The Sea Dogs seem to have a tradition of blowing out teams in their first game of the playoffs - especially when they are the No. 1 seeded team (which should come as no surprise under the current 1 vs 16 format).
While nine goals is a lot, it didn't reach the team record of 13 goals scored in a playoff opener or tie for the second most - which has been done twice (10 goals).
Here's a look at how the Sea Dogs have performed in every round one, game one in team history.
Season | Game 1 | Series | Playoffs |
2007-08 | 10-4 win vs PEI | 4-0 Win | Lost semifinal |
2008-09 | 5-4 OTL at CAP | 4-0 Loss | Lost first round |
2009-10 | 8-3 win vs PEI | 4-1 Win | Lost final |
2010-11 | 10-0 win vs CAP | 4-0 Win | Championship |
2011-12 | 13-4 win vs CAP | 4-0 Win | Championship |
2012-13 | 11-1 loss at HAL | 4-0 Loss | Lost first round |
2014-15 | 3-1 loss at BAC | 4-1 Loss | Lost first round |
2015-16 | 4-1 win vs BAT | 4-1 Win | Lost semifinal |
2016-17 | 9-2 win vs RIM | 1-0 Lead | TBD |
Notably, the Sea Dogs have also been on the other side of a blow out, falling 11-1 to eventual Memorial Cup champion Halifax in 2013 (yet the Sea Dogs lost Game 2 by a final of only 2-1).
History indicates that Friday's result has set the Sea Dogs up for success. We'll see what happens this year.
Some other notes...
- It was a great Friday night of playoff hockey in the QMJHL. There was an overtime game (Cape Breton beat Gatineau 1-0), two upsets (Halifax defeated Rouyn-Noranda and Val-d'Or beat Shawinigan) and just one blowout (Saint John's 9-2 win). Hopefully these entertainment trends continue.
- In the OHL, the Memorial Cup hosting Windsor Spitfires earned a big 4-3 overtime win over the London Knights in Game 1 of that series.
- The QMJHL website notes that five of the last seven regular season champions went on to win the President Cup. It also notes that Saint John went 23-3-2 - a .821 win percentage - following the end of the world juniors and trading period (Jan. 9).
Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation
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