They ended the game with four after Vincent Martineau had a fight late in the third.
• Bokondji Imama's five-game goal scoring streak came to an end.
• Saint John has won three straight games and picked up points in four straight.
• The Sea Dogs have also scored six of more goals in every game during their winning streak.
• Joseph became the first player in the QMJHL to reach 20 goals this season.

GAME DAY 22: at Bathurst

The Saint John Sea Dogs (13-6-2-0, 1st Maritimes, 2nd QMJHL) are on the road tonight in Bathurst to battle the Titan (9-10-1-1, 5th Maritimes, 14th QMJHL). Game time is 8 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 home win over the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Saturday. Bokondji Imama scored four goals while Mathieu Joseph had three in the win. Alex D'Orio made 24 saves. The Titan are coming off a 5-3 loss in Chicoutimi on Saturday. Vladimir Kuznetsov, Christophe Boivin and Antoine Morand scored for Bathurst. Simon Boudreault-Belzile made 30 saves in the loss.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 4 at the KC Irving Regional Centre where the Sea Dogs fell 6-5 to the Titan. Chase Stewart, Thomas Chabot, Matt Green, Bokondji Imama and Mathieu Joseph all scored for Saint John. Jeffrey Truchon-Viel had a natural hat trick for the Titan while Christophe Boivin, Dawson Theede and Luc Deschenes added solo markers. Reilly Pickard made 32 saves in the win. Alex Bishop made 23 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Forward Dawson Theede.

Random stat: Bathurst is the only team Saint John has lost twice to in regulation time this season.

Three Things to Know
1. Mathieu Joseph enters play tonight with a league leading 19 goals in 19 games. He is also fourth overall in points with 31.

2. The Titan are only 6-5-1-0 when scoring first this season, which is one of the worst winning percentages in the league (.542). Only Moncton (.400) has been worse.

3. The Sea Dogs are 6-5-1-0 against Maritimes Division opponents this season. By contrast, they are 6-1-1-0 against West Division teams.

Team QMJHL completes sweep of Russia

BAIE-COMEAU - Team QMJHL completed a two-game sweep of Russia last night to wrap up the 2016 edition of the CIBC Canada Russia Series.

Maxime Comtois scored twice while singles came from Gabriel Fontaine and Jean-Christophe Beaudin in the 4-1 victory. Alexandre Fortin added two assists and Even Fitzpatrick made 19 saves in the victory.

Both Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph were held pointless on the night. Joseph seemed to be involved in the play more than in Tuesday's game, and was given quite a bit of ice time in the third period.

Joseph finished the tournament with two shots on goal and no points. While he may not have drastically improved his chances of getting an invite to Canada's world junior camp during the series, he certainly didn't hurt them. And with 19 goals in 19 games with Saint John this year, it's hard to imagine him not getting a camp invite - but far stranger things have happened with Hockey Canada.

Meanwhile, Chabot had one goal and two shots in the two games. He's a lock to make Team Canada and should be given one of larger defensive roles on the team.

Canada's selection camp will take place Dec. 11-14 in Blainville-Boisbriand.

A couple other notes...

• Former Sea Dogs forward Nikita Li finished the series with one goal and 11 shots in the six games.
• This was the first time in three years that Team QMJHL won both of its games against Russia.
• The CHL also announced that a select number of jerseys from the Canada Russia Series will be auctioned off online. Proceeds will go to the Canadian Cancer Society - in honour of Sea Dogs equipment manager David "DK" Kelly.

Canada Russia Series Game Day: Game 6

The 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series comes to a close tonight in Baie-Comeau. Game time is 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Sportsbet ONE and TVA Sports 2/None/CHL Live and Sportsnet NOW

Series Status: The CHL has already clinched a series win and leads 10-5 in points.

Results/Schedule:
Nov. 7 - Russia 3, WHL 2 (OT)
Nov. 8 - WHL 4, Russia 1
Nov. 10 - Russia 4, OHL 3
Nov. 14 - OHL 5, Russia 2
Nov. 15 - Russia 0, QMJHL 4
Nov. 17 - QMJHL vs Russia at Baie-Comeau

Team QMJHL lines:

En principe ce soir les trios #LHJMQ
Dostie-Dubois-Gauthier
Joseph-Gignac-Fortier
Fortin-Fontaine-Beaudin
Comtois-BarreBoulet-Alain (Morand)

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) November 17, 2016

Les duos de défenseurs ce soir #LHJMQ

Chabot-Girard
Lauzon-Myers
Bourque-Allard
Brisebois-Meloche

Evan Fitzpatrick deveant le filet

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) November 17, 2016

Notes: The Sea Dogs are represented by Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph at this year's event... Chabot scored in Tuesday's game... former Sea Dog Nikita Li is on the Russian squad... the QMJHL is 15-9-3 against Russia all-time... the QMJHL posted its first ever shutout over Russia on Tuesday in Chicoutimi... this is the first time Baie-Comeau has hosted a Canada Russia Series game.

Chabot scores in QMJHL victory

CHICOUTIMI, Que. - Thomas Chabot scored in Team QMJHL's 4-0 win in Game 5 of the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series on Tuesday.

The victory secured a series victory for the CHL even with one game remaining in the annual six-game event.

Chabot scored on a slap shot at 5:22 of the third period, giving Team QMJHL a 3-0 lead at the time.

#QMJHL: LHD Thomas Chabot (OTT 1st/2015) hammers it home with assists to LHD Samuel Girard (NSH) and LW Alexandre Fortin (CHI). 3-0 @QMJHL pic.twitter.com/fcUZ5Jahzn

— Steve Kournianos (@TheDraftAnalyst) November 16, 2016

Julien Gauthier scored twice while Nicolas Roy added a solo marker. Captain Pierre-Luc Dubois had two assists. Callum Booth made 16 saves for the shutout win - the first ever by the QMJHL in Canada Russia Series play.

The other Sea Dog playing in the event, forward Mathieu Joseph, was held pointless with one shot.

Former Sea Dogs forward Nikita Li, playing with the Russian squad, had one shot.

The series comes to a close on Thursday in Baie-Comeau.

Canada Russia Series Game Day: Game 5

The 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series now shifts to the QMJHL. Game 5 of the annual series will take place this evening at 8 p.m. in Chicoutimi.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Sportsnet ONE, Pacific and TVA Sports 2/None/Sportsnet NOW and Neulion

Series status: The CHL leads the series 7-5 in points heading into tonight's match.

Results/Schedule:
Nov. 7 - Russia 3, WHL 2 (OT)
Nov. 8 - WHL 4, Russia 1
Nov. 10 - Russia 4, OHL 3
Nov. 14 - OHL 5, Russia 2
Nov. 15 - Russia vs QMJHL at Chicoutimi
Nov. 17 - QMJHL vs Russia at Baie-Comeau

Team QMJHL lines:

Trios #LHJMQ ce soir vs Russie

Dostie-Dubois-Gauthier
Fortin-Roy-Joseph
Comtois-Boulet-Alain
Fontaine-Morand-Beaudin

Blesse : Gignac

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) November 15, 2016

Duos défensifs #LHJMQ ce soir vs Russie

Girard-Chabot
Lauzon-Myers
Bourque-Allard
Brisebois-Meloche

Booth ce soir Fitzpatrick (Jeudi)

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) November 15, 2016

Callum Booth will start in net.

Notes
The CHL can clinch the series with a regulation victory tonight... according to the CHL notes, Team QMJHL is 14-9-3 all-time against Russia and 6-3-1 over the past five years... Cape Breton's Pierre-Luc Dubois will captain the team while Thomas Chabot, Julien Gauthier and Nicolas Roy will be assistants... Saint John's Mathieu Joseph had two goals in last year's series... former Sea Dogs forward Nikita Li is on the Russian squad. He has one goal in four games.

Chabot added to Team QMJHL roster

HAMILTON - Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman Thomas Chabot has been added to Team QMJHL’s roster for the 2016 CIBC Canada Russia Series.

The addition comes as no surprise as Chabot, who participated in last year’s World Junior Hockey Championship, is a near lock to make Team Canada. The 19-year-old wasn’t named to the Q all-star squad originally because he was still with the NHL’s Ottawa Senators.

Chabot has only played in four games with Saint John since returning from Ottawa but has posted an impressive one goal and seven assists in those matches.

This is the second year Chabot will participate in the series. He recorded one assist in last year’s games.

Forwards Antoine Morand of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Alexandre Alain of the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada were also added to the roster. The Armada’s Jeremy Roy and Pascal Laberge of the Victoriaville Tigres will both miss the series due to injuries.

Along with Chabot, the Sea Dogs will be represented by forward Mathieu Joseph. The 19-year-old will enter the series as the QMJHL’s leading goal scoring with 19 on the year.

Game 5 of the Canada Russia Series will take place on Tuesday night Chicoutimi while the sixth and final game will be held on Thursday in Baie-Comeau.

Former Sea Dogs forward Nikita Li is playing with the Russian team.

Sea Dogs have been good defensively

A lot can be said about the Saint John Sea Dogs' offence of late, but the team has also been getting it done on the backend.

Here are a few things to consider:

• The Sea Dogs have allowed 61 goals in 21 games this season, which is good for the fifth fewest in the league. Blainville-Boisbriand (46), Rouyn-Noranda (48), Shawinigan (51) and Chicoutimi (53) sit ahead of Saint John.
• Saint John is averaging 2.88 goals against per game, also fifth best. Moncton has the worst average at 4.73.
• Shot differential has really stood out in a number of games this season. Saint John is averaging a league high 36.72 shots per game while allowing a league low 22.97 shots against. The next closest team to the Sea Dogs in shots against per game, the Armada, are averaging nearly three shots more against.
• Saint John has only been outshot once all season - a 3-2 overtime loss in Blainville-Boisbriand on Oct. 12.
• Saint John has historically been a good penalty killing team, and they have been solid so far this year. Their penalty kill rating of 82.1% is fourth best in the league while their home penalty kill rating (85.7%) is third best.
• No doubt one of the reasons for Saint John's penalty killing success has been the team's offence. The Dogs lead the league in shorthanded goals with eight. Mathieu Joseph is tied for the league lead in shorthanded goals with four while Samuel Dove-McFalls and Matthew Highmore are both tied for the lead in shorthanded assists with two each.
• While I am not a fan of the +/- statistic, Bailey Webster is a +16 this year, good for second best in the league.
• Saint John's goaltending tandem of Alex Bishop and Alex D'Orio hasn't been spectatcular, but it's been respectable. Of note, Bishop has the sixth best goals against average in the QMJHL with a rating of 2.79.

Something that has also given Saint John a boost this season is that the defence has been dialed in when it needs to be.

Saint John the only team to hold @IslandersHKY to under 20 shots in a game & they've done it twice - Oct. 26 & Nov. 11 (17 shots both times) pic.twitter.com/POLlr5jJrS

— Islanders Stats (@IslesStats) November 12, 2016

Charlottetown leads the QMJHL in goals with 98 (Saint John is second with 87). Of note, the Islanders had 16 shots in the first period alone on Saturday night in Halifax.

It's no surprise that the defence has been strong this season. They team has a fairly veteran core - Thomas Chabot, Jakub Zboril, Luke Green, Bailey Webster, etc. - along with a couple promising youngsters - Vincent Martineau and Bryson Michel.

So here's to Paul Boutilier and the Saint John defence core that's been getting it done. We'll see if this trend continues on Friday in Bathurst - a team the Sea Dogs have struggled against this year.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 7-2

FINAL: Sherbrooke 2, Saint John 7

Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - Bokondji Imama and Mathieu Joseph led the charge for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night, combining for all seven goals in a 7-2 home victory over the Sherbrooke Phoenix. 

While there were only two goal scorers for the Sea Dogs - they scored a lot. Imama had four goals while Joseph picked up the hat trick. Rookie netminder Alex D’Orio earned his fifth win of the season, stopping 24 of the 26 shots.

Anderson MacDonald and Yaroslav Alexeyev picked up the goals for Sherbrooke and rookie netminder Justin Blanchette recorded the loss, making 33 saves.

To the notes...

• Before the game, the Student of the Month award was given to Samuel Dove-McFalls while the Player of the Month award was won by Matthew Highmore.
• The Sea Dogs picked up the game’s first goal at 8:41 of the opening period when Imama redirected a Chase Stewart point shot past Blanchette.
• Alexeyev would strike from along the goal line at 17:48,  banking a shot off D’Orio to even the game at a goal a piece. 
• The Sea Dogs would regain the lead at the 3:07 mark of the second period when Bailey Webster’s point shot was tipped in front by Joseph and past Blanchette.
• MacDonald, the Quispamsis native, would even things up at 4:42 by cleaning up a rebound which was originally shot on net on a breakaway chance.
• Imama would net his second goal of the night at 14:43, firing a wrist shot that beat Blanchette to give Saint John a 3-2 lead.
• The Sea Dogs would extend their lead to two for the first time on the night with a buzzer beat by Joseph, scoring on a breakaway at 19:59 of the middle frame. 
• Imama would complete the hat trick at 2:50 of the third period, blowing a wrist shot by Blanchette and extending the Sea Dogs' lead to to 5-2.
• The night for hat ticks wasn’t done as Joseph completed his trifecta at 13:46 of the final period, making it 6-2.
• Completely overshadowing his fellow Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, Imama did one better, streaking in and sliding a shot five hole on Blanchette to push the lead to 7-2.
• MacDonald, who is also a former Saint John Vito's forward, picked up a goal in his first game back in Saint John. He was also on the receiving end of a beautiful hit by Jakub Zboril.
• Joseph is now the league leader in goals with 19 and he’s tied for the most shorthanded goals with four. 
• Bailey Webster has quietly become one of the better defensive defenders in the league, He is currently tied for second in plus/minus with a +16 rating (Ed. Note: if you are into +/- stats).

Game Day 21: vs Phoenix

The Saint John Sea Dogs (12-6-2-0, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) are back home tonight to take on the Sherbrooke Phoenix (8-8-1-2, 4th West, 14th QMJHL). Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a big 7-3 road win in Charlottetown last night. Jakub Zboril scored twice while singles came from Mathieu Joseph, Nathan Noel, Bokondji Imama, Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman. Alex Bishop made eight saves through 40 minutes of play while Alex D'Orio made six in the third period. The Phoenix are coming off a 9-5 loss in Halifax last night. Marek Zachar had a pair of goals while singles came from Anderson MacDonald, Julien Pelletier and Jason Imbeault. Evan Fitzpatrick allowed eight goals on 31 shots while Justin Blanchette made four saves.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Phoenix this season while Sherbrooke is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 9 in Sherbrooke where the Sea Dogs edged the Phoenix 5-3. Matthew Highmore had two goals for Saint John while Mathieu Joseph, Alexandre Bernier and Joe Veleno also scored. Benjamin Tardif, Kevin Gilbert and Anderson MacDonald had Phoenix goals. Alex D'Orio made 21 saves in the win. Evan Fitzpatrick made 32 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Phoenix: None.

Random stat: Quispamsis native and former Saint John Vito's star Anderson MacDonald has cooled off a bit since his hot start. MacDonald currently sits 14th in QMJHL rookie scoring with 10 goals and three assists. His 10 goals place him in a tie for second amongst rookies.

Three Things to Know
1. There will no doubt be a lot of eyes on Anderson MacDonald tonight. The Phoenix selected the New Brunswicker 10th overall in this year's QMJHL Draft - one spot ahead of the Sea Dogs selecting Olivier Mathieu.

2. This is the second game of a three-in-three through the Maritimes for the Phoenix. They lost 5-3 in Charlottetown on Thursday, 9-5 in Halifax last night and will play in Saint John tonight.

3. Saint John's power play had quite a night last night, scoring five times. They now own the best power play rating in the league at 32.6%.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 7-3

FINAL: Saint John 7, Charlottetown 3

Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

CHARLOTTETOWN - In a battle for top spot in the Maritimes Division, the Saint John Sea Dogs didn’t disappoint

The Sea Dogs put on a clinic with their power play notching five man advantage goals en route to a 7-3 victory over the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday night at Eastlink Centre.

Picking up the goals for the Sea Dogs were Jakub Zboril (two), Mathieu Joseph, Nathan Noel, Bokondji Imama, Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman. Alex Bishop started the game, stopping eight of his 11 chances. Alex D’Orio played the third period and stopped all six shots he faced.

Goal scorers for the Islanders were Saku Vesterinen, Keith Getson and Filip Chlapik. Blade Mann-Dixon stopped 12 of the 15 shots that came his way while Matthew Welsh made 23 saves on 27 shots.

To the notes...

• The Sea Dogs opened the scoring on the power play at 4:21 when Joseph hammered home a one time shot from the top of the circleg.
• Vesterinen would even things up with another power play marker at 15:28,  sending a hard shot on goal that managed to find it’s way past Bishop to even things at a goal a piece. 
• The Sea Dogs took full advantage of a double minor taken by Jake Barter late in the first period, kickstarting the second period with the go ahead goal just 35 seconds in. The goal came off the stick of Zboril, making it 2-1 Saint John. 
• Noel blew a wrist shot by Mann-Dixon at 1:54 of the second period, giving the Sea Dogs two goals on the double minor penalty and giving them a 3-1 lead. 
• The Sea Dogs continued to fire at will on the power play when Zboril picked up his second goal of the night, beating Welsh who had come in to relive Mann-Dixon. 
• Later in the frame, Thomas Chabot managed to catch a streaking Matthew Grouchy but Keith Getson was there to pounce on the loose puck and put a shot past Bishop at the 13:15 mark.
• The Sea Dogs didn’t wait long to respond as Imama continued his stellar play, lifting a shot short side on Welsh at 15:35 and restoring the three-goal advantage, 5-2.
• The league’s leading scorer, Chlapik, would have the period’s final goal on yet another man advantage at 19:34, closing the gap to 5-3.
• D’Orio came in to relieve Bishop to start the third period. 
• Highmore scored on a bit of a weird goal that managed to somehow find its way up and over Welsh at 12:15, giving the Sea Dogs a bit of breathing room at 6-3. 
• Then it was the captain Smallman pretty much locking up the win just 40 seconds later, placing a perfect wrist shot into the top corner to secure the 7-3 win.
• The Sea Dogs ended the night scoring five power play markers on nine chances. The Islanders, meanwhile, converted on two of their six chances. 
• The five man advantage markers ties a franchise record originally set back on Nov. 14, 2007 against the Quebec Remparts - a game which Saint John actually lost 7-6 despite going 5-for-7 on the power play. 
• Chabot picked up four assists, giving him a goal and six helpers in three games since returning from the Ottawa Senators. 
• The Joseph brothers had a big night with Mathieu picking up a goal and three assists Pierre-Olivier adding three helpers. It didn’t hurt that Mom and Dad were at the game.
• Joseph and Highmore are now tied for the team lead in points with 28 each. 
• D’Orio picked up the third period shutout, stopping all six shots he faced. 

Game Day 20: at Charlottetown

The Saint John Sea Dogs (11-6-2-0, 2nd Maritimes, 5th QMJHL) take on the Islanders (12-7-1-0, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) tonight in Charlottetown in a battle for top spot in the Maritimes Division.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Eastlink TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Islanders on Sunday at Harbour Station. Mathieu Joseph and Bokondji Imama both scored in the loss while Alex Bishop made 25 saves. The Isles are coming off a 5-3 victory over the Sherbrooke Phoenix last night on home ice. Matthew Grouchy, Will Thompson, Filip Chlapik, Chris Chaddock and Keith Getson scored for Charlottetown. Matthew Welsh made 28 saves in the win.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-1-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last Sunday at Harbour Station where the Islanders defeated the Sea Dogs 3-2 in overtime. Filip Chlapik scored twice for Charlottetown while Cody Donaghey netted the overtime winner. Mathieu Joseph and Bokondji Imama scored for Saint John. Blade Mann-Dixon made 32 saves in the win. Alex Bishop made 25 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Islanders: Defenceman Will Thompson and goaltender Blade Mann-Dixon.

Random stat: Filip Chlapik is tied for the league lead in points (30) and goals (17).

Three Things to Know
1. This is the second game of a three-in-three for the Islanders. They hosted the Phoenix last night, Sea Dogs tonight and travel to Halifax tomorrow.

2. Mathieu Joseph sits third overall in league goal scoring with 15.

3. The Sea Dogs have been struggling to find consistency of late, going 5-4-1-0 in their last 10 games and have lost two straight.

Alumdate: Povorozniouk finding scoring touch in ECHL

After being held scoreless in his first two professional games, Sam Povorozniouk has scored four goals in his past four contests with the East Coast Hockey League's Missouri Mavericks.

In total, Povorozniouk has four goals and an assist in six games with the Mavericks this season. He scored his first ECHL goal - his first of two in the game - on Oct. 28 in Brampton.

The 21-year-old played his overage season in Saint John last year, recording 39 goals and 23 assists in 68 games. He added 14 goals and 11 assists in 17 playoff matches.

Povorozniouk is one of four former Sea Dogs playing in the ECHL this season. Here's a look at how they're all doing.

Petersen, Canada finish 2nd at Deutschland Cup

If you didn't follow the 2016 Deutschland Cup in Augsburg, Germany, what's wrong with you? It's the Deutschland Cup!

If you indeed didn't follow, you may not have known that former Sea Dogs forward Nick Petersen was a late addition to Canada's roster. Trevor Parkes, a former Montreal Junior, was also added.

Canada finished second behind Slovakia in the three-game tournament. The Canadians defeated Switzerland 3-0 in their opening game before falling 4-3 to Slovakia in a shootout. Canada ended the tournament on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Germany, clinching second place.

Game over! #TeamCanada tops Germany 3-1 to finish the 2016 #DeutschlandCup in second place. GAME STATS HERE: https://t.co/xNQosSiDmr pic.twitter.com/krz7I5kEbR

— Team Canada Men (@HC_Men) November 6, 2016

Peterson finished the tournament with three assists in three games - two of which came in Canada's victory over Germany on Sunday.

The 27-year-old has been playing with Eisbaren Berlin in Germany's DEL this season. According to Elite Prospects he has recorded nine goals and 19 points in 16 games.

This is Peterson's fourth season in the DEL after playing professionally in the AHL and ECHL for three years.

A fourth-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2009 NHL Draft, Petersen spent his overage season with the Sea Dogs, coming to Saint John to complete the Alex Grant trade. The winger recorded 39 goals and 79 points in 59 regular season games and added seven goals and 28 points in 21 playoff games.

Peterson scored one of the biggest goals in Sea Dogs history in the 2010 President Cup final, scoring in overtime of Game 4 to even the series at 2-2.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Charlottetown 3, Saint John 2 (OT) 

Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs fell 3-2 in overtime to the Charlottetown Islanders Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station.

Filip Chlapik had two goals in regulation and Cody Donaghey potted the winner for Charlottetown. Former Sea Dog Blade Mann-Dixon backstopped the Islanders with a stellar 32 save performance.

Mathieu Joseph and Bokondji Imama replied for the Sea Dogs. Alex Bishop stopped 25 shots to suffer a tough defeat.

NOTES

• Players, coaches and fans of both teams - along with on-ice officials and several Sea Dogs alumni - came together, prior to the opening face-off, to pay tribute to David "DK" Kelly as he continues his battle with cancer. The outpouring of love and support for the Sea Dogs equipment manager has been nothing short of incredible. #TeamDK has been trending on Twitter as players and fans throughout North America and around the world send notes to DK, notably during Hockey Fights Cancer week. 
• Among DK's supporters are hockey legend Ray Bourque, Sea Dogs alumni Mike Hoffman and Nathan Beaulieu and many, many more. Even Red Sox superstar David "Big Papi" Ortiz lent his support via Twitter. 
• In the opening minutes, Mann-Dixon stoned Samuel Dove-McFalls on a pair of chances in close to keep the Sea Dogs off the board. 
• The Islanders opened the scoring on a power play at 12:57 of the first, when a high shot from the left point caromed wildly to Chlapik and the Islanders leading scorer snapped the puck past a scrambling Bishop - who had been knocked down behind the net. 
• The Sea Dogs tied the game 1-1 on a power play at 3:47 of the second, when Joseph one-timed a cross-ice pass from Spencer Smallman past Mann-Dixon. 
• The Sea Dogs took their first lead at 8:30 of the third when Imama fired a missile past Mann-Dixon's ear to the top corner. 
• While skating four-on-four, Chlapik tied the game 2-2 at 10:31 as he intercepted a pass at the Islanders blue line, broke away all alone and beat Bishop through the five-hole. 
• Thomas Chabot appeared to score at 12:29 but instead was penalized for interference. Unreal.
• Things turned ugly after the disallowed goal as both Joseph and Chabot were sent face first into the boards. However, cooler heads prevailed. 
• Hampton native Chris Chaddock nearly ended the contest with 30 seconds remaining in regulation but his hard snap shot rang off the post and stayed out. 
• The guys in stripes played a pivotal role in overtime by calling a pair of penalties which infuriated the Sea Dogs and their fans. 
• The Islanders finally capitalized in the final minute of OT, when Donaghey hammered a slap shot to the top corner to seal the victory. 
• The Sea Dogs have now suffered three close losses in their last four games - all against division rivals. 
• Chabot played his first home game of the season after being returned to Saint John from the Ottawa Senators this week. Chabot was dominant at times with his strong skating and puck control. 
• Winger Zach Grzelewski has returned to Ontario and will likely play Junior 'A' there. 
• Sea Dogs assistant coach Paul "Boots" Boutilier will return to Saint John this week with a silver medal, after serving as head coach for Team Canada Black at this year's World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. 

Game Day 19: vs Islanders

The Saint John Sea Dogs (11-6-1-0, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) return home to take on the Charlottetown Islanders (10-7-1-0, 2nd Maritimes, 6th QMJHL) today at 3 p.m.

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

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 loss in Bathurst on Friday. Chase Stewart, Thomas Chabot, Matt Green, Bokondji Imama and Mathieu Joseph scored for Saint John while Alex Bishop allowed six goals on 29 shots. The Islanders are coming off a 5-1 home loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday. Kameron Kielly scored Charlottetown's lone goal. Matthew Welsh was pulled after allowing four goals on 17 shots. Blade Mann-Dixon allowed one goal on four shots in relief.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 26 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Islanders 5-2. Spencer Smallman had a hat trick while singles came from Bokondji Imama and Nathan Noel. Filip Chlapik and Pascal Aquin scored for Charlottetown. Alex Bishop made 15 saves in the win. Matthew Welsh made 29 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Islanders: Defenceman Will Thompson and goaltender Blade Mann-Dixon.

Random stat: Saint John currently has the top power play in the league with a rating of 32.1%.

Team Canada Black plays for gold tonight

Team Canada Black will play for gold tonight at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie.

Saturday
7:30 p.m. ET@Essar_Centre @CitySSM @TSN_Sports#CANBlack
Sweden#WorldU17
Gold pic.twitter.com/cA3xl8YS7y

— World U17 Challenge (@HC_WU17) November 5, 2016

The team, which is head coached by Sea Dogs assistant coach Paul Boutilier, advanced to the final after defeating Russia 3-2 in a shootout yesterday.

Canada Black doesn't feature a whole lot of QMJHL content. Andrew Coxhead of the Quebec Remparts is on the squad, though.

Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno was supposed to play in the tournament but withdrew due to injury. Veleno was expected to suit up for Team White, which finished last in Group A.

The gold medal game begins at 8:30 p.m. and can be seen on TSN.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-5

FINAL: Saint John 5, Bathurst 6

Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped a high scoring affair 6-5 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan Friday night.

Picking up the goals for the Sea Dogs were Chase Stewart, Thomas Chabot, Matt Green, Bokondji Imama and Mathieu Joseph. Alex Bishop stopped 23 of the 29 shots he faced.

Goal scorers for the Titan were Jeffrey Truchon-Viel (three), Christophe Boivin, Luc Deschenes and Dawson Theede. Reilly Pickard managed to stop 32 of the 37 shots that came his way.

To the notes...

• Stewart scored the first goal of the game, using a wrist shot that managed to find it’s way through a crowd and past Pickard at 14:43 of the opening period and making it 1-0 Sea Dogs.
• Then it was Chabot making his presence felt at 15:56 when launched a blast from the point that beat Pickard to extend Saint John's lead to 2-0. 
• Truchon-Viel picked up his first of the game at 18:20, whipping a shot past Bishop to close the gap to 2-1. 
• Truchon-Viel struck again just 16 seconds later, knotting the game at 2-2. He would complete his hat trick at 3:36 of the second period to give the Titan their first lead of the contest. 
• Matt Green tied the game at 3-3 at 1:06 of the final period when he redirected a shot past Pickard. 
• The tie was short lived as Boivin beat Bishop just nine seconds after Green's goal, putting the Titan ahead 4-3. 
• Imama managed to tie the game again at 4-4 at the 4:26 mark of the final frame, firing a puck past Pickard for his fifth of the season. 
• Deschenes would once again get the lead back for the Titan at 6:36 of the third when his point blast found it’s way through a crowd in front of Bishop to make it 5-4 for the Titan.
• The Sea Dogs had a late powerplay chance but it was former Dog Dawson Theede that busted through the defense and beat Bishop at 15:22, giving Bathurst its first two goal lead of the night, 6-4.
• Joseph would get one back, firing a shot glove side on Pickard to make it 6-5 at 16:49 - but that’s as close as the Dogs would come. 
• Chabot played in his first game since returning from the Ottawa Senators. He picked up a goal and two assists in his first game back. 
• Stewart picked up his first career QMJHL goal.
• Truchon-Viel scored a natural hat trick which took a total of 5:16 - between the first and second periods - to complete.
• Spencer Smallman picked up an assist to give him 163 career points, tying him for ninth all-time with Steven Anthony.

Game Day 18: at Bathurst

The Saint John Sea Dogs (11-5-1-0, 1st Maritimes, 3rd QMJHL) are on the road tonight to take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (7-7-1-1, 3rd Maritimes, 10th QMJHL). Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 win in Cape Breton on Tuesday. Samuel Leblanc, Mathieu Joseph, Matt Green, Jakub Zboril, Bokondji Imama and Bailey Webster all scored in the win while Alex Bishop made 23 saves. The Titan are coming off a 9-2 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday. Jeffrey Truchon-Viel and Christophe Boivin each scored in the loss. Reilly Pickard allowed three goals on 11 shots while Danil Timchenko allowed six on 38.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 19 in Saint John where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 3-1. Jordan Maher scored twice for Bathurst while Jeffery Truchon-Viel added a solo marker. Mathieu Joseph scored Saint John's only goal. Reilly Pickard made 37 saves in the win while Alex Bishop made 25 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Dawson Theede

Random stat: The Titan have lost three straight games and have allowed 18 goals over that stretch.

News & Notes: Li on Russia roster

There is a familiar name on the Russian team that will compete in the Canada Russia Series.

Nikita Li, who played in one regular season game with Saint John in 2014-15, is on the roster. The Sea Dogs put Li, a second-round pick in the 2015 CHL Import Draft, on waivers where he was claimed by the Victoriaville Tigres.

2014-15 was Li's only season in the QMJHL, recording 10 goals and six assists in 61 regular season games. He added one goal in four playoff games.

According to Elite Prospects, Li has three assists in 17 games with the KHL's Spartak Moscow this season.

The Canada Russia series begins on Monday in Prince George.

Some notes...

• Speaking of the Canada Russia Series, Sportsnet has list of players to watch at the event. No. 1 on the list? Sea Dogs forward Mathieu Joseph.
• The Sea Dogs' Jan. 7 in Halifax will be broadcast nationally on Sportsnet. Game time has been adjusted to 4 p.m.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning website has a feature on Mathieu Joseph. 
• How about the Ottawa Senators' handling of Thomas Chabot? The blog Silver Seven looks at that.
• It certainly appeared the Ottawa 67's were destined to host the Memorial Cup in 2018. They have withdrawn their bid though, according to TSN Radio host.
• Sea Dogs prospect Shane Bowers was ranked 20th in the Sportsnet's November NHL Draft rankings. Bowers has six goals and six assists in 11 games with the USHL's Waterloo Black Hawks this season.
• Meanwhile, Bowers was ranked 24th in ISS' November rankings.
• The Sea Dogs fell to the "honourable mention" category in the CHL Top 10 this week.
• Saint John takes on the Titan in Bathurst tomorrow night at 7 p.m. They return home on Sunday to take on the Charlottetown Islanders at 3 p.m.
• Mathieu Joseph and Thomas Chabot both appear a new CHL on Sportsnet commercial:

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Sens send Chabot back to Saint John

If you haven't heard, the Ottawa Senators assigned Thomas Chabot back to the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday.

Chabot has been with the Senators all season but appeared in just one regular season contest. A decision on the defenceman's playing future was expected to happen soon.

Here's Chabot speaking to the media today in Ottawa:

#Sens 2015 first-round pick Thomas Chabot addresses the media before returning to Saint John of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. pic.twitter.com/ACMY7wL7DP

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 2, 2016

And Senators general manager Pierre Dorion:

#Sens GM Pierre Dorion discusses the decision to return Thomas Chabot to the QMJHL and gives a few injury updates. pic.twitter.com/862rttc3pp

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) November 2, 2016

Chabot instantly makes the Sea Dogs significantly better - even though they have been fairly solid defensively without him. As a 19-year-old with NHL and world junior experience, Chabot should become one of the best players in the QMJHL and average around a point-per-game.

Presumably, Chabot will be with the Sea Dogs when they face the Titan in Bathurst on Friday night. Saint John will likely be without him again soon, as he'll no doubt join Team Canada for this year's World Junior Hockey Championship.

Chabot recorded 11 goals and 34 assists in 47 games with Saint John season. He added another three goals and 18 assists in 17 playoff games.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 6-1

FINAL: Saint John 6, Cape Breton 1

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs got back to their winning ways on Tuesday, posting a solid 6-1 victory over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at Centre 200.

Samuel Leblanc, Mathieu Joseph, Matt Green, Jakub Zboril, Bokondji Imama and Bailey Webster scored for Saint John. Alex Bishop made 23 saves in the win.

Phelix Martineau scored for Cape Breton. Kyle Jessiman was chased from the Cape Breton net after allowing four goals on 22 shots. Colten Ellis made seven saves in relief.

To the notes...

• Leblanc opened the scoring at 10:28 of the first period. The rookie grabbed the puck at the blue line and entered the offensive zone, firing a wrist shot past Jessiman from the faceoff dot.
• Saint John took a 2-0 advantage on a power play at 13:08. The puck came to the slot area where Joseph fired a wrist shot over the glove of Jessiman.
• The line of Imama - Pare - Ward had a great shift late in the first, creating a lot of pressure in the offensive zone. Pare took a penalty at the end of the shift, but still.
• Nathan Noel had a breakaway at 4:04 but was stopped. Saint John picked up a power play on the play though, and two seconds after it expired, Green was in front of the net and put the puck past Jessiman to make it 3-0 Saint John.
• Shortly after, Cape Breton hard a weird three-on-none scoring chance but couldn't generate much of a scoring chance.
• On a two-man advantage at 10:54, Zboril fired a bomb past Jessiman to extend Saint John's lead. That would end Jessiman's night in net.
• Cape Breton had a few power plays late in the period - including a 97-second five-on-three - but failed to score.
• Imama put in his own rebound at 2:21 of the third period, making it 5-0.
• Martineau ended Bishop's shutout bid at 10:27 of the third, putting in a rebound. 
• Spencer Smallman was called for a high stick at 12:19 of the third. With 7:20 to play, the Eagles made the bold move of pulling Ellis. 
• On a different penalty kill but with the net still empty, Webster scored his first of the season to make it a 6-1 final.
• Joseph's goal ended a four-game goalless drought, his longest such streak of the season. He now has 13 goals on the year.
• Leblanc has two goals in his past three games.
• With two assists, Matthew Highmore now leads the league in scoring with 26 points.
• Cole Reginato had his fifth fight of the season in the second period, taking on Anthony Beauchamp. Reginato leads the QMJHL in fights.
• Cape Breton went 0-for-6 on the power play. Saint John's penalty kill had a strong performance. 
• The Sea Dogs dressed a young blue line for this one, but still only allowed 11 shots through the first two periods.
• The Screaming Eagles wore their fancy new yellow jerseys.

Reports: Chabot decision coming soon

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The Ottawa Senators will make a decision very soon on Thomas Chabot's playing future, according to reports:

La direction des #Sens attendra demain avant de prendre une décision quant à Thomas Chabot. #ledroit

— Sylvain St-Laurent (@Syl_St_Laurent) November 1, 2016

A decision is coming on Thomas Chabot, Boucher said. Good to have him on the trip. Now reassess where they are in next few days. #senators

— ((Chris Stevenson)) (@CJ_Stevenson) November 1, 2016

Sounds like the Sens will make a decision on Thomas Chabot this week according to Guy Boucher.

— Ian Mendes (@ian_mendes) November 1, 2016

The #Sens will make a decision on Thomas Chabot in the next few days.

— Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) November 1, 2016

Chabot has been with the Ottawa Senators all season but has appeared in just one game. The Sens can either choose to keep him around or send him back to Saint John - the AHL is not an option.

TSN's Bob McKenzie had a column yesterday explaining why the Sens may keep Chabot around.

Ottawa hosts the Carolina Hurricanes tonight at 8:30 p.m.