RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 2, Cape Breton 3 (OT)

SYDNEY, NS - It's been a close season series between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles - and that trend continued on Wednesday night.

For the third time this season, the Screaming Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs in overtime, edging Saint John 3-2 at Centre 200. This was the sixth meeting of the season between the two with all being decided by two goals or less.

Egor Sokolov scored the game-winner in the final second of the extra frame. Gabriel Proulx and Shaun Miller scored regulation time goals for Cape Breton. Kevin Mandolese made 15 saves in the victory.

While the score was close, shots and a lot of the play were not. The Eagles heavily outshot the Sea Dogs - especially in the first two periods - for a 51-17 overall shots advantage.

Goaltender Alex D'Orio was once again Saint John's best player, making 48 saves in the loss. Aiden ManIntosh and Anthony Boucher scored Sea Dogs goals.

Game Day 49: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue their odd stretch of road games tonight, visiting the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles for a random Wednesday night game.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a three-in-three weekend that saw them fall in Bathurst on Friday night and then drop back-to-back games in Halifax. Following tonight's game, the Dogs will play at home on Friday and have Saturday and Sunday off.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-28-6-2 for 32 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 21-21-5-1 for 48 points (5th Maritimes, 13th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-2 loss in Halifax on Sunday afternoon. Ostap Safin and Robbie Burt scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio allowed eight goals on 46 shots in the loss. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 2-1 win in Charlottetown on Saturday. Egor Sokolov and Phelix Martineau scored Cape Breton goals. Kevin Mandolese made 30 stops in the victory.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-2-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 3-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 28 at Harbour Station where the Screaming Eagles edged the Sea Dogs 2-1 in overtime. Phelix Martineau scored both Cape Breton goals. Cedric Pare scored for Saint John. Kevin Mandolese made 20 stops in the victory. Matthew Williams made 45 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Screaming Eagles: Forward Isiah Campbell and defenceman Ian Smallwood.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 8-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Halifax 8

Lorne Webster | SN Staff Writer 

HALIFAX – Saint John’s road losing streak extended to seven straight as the division leading Halifax Mooseheads defeated the weary Sea Dogs 8-2 Sunday afternoon at Scotiabank Centre.

Benoit-Olivier Groulx led Halifax to the victory with a two goal, two assist performance. Otto Somppi added a pair of goals while Connor Moynihan (one goal and one assist), Max Fortier (one goal and one assist) Jared MacIsaac (one goal and two assists) and Kyle Petten also scored for the Mooseheads. Alexis Gravel made 15 saves for Halifax.

Ostap Safin and Robbie Burt scored for the Sea Dogs. Alex D’Orio turned aside 38 of Halifax’s shots on goal.

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs were awarded the game’s first power play but failed to register a shot on goal.
• Somppi opened the scoring nine seconds into Halifax’s first power play at 4:23 when he banged home his own rebound in close.
• Moynihan took a pass from Justin Barron in full flight down the left wing and ripped a wrist shot through D’Orio’s legs to extend Halifax’s lead to 2-0 at 7:28.
• Following a two-goal, two-assist performance on Saturday, Fortier continued his strong overage season with a one-timer from the slot on another power play at 15:34 of the first.
• Gravel wasn’t called upon to make his first save until 17:12 as the Mooseheads dominated the shot clock 14-1 in the opening frame.
• The Sea Dogs' injury woes continued as rookie winger Aiden MacIntosh got the worst of a collision with a goal post midway through the opening period and had to be helped off the ice. He would return, though.
• Groulx became the fourth Moosehead to score 20 goals this season (joining Filip Zadina, Fortier and Raphael Lavoie) when he redirected a pass from Arnaud Durandeau over D’Orio’s shoulder at 1:24 of the second.
• Safin got the Sea Dogs on the board at 6:18 of the middle frame when the big import deflected a pass in tight from Yohan Plamondon.
• Burt unloaded a big slap shot from the top of the left face-off circle after a feed from Radim Salda on a power play at 12:06 of the second to bring the Sea Dogs back within two.
• Somppi scored his second of the game at 14:46 of the second as he finished off a nice give and go with Fortier, unleashing a laser over a screened D’Orio’s from the slot. That made the score 5-2 after two periods.
• Seconds after defenceman-turned-forward Alexis Girard was stopped on a breakaway, Petten finished off a rush the other way with a goal at 12:55.
• Less than a minute later, Groulx’s one-time slap shot from the right face-off circle beat D’Orio to cap a two-goal, two-assist performance for the young Mooseheads star.
• MacIsaac kicked a little sand in the face of a dejected group of Sea Dogs when he ripped home a goal with two seconds left in the contest.
• Roughly 150 Sea Dogs fans made the trek from Saint John as part of a bus trip to watch the game.
• It is a rare occurrence to have these two Maritimes Division teams play back-to-back games on consecutive days in the same arena.
• Mooseheads’ star import Filip Zadina served the second of a two game suspension following the league's review of a major penalty he received last Saturday in Bathurst.
• Former Sea Dogs star Joe Veleno recorded his 40th assist of the season and is now third overall QMJHL helpers.

Game Day 48: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads meet again this afternoon at Scotiabank Centre.

The Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2 last night in what was a close and entertaining match. Halifax scored three goals in the third period to secure the win.

Game time today is 3 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-27-6-2 for 32 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 31-11-5-1 for 68 points (1st Maritimes, 2nd QMJHL).

Last games: As mentioned above, these two met last night in Halifax with the Mooseheads defeating the Sea Dogs 5-2. Maxime Fortier scored twice while singles came from Arnaud Durandeau, Otto Somppi and Raphael Lavoie. Cedric Pare and Kevin Gursoy scored for Saint John. Blade Mann-Dixon made 23 saves in the victory. Matthew Williams made 35 stops in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-3-1-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 4-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Halifax 5, Saint John 2

HALIFAX - For the second straight meeting, the Saint John Sea Dogs gave the Halifax Mooseheads a good run. But for the second straight meeting, the Moose used some late game goal scoring to edge the Dogs.

Halifax scored three times in the third period in a 5-2 victory over the Sea Dogs on Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre. The previous meeting between the two, held earlier this month at Harbour Station, ended in a 5-4 Halifax overtime win.

While the Mooseheads are the better team on paper and were probably the better team on the ice on Saturday, Saint John didn't get beat up or extremely outplayed - which was good to see given how shorthanded the team's lineup currently is.

Maxime Fortier had a pair of goals for Halifax while singles came from Arnaud Durandeau, Otto Somppi and Raphael Lavoie. Blade Mann-Dixon made 23 saves in the win.

Cedric Pare and Kevin Gursoy scored for Saint John. Matthew Williams was excellent in net, making 35 saves in the loss.

Game Day 47: at Halifax

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs play the first of back-to-back games against the Halifax Mooseheads tonight at Scotiabank Centre.

The good news for Saint John is that the Mooseheads will be without star forward Filip Zadina, who is serving a two-game suspension. The bad news is that the Mooseheads are still incredibly deep and will be a tough, tough test for a shorthanded Sea Dogs team.

Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-26-6-2 for 32 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 30-11-5-1 for 66 points (1st Maritimes, 2nd QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss in Bathurst last night. Cedric Pare scored Saint John's lone goal while Alex D'Orio made 35 saves. The Mooseheads are coming off an ugly 11-1 loss in Bathurst last Saturday. Kyle Petten scored Bathurst's lone goal. Alexis Gravel was pulled after allowing five goals on 11 shots. Blade Mann-Dixon allowed six goals on 28 shots in relief.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-1-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 3-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 6 at Harbour Station where the Mooseheads edged the Sea Dogs 5-4 in overtime. Brett Crossley scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Jared McIsaac and Raphael Lavoie. Luke Wilson, Ostap Safin, Anthony Boucher and Radim Salda scored for Saint John. Alexis Gravel was pulled after allowing three goals on 11 shots. Blade Mann-Dixon made 25 stops in relief. Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Bathurst 5

BATHURST - A shorthanded Saint John Sea Dogs squad couldn't contain a strong Acadie-Bathurst Titan team on Friday night.

The Sea Dogs recorded just 17 shots on goal - seven of which were listed as dangerous - in a 5-1 loss to the Titan at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Saint John recorded just one shot in the second period.

Mitchell Balmas, Antoine Morand, Olivier Galipeau, German Rubtsov and Marc-Andre LeCouffe scored for Bathurst. Evan Fitzpatrick made 16 saves in the victory.

21 of Bathurst's 40 shots came in the third period.

Cedric Pare scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 35 stops in the loss.

This game was much closer than the last meeting between the two, but Bathurst was still a step above the Sea Dogs - especially in the final 30 minutes of the game. Saint John, with just 10 forwards dressed, struggled once again to apply much sustained offensive pressure. The Dogs had five power play opportunities in the game but couldn't produce much on any.

Game Day 46: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a tough three-in-three weekend tonight at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Sea Dogs will take on the Titan at 7 p.m. before heading to Halifax to play back-to-back games against the Mooseheads.

The Mooseheads and Titan currently sit first and second, respectively, in the Maritimes Division.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-25-6-2 for 32 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 25-13-6-2 for 58 points (2nd Maritimes, 6th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 home win over the Quebec Remparts on Saturday at Harbour Station. Anthony Boucher scored twice while singles came from Ostap Safin and Robbie Burt. Alex D'Orio made 44 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a big 11-1 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday at home. Mitchell Balmas scored four goals; Ethan Crossman, Liam Murphy and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel scored twice; and Samuel L'Italien added a solo marker. Evan Fitzpatrick made six stops before leaving the game with an injury. Joseph Murdaca made 22 stops in relief.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-4-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 4-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 19 at Harbour Station where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 7-3. Jeffrey Truchon-Viel scored two goals for Bathurst while singles came from Olivier Galipeau, Noah Dobson, Samuel Asselin, Jordan Maher and Antoine Morand. Saint John goals came from Ben Reid, Alexis Girard and Yohan Plamondon. Alex D'Orio made 51 stops in the loss. Joseph Murdaca made 12 saves in the win.

Two former Sea Dogs heading to Olympics

A couple of former Saint John Sea Dogs will be representing their countries at next month's Winter Olympics in South Korea.

Felix Schutz of Germany and Jurij Repe of Slovenia have both made their respective country's men's hockey teams for the Games. The men's tournament begins on Feb. 14.

Schutz, selected 41st overall by Saint John in the 2005 CHL Import Draft, has been playing with Kölner Haie of the German DEL league where he has 15 goals and 25 assists in 44 games. The 30-year-old forward has been playing overseas since the 2010-11 season.

Schutz played with Saint John during the club's expansion season and for the first half of the 2006-07 campaign.

This will be Schutz's first Olympics, but he has played internationally with Germany on several occasions.

Repe, selected 34th overall by Saint John in the 2012 CHL Import Draft, has been playing with HC Kladno of the Czech Tier 2 league this season. The 23-year-old defenceman has a goal and eight assists in 27 games.

Repe played with Saint John during the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.

This will also be Repe's first Olympics, but he has appeared internationally previously.

Germany will play in Group C with Sweden, Finland and Norway. Their first game will be on Feb. 15 against Finland.

Slovenia will play in Group B with Russia, the United States and Slovakia. Their first game will be on Feb. 14 against the US.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Salda makes Central Scouting list

Saint John Sea Dogs defenceman Radim Salda is gaining more and more attention.

Salda was ranked 53rd amongst North American skaters for the 2018 NHL Draft by Central Scouting on Monday. He was the only Sea Dog to make the list.

The 18-year-old continues to impress in his first CHL season. In 39 games, Salda has eight goals and 21 assists, placing him second of the Sea Dogs in points. He was held pointless with the Czech Republic at the world juniors, but played well.

Former Sea Dogs captain Joe Veleno was ranked 13th by Central Scouting. Veleno is finally starting to have the stretch we've all been waiting to see from him, recording two goals and 12 assists over his past six games with the Drummondville Voltigeurs.

Veleno will be a team captain later this week at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in Guelph.

Veleno was one of seven Voltigeurs players to make Central Scouting's list. There were 36 QMJHL players on the list in total, headlined by Halifax's Filip Zadina at No. 2.

The Sea Dogs are hurting

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have been hit hard by the injury bug over the past week.

The Sea Dogs were forced to dress just 10 forwards for Saturday's game against the Quebec Remparts due to injuries. Saint John dressed eight defencemen for the game, using Alexis Girard as a winger.

Last weekend's Quebec road swing proved costly. In net, Alex D'Orio was injured in the final game of the trip but, fortunately, was good to go this weekend (and he was certainly tested). Unfortunately, backup Matthew Williams was injured, forcing the team to recall Stewart Bagnell again.

The Sea Dogs play a tough three-in-three this coming weekend, and D'Orio will not start all of those. Either Bagnell, a healthy Williams or someone else will get a start at some point.

Up front, the Sea Dogs have announced that Nick Deakin-Poot - injured in the final game of the Quebec road trip as well - is done for the season and returned home with an upper body injury. Matt Green (upper body) remains out while Cole Reginato (lower body) and Landon Quinney (upper body) are expected to be out for a while yet.

Reginato was injured in the first game of the Quebec road trip. As an overager and veteran, he is certainly missed on this young Sea Dogs team.

And if all that wasn't bad enough, forward Ben Reid was hurt on a check to the head by Bathurst's Cole Rafuse on Friday. There was somehow no penalty called on the play, but the league suspended Rafuse for two games on Saturday.

Saint John doesn't have a whole lot players available to call up as many of the team's prospects have already joined the squad for the remainder of the season. We'll have to wait and see how the team handles their lineup over the next few weeks.

Saint John's tough schedule continues this weekend with a Friday night tilt in Bathurst and games in Halifax on Saturday and Sunday.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 4-1

FINAL: Quebec 1, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs recovered from a losing streak to defeat the highly skilled Quebec Remparts 4-1 Saturday evening at Harbour Station.

Alex D’Orio was simply outstanding by turning in a 44-save performance to lead the Sea Dogs to victory. Anthony Boucher had two goals for Saint John while Ostap Safin and Robbie Burt each added a single. Radim Salda chipped in with three assists and was strong in the defensive zone as well.

Pascal Laberge scored for the Remparts. Dereck Baribeau made 22 saves in the loss.

NOTES

• Laberge opened the scoring at 19:14 on the first – on Quebec’s third power play of the opening frame – when he broke into the high slot and rifled a wrist shot over D’Orio’s shoulder.
• Boucher got the Sea Dogs on the board at 4:33 of the second period. Salda broke down the left wing, faked a shot and sent a cross-ice pass to Boucher, who in turn wired a wrist shot past a sprawling Baribeau.
• At 9:11 of the second – on Saint John’s first power play of the evening – Safin took a cross-ice pass from Cedric Pare and unleashed a laser to the top shelf over Baribeau’s glove.
• Less than a minute later – with Remparts defender Benjamin Gagne on the ice with an apparent injury – the Sea Dogs entered the Quebec zone on a three-on-one break. Boucher finished off a nice passing play at 9:56 when he one-timed a pass from Pare past Baribeau to put the hosts up 3-1.
• Burt showed his outstanding offensive skills with a lovely deke to the forehand on a breakaway to score a shorthanded goal at 12:29 of the third.
• In recognition of the Sea Dogs Faith and Family Night, NHL Hall of Famer Mike Gartner dropped the puck in a ceremonial face-off prior to the game.
• The Sea Dogs' tough stretch of games against elite teams has been made even more challenging with only three players over the age of 18 available to play. The young Sea Dogs appear to miss the leadership of veterans Cole Reginato, Matt Green and Landon Quinney, who, in addition to Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Ben Reid, are all on the injury list.
• Despite only being assessed a minor penalty Friday evening – much to the chagrin of the Sea Dogs faithful – Acadie-Bathurst Titan forward Cole Rafuse was given a two-game suspension for his head shot on Ben Reid.
• With five forwards on the injured list, defenceman Alexis Girard made his debut as a winger.
• Joe Veleno – who earlier this week was named one of the captains for the CHL Top Prospect game – scored his first goals in a Drummondville Voltigeurs uniform, as part of a two goal, two assist performance Saturday afternoon. Veleno now has 15 points in 10 games since his trade from Saint John. 
• Former Sea Dogs first round draft choice Olivier Mathieu made his return to Harbour Station - but in a Remparts uniform. Mathieu was a key part of the trade to acquire goaltender Callum Booth last season. Booth is off to an excellent start in his professional career with 13 wins, a 2.43 GAA and a .911 save percentage for the Florida Everblades in the ECHL.

Game Day 45: vs Remparts

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action tonight at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs continue a tough stretch of games this evening, hosting the Quebec Remparts at 7 p.m.

While the Remparts sit eighth overall in the league and play in a tough division with Rimouski and Victoriaville, Saint John won the lone previous matchup between the two, winning in a shootout on Dec. 3 at Videotron Centre.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-25-6-2 for 30 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Remparts are 25-16-3-2 for 55 points (2nd East, 8th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-3 loss on home ice to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan last night. Ben Reid, Alexis Girard and Yohan Plamondon scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 51 saves in the loss. The Remparts are coming off a 5-2 win in Moncton last night. Gregor MacLeod scored twice for Quebec while singles came from Tomas Dajcar, Philipp Kurashev and Matthew Boucher. Antoine Samuel made 29 saves in the victory.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Remparts this season while Quebec is 0-0-0-1.

Last meeting: Dec. 3 at Videotron Centre where the Sea Dogs defeated the Remparts 3-2 in a shootout. Kevin Gursoy and Robbie Burt scored regulation time goals for Saint John. Tomas Dajcar and Philipp Kurashev scored for Quebec. Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the win. Olivier Chalifour allowed two goals on three shots before being pulled. Dereck Baribeau made 33 saves in relief.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 7-3

FINAL: Bathurst 7, Saint John 3

SAINT JOHN - It was another rough night for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Acadie-Bathurst Titan heavily outplayed the Sea Dogs for most of the evening, defeating Saint John 7-3. The loss was Saint John's seventh straight.

The matchup was lopsided to begin with, but with Saint John missing several of its key, veteran players due to injury, things were even rougher for the Sea Dogs.

Not helping things was the fact that Bathurst was awarded 11 power play opportunities, scoring on three of them. Saint John went 1/4 on the night.

The Titan outshot the Dogs 58-15 overall.

Bathurst had two goals from Jeffrey Truchon-Viel and singles from Olivier Galipeau, Noah Dobson, Samuel Asselin, Jordan Maher and Antoine Morand. Joseph Murdaca made 12 saves in the win.

Saint John goals came from Ben Reid, Alexis Girard and Yohan Plamondon. Alex D'Orio made 51 saves in the loss.

Game Day 44: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to end a six game losing streak tonight at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a winless road trip through Quebec that saw them be outscored 18-4. Saint John will be underdogs again tonight, taking on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. But, as we've seen over the past decade of Sea Dogs-Titan games, you just never know what is going to happen.

Game time this evening is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-24-6-2 for 30 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 23-13-6-2 for 54 points (2nd Maritimes, 7th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-1 loss in Rimouski on Sunday. Radim Salda scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio allowed four goals on 25 shots in 40 minutes of action while Matt Williams allowed four goals on 15 shots in the third period. The Titan are coming off a 4-1 win in Quebec City on Sunday. German Rubtsov scored twice while singles came from Jeffrey Truchon-Viel and Noah Dobson. Evan Fitzpatrick made 26 saves in the win.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-3-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 3-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 9 in Bathurst where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2. Antoine Morand scored twice for Bathurst while singles came from Dawson Theede, German Rubtsov and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel. Cole Reginato and Ostap Safin scored for Saint John. Joseph Murdaca made 21 stops in the win and Matthew Williams made 30 saves in the loss.

Tough stretch to continue

It has not been a fun stretch for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs have lost six straight games overall and have not won in regulation time since Nov. 26. Saint John has picked up some wins since that November victory, but all were in extra time.

The results the Sea Dogs have been generating are not overly surprising given their current roster. But, things may seem a bit worse than they appear since the team has not had a very favourable schedule of late.

Saint John had its toughest road trip of the season last weekend, taking on three teams that could all have deep playoff runs. They lost 5-2 in Victoriaville, 5-1 in Boisbriand and 8-1 in Rimouski, being outscored 18-4 during the three-game stretch.

Prior to that weekend trip, the Sea Dogs played the Oceanic and the Halifax Mooseheads (the league's top team) on home ice. Saint John's next few games won't be much easier, either, with matches against Bathurst (two), Halifax (two) and Quebec.

Here's a look at Saint John's next five games:

Friday, Jan. 19 vs Bathurst (23-13-6-2, 54 points)
Saturday, Jan. 20 vs Quebec (24-16-3-2, 53 points)
Friday, Jan. 26 at Bathurst (23-13-6-2, 54 points)
Saturday, Jan. 27 at Halifax (29-10-5-1, 64 points)
Sunday, Jan. 27 at Halifax (29-10-5-1, 64 points)

The good news for Saint John: the team's February schedule features some easier opponents. It'll interesting to see how this team - and some players - perform when playing teams that are closer to them in the standings.

Saint John is currently 11-24-6-2, placing them 17th overall. They are one point up on 18th-place Shawinigan and six points back of 16th-place Chicoutimi.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 8-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Rimouski 8

RIMOUSKI, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' rough road trip came to a rough end on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs were hammered 8-1 by the Rimouski Oceanic, giving Saint John their third loss on this three-game road trip through Quebec. The Dogs have now lose six straight overall.

Saint John was outscored 18-4 during this road trek, which saw the club play three of the league's top teams - Victoriaville, Blainville-Boisbriand and Rimouski - over a four-day span. Saint John's schedule doesn't get much easier over the next couple weeks with upcoming games against Bathurst, Quebec and Halifax.

Former Sea Dogs forward Samuel Dove-McFalls - who had three assists in a game against his former club just a couple weeks ago - recorded a hat trick on Sunday. Denis Mikhnin also had three goals while singles came from Alexis Lafreniere and Mathieu Bizier. Colten Ellis made 22 saves in the win.

Saint John's lone goal came in the first period from Radim Salda, a goal that tied the game at 1-1 for a short period.

The Oceanic led 2-1 after 20 minutes but a couple late second period goals and early third period goals by Rimouski gave the the homeside more than enough to get the victory.

Alex D'Orio allowed four goals on 25 shots through the first two periods. Matt Williams allowed four goals on 15 shots in the third period.

Game Day 43: at Rimouski

RIMOUSKI, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' three-game road trip comes to a close this afternoon in Rimouski.

The Sea Dogs have had a rough go so far on this trip, losing 5-2 in Victoriaville on Thursday and 5-1 in Boisbriand on Friday.

Puck drop is 4 p.m. this afternoon.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-23-6-2 for 30 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 27-11-4-0 for 58 points (1st East, 3rd QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Armada in Boisbriand on Friday. Nick Deakin-Poot scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 36 saves in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a wild 8-6 home win over the last-place Shawinigan Cataractes last night. Ludovic Soucy, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Mathieu Bizier, Mathieu Nadeau, Dmitry Zavgorodniy, Alex-Olivier Voyer, Carson MacKinnon and Denis Mikhnin all scored. Jimmy Lemay allowed two goals on seven shots before being pulled. Colten Ellis made 21 saves in relief.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Oceanic this season while Rimouski is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 3 at Harbour Station where the Oceanic defeated the Sea Dogs 6-1. Alexis Lafreniere scored twice for Rimouski while singles came from Charle-Edouard D'Astous, Yannik Bertrand, Parker Bowman and Carson MacKinnon. Kevin Gursoy scored Saint John's lone goal. Colten Ellis made 34 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 25 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Oceanic: Forward Samuel Dove-McFalls and defencemen Chase Stewart.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Blainville-Boisbriand 5

BOISBRIAND, Que. - The St. John's Fog Devils Montreal Junior Blainville-Boisbriand Armada had little trouble with the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night.

The Sea Dogs recorded just 12 shots on goal - tying a franchise recorded for fewest shots in one game - in a 5-1 loss to the Armada at the arena-with-a-really-long-name.

The result wasn't overly surprising as the Sea Dogs and Armada sit on opposite ends of the QMJHL standings. Plus, Team Canada forward Drake Batherson was making his Boisbriand debut, playing on a loaded top line withe Alex Barre-Boulet and Alexandre Alain.

Barre-Boulet, the league's leading scorer, had two goals on Friday while Maxime Collin netted a hat trick.

The Armada led 3-0 after one. After jumping out to a three-goal lead, Boisbriand seemed to take their foot off the pedal just a bit and didn't press as hard. The result was never really in question.

Nick Deakin-Poot scored Saint John's lone goal - a weird third period goal that was banked off Armada netminder Emile Samson and in.

Samson made 11 saves in the win while Alex D'Orio made 36 stops in the loss.

Game Day 42: at Blainville-Boisbriand

BOISBRIAND, Que. - A 2017 President Cup final rematch takes place tonight at the arena-with-a-really-long-name.

The Saint John Sea Dogs will play the second match of a three-game road trip this evening against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. The Sea Dogs began their road trip with a 5-2 loss in Victoriaville last night.

Game time this evening is 8:30 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-22-6-2 for 30 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Armada are 27-9-2-1 for 57 points (1st West, 2nd QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 loss in Victoriaville last night. Cole Reginato and Ben Reid scored for Saint John while Matt Williams made 33 saves in the loss. The Armada are coming off a 3-2 shootout loss in Rimouski on Wednesday. Alex Barre-Boulet and Alexandre Alain scored for the Armada. Mikhail Denisov made 20 stops in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Armada this season while Blainville-Boisbriand is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 7 at Harbour Station where the Armada pounded the Sea Dogs 8-1. Alexander Katerinakis scored two goals for Blainville-Boisbriand while singles came from Ryan DaSilva, Anthony Poulin, Connor Bramwell, Jan Hladonik, Thomas Ethier and Charles-Antoine Giguère. Saint John's lone goal came from Daniel Hardie. Emile Samson made 27 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio was pulled after allowing five goals on 15 shots. Matt Williams allowed four goals on 19 shots in relief.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Victoriaville 5

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs struggled to get much going offensively in a Thursday night loss to one of the league's best lineups.

The Sea Dogs registered just 18 shots on goal - six in each period - in a 5-2 loss to the Victoriaville Tigres at Colisee Desjardins.

The Tigres scored two quick goals halfway through the first period and never lost momentum from there. Victoriaville added another goal early in the second period to take full control of the game.

Maxime Comtois - in his first game back from the World Junior Hockey Championship - scored twice while singles came from Felix Lauzon, Jeremie Beaudin and Vitalii Abramov.

The Sea Dogs avoided Etienne Montpetit in net, instead facing backup Tristan Cote-Cazenave. Saint John didn't test Cote-Cazenave all that much, forcing him to make 16 saves in the win.

Saint John goals came from Cole Reginato and Ben Reid. Matt Williams made 33 saves in the loss.

Game Day 41: at Victoriaville

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a very difficult road trip tonight in Victoriaville.

In terms of mileage, the trip isn't too bad. In terms of opposition, this will likely be Saint John's toughest trip of the season, making stops in Victoriaville, Blainville-Boisbriand and Rimouski over a four-day span.

Game time tonight at Colisee Desjardins is 8 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-21-6-2 for 30 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Tigres are 19-15-4-2 for 44 points (3rd East, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday at Harbour Station. Luke Wilson, Ostap Safin, Anthony Boucher and Radim Salda all scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the loss. The Tigres are coming off a 2-1 overtime loss the Sherbrooke Phoenix on home ice on Sunday. Felix Lauzon scored Victoriaville's lone goal. Etienne Montpetit made 25 stops in the loss.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-1-0 against the Tigres this season while Victoriaville was 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 17, 2017 at Colisee Desjardins where the Sea Dogs defeated the Tigres 7-3. Julien Gauthier scored twice for Saint John in that game while singles came from Chase Stewart, Matthew Highmore, Mathieu Joseph, Bokondji Imama and Oliver Felixson. Bradley Lalonde, Alexandre Goulet and Lucas Thierus scored for Victoriaville. Callum Booth made 21 saves in the win. James Povall made 16 saves in just under 28 minutes of action in the loss. Tristan Cote-Cazenave made 14 saves in relief.

Sea Dogs announce updated roster

SAINT JOHN - After several weeks of wondering who is staying and who is going, the Saint John Sea Dogs announced the 25-man roster that the team will carry for the remainder of the 2017-18 season.

There are a few notable additions to Saint John's regular roster. The team's top prospects - Kevin Mason, Luke Wilson and Brendan Sibley - are all here to stay. Ben Reid and Aiden MacIntosh are also sticking around, leaving the MHL's St. Stephen Aces.

Best of luck to @AcesJrHockey prospects @ben_reid64 and @aiden_macintosh on their season call ups to Saint John. Hope you guys continue to work hard. You will be missed in the Steve the rest of the season. https://t.co/uvaAtCcnC3

— Aces Junior A Hockey (@AcesJrHockey) January 8, 2018

Defenceman Tyler Hungerbuhler, who signed with the team last week, will also be joining the club.

The additions make Saint John a much younger team, which is probably a good thing given this is the beginning of a rebuild. Sibley, Wilson and MacIntosh are all 2001-born players.

The team's roster announcement also confirms that defenceman Samuel Duchesne has been claimed off waivers by the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. In a press release, it's noted that, "since Dec. 12, the Sea Dogs have acquired 12 draft picks, including three first-round selections and three second-round choices."

Report: Duchesne picked up by Sags

Samuel Duchesne is now a member of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

According to Saguneeens reporter Jonathan Hudon, Chicoutimi claimed Duchense off waivers today.

Les #Sags ont réclamé au ballotage le défenseur Samuel Duchesne des Sea Dogs de Saint-Jean. Aura 19ans en mai. #LHJMQ

— Jonathan Hudon (@johudon) January 7, 2018

The Sea Dogs added Duchesne as a free agent this year. The Brampton, Ont. native had spent the previous two seasons in the OHL with the Flint Firebirds.

This season with Saint John, Duchesne had one assist in 28 games. He appeared in yesterday's 5-4 overtime loss to the Halifax Mooseheads.

Duchesne turns 19 in May, and the Sea Dogs likely want to give some of the younger defencemen - like a Brendan Sibley - more ice time as the season winds down.

The Sea Dogs and Sagueneens do not meet again this season.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (OT)

FINAL: Halifax 5, Saint John 4 (OT)

SAINT JOHN - A strong effort wasn't quite enough for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night at Harbour Station, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Halifax Mooseheads.

The Sea Dogs were up 3-1 in the first period and then came back from a 4-3 third period deficit in the loss. It was a hard fought, back-and-forth game by the Sea Dogs, who are not doubt fairly pleased with how they performed against one of the league's top teams.

Ostap Safin and Radim Salda - playing their third game in as many days thanks to the world juniors - both scored in their return. Luke Wilson and Anthony Boucher also scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio was solid once again in net, making a few spectacular saves - particularly in the first period.

Brett Crossley scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Jared McIsaac and Raphael Lavoie. The Mooseheads pulled goaltender Alexis Gravel after he allowed three goals on 11 shots in 16:35 of action. The move paid off and Blade Mann-Dixon made 25 stops in relief.

Hardie traded to Charlottetown

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs may have some offensive troubles in the second half.

After trading captain Joe Veleno a few weeks, the Sea Dogs traded another one of their top point getters on Saturday, dealing Daniel Hardie to the Charlottetown Islanders in exchange for three draft picks.

In return for Hardie, Saint John receives a 2018 fourth-round pick (previously belonging to the Gatineau Olympiques), a 2018 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2020 fifth-round pick.

Hardie was the team's second leading scorer (third if you include Veleno) with 12 goals and 18 assists in 37 games. He led the team in goals for much of the first half.

Thanks to everyone involved with @SJSeaDogs from the fans, coaches, trainers, and especially my teammates and billets. I really enjoyed my time in Saint John. With that being said, I'm extremely excited to join @IslandersHKY for a big second half! #ProtectTheBridge

— Daniel (@danielhardie81) January 6, 2018

The 19-year-old forward was acquired from the Rimouski Oceanic in August (along with Alexis Girard) in the deal that saw Chase Stewart and an eight-round pick go the other way.

Despite putting up solid numbers, Hardie was a healthy scratch at times this season. While the return isn't huge, Hardie's age certainly doesn't align with Saint John's rebuild.

Seeing Hardie traded isn't a big surprise, but it is still surprising to see the Sea Dogs hang on to so many players in a rebuilding season. There's always the trading period at June's draft, but this was not the complete tear down many expected.

Game Day 40: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - The Halifax Mooseheads are in town tonight to face the Saint John Sea Dogs at 7 p.m.

Both teams will be missing some key players due to the World Junior Hockey Championship. Three players: Filip Zadina, Ostap Safin and Radim Salda will (presumably) all be out of the lineup after playing with the Czech Republic at this year's tournament.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-21-5-2 for 29 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 24-10-4-1 for 53 points (1st Maritimes, 2nd QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 home loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Wednesday. Kevin Gursoy scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 25 saves in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 4-3 overtime win in Moncton on Tuesday. Raphael Lavoie, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Maxime Fortier and Jocktan Chainey all scored for Halifax. Blade Mann-Dixon made 28 saves in the victory.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 25 at Harbour Station where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 7-1. Arnaud Durandeau had a hat trick in that game while singles came from Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Walter Flower, Filip Zadina and Connor Moynihan. Kevin Gursoy scored Saint John's lone goal. Blade Mann-Dixon made 30 saves in the win. Matthew Williams made 14 stops through 40 minutes of play. Joel Goguen 11 saves in the third period.

Czechs finish fourth at WJC

It was a disappointing end to the World Junior Hockey Championship for Ostap Safin, Radim Salda and the Czech Republic, but the team still managed to have their best finish since 2005.

The Czechs were defeated handily by the host United States in Friday's bronze medal game, falling 9-3. The game was never really close, but either way, the fourth place finish is the best for the Czechs since placing third at the 2005 tournament in Grand Forks.

Safin played very little again, not seeing any ice time in the first period and a total of 8:42 in the final two periods. He played just 4:43 in the team's semifinal loss to Canada on Thursday. He finished the tournament with a goal, two assists, six penalty minutes and 13 shots in seven games.

Salda finished the tournament pointless, but seemed to have his role increased as the tournament moved along.

Safin and Salda were the only two Saint John Sea Dogs taking part in this year's tournament.

Canada defeated Sweden 3-1 in Friday's gold medal game. The team featured Drake Batherson and Maxime Comtois from the QMJHL.

Sea Dogs sign Hungerbuhler; Leblanc traded

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a couple roster moves on the eve of the QMJHL's trade deadline.

The team announced this evening that they've signed defenceman Tyler Hungerbuhler as a free agent. The 17-year-old attended Saint John's training camp but did not appear in any pre-season games.

Listed at 6’3″ and 183 lbs., the Rosemere, Que. native has five goals and 15 points in 30 games in his first season with the Montreal-Nord Arctic of the LHJAAAQ.

“We’re very happy to have Tyler commit to the Sea Dogs,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie. “We got to see him for a couple of days in training camp and he impressed us. He’s a right-handed shot and gives us another young option on the blueline.”

Meanwhile, in a deal the league has yet to confirm, the Sea Dogs have traded forward Samuel Leblanc to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in exchange for a sixth-round pick in the 2018 QMJHL Entry Draft.

Transaction LHJMQ: Samuel Leblanc des Sea Dogs passe à l’Armada en retour d’un choix de 6e tour 2018. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) January 5, 2018

Leblanc has been used sparingly by the Sea Dogs this season. He has appeared in 19 games, recording two assists.

The 18-year-old was a 13th-round pick of Saint John in the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. The Dieppe native appeared in 54 games with the club last season, registering seven goals and seven assists.

The QMJHL's trade deadline is tomorrow afternoon.

Trading period nearing a close

SAINT JOHN - After opening the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trading period with a bang, the Saint John Sea Dogs have been fairly quiet.

The Sea Dogs pulled off one of the biggest trades in recent QMJHL history on Dec. 19, sending captain Joe Veleno to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for five draft picks. The deal signalled that the Dogs were indeed entering a rebuild process - but they have yet to make any other major deals.

Saint John has made just two other trades since the Veleno deal, acquiring Yohan Plamondon from Val-d'Or and swapping Isiah Campbell for Tommy Da Silva with Cape Breton.

Following the Veleno deal, the Sea Dogs seemed poised to make more deals as they have done in past rebuilding years. The team has plenty of older players who could make an impact on teams that nearing the peak of their cycles.

Deals could still be made obviously, but the clock is ticking. The QMJHL's trading period ends on Saturday afternoon.

There have been a plethora of major deals going done over the past week in the QMJHL. The Acadie-Bathurst Titan have made the most noise in the Maritimes Division, acquiring Evan Fitzpatrick, Olivier Galipeau and Mitchell Balmas.

The Charlottetown Islanders, meanwhile, continue to be the biggest surprise in the CHL this season. They've made a few smart moves, picking up Derek Gentile and Cameron Askew. The team also got forward Brett Budgell, a second-round pick last June, to join the club for the second half.

Victoriaville has also made a few big trades while the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada are expected to acquire Cape Breton's Drake Batherson following the completion of the world juniors.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-1

FINAL: Rimouski 6, Saint John 1
Embed from Getty Images
SAINT JOHN - Things were going well for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night - until they weren't.

Saint John was playing well against one of the league's top teams and were enjoying a 1-0 lead in the second period thanks to a Kevin Gursoy goal. But the Rimouski Oceanic's wave of offence in the final few minutes of the middle frame proved to be the difference.

Charle-Edouard D'Astous scored at 14:19, Yannik Bertrand scored at 16:03 and then Parker Bowman scored at 16:21 to quickly give Rimouski a 3-1 advantage and grab all of the momentum. Alexis Lafreniere scored twice in the third period and Carson MacKinnon added a solo marker to make it a 6-1 Oceanic win over the Sea Dogs at Harbour Station.

Colten Ellis made 34 saves in the victory.

Saint John had a glorious opportunity late in the second when D'Astous was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit to the head on Matt Green. The Dogs had another five minute power play in the third when Bertrand was given a game misconduct for a hit to the head on Daniel Hardie. But the Sea Dogs were unable to get much going against the league's best penalty kill unit.

Alex D'Orio played well again - especially in the first period - making 25 stops in the loss.

Sea Dogs acquire Da Silva

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs acquired some goaltending depth on Wednesday.

The Sea Dogs acquired netminder Tommy Da Silva and a 2018 eighth-round pick from the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in exchange for forward Isiah Campbell.

Da Silva, 16, was the top goaltender selected in the 2017 QMJHL Entry Draft, taken 36th overall. He has spent this season with College Charles-Lemoyne Riverains of the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League where he has recorded a 4-9 record with a 3.97 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.

A La Prairie, Que. native, Da Silva played with Canada Red at this year's World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

“We’re very happy to acquire a player we see as a top goalie prospect,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a press release. “Hockey Canada placed Tommy among the six best 2001-born goalies in the country by having him compete in the Under-17 program. We’re going to be patient with him, and work on developing him into a key contributor for us going forward.”

It's unclear at this point when Da Silva will join the club (if he does at all this season). Either way, the addition adds some much needed depth to Saint John's goaltending pipeline.

Campbell was a third-round pick of the Sea Dogs in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft and has appeared in 35 games with the club over two seasons. The 17-year-old has recorded two goals and six assists in his QMJHL career.

Game Day 39: vs Oceanic

SAINT JOHN - Some familiar faces will make their return to Harbour Station tonight.

Samuel Dove-McFalls and Chase Stewart are in town to take on the Saint John Sea Dogs this evening. It's the first meeting of the season between the two and the only one that will take place in Saint John. Game time is 7 p.m.

Along with a trio of former Sea Dogs, the Oceanic are headlined by Alexis Lafreniere, who was the top overall pick in last June's QMJHL Entry Draft, which was held in Saint John.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-20-5-2 for 29 points (6th Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 23-10-4-0 for 50 points (1st East, 3rd QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss in Moncton on Sunday. Kevin Gursoy scored Saint John's lone goal while Alex D'Orio made 34 saves in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 6-1 home win on Sunday over the Quebec Remparts. Alexis Lafreniere scored twice while singles came from Yannick Bertrand, Dmitry Zavgorodniy, Carson MacKinnon and Alex-Olivier Voyer. Colten Ellis made 26 saves in the victory.

2017-18 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2016-17 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: March 29, 2017 in Rimouski when the Sea Dogs completed a four-game first round sweep of the Oceanic with a 4-3 victory. Thomas Chabot, Kyle Ward, Matthew Highmore and Simon Bourque scored for Saint John. Carson MacKinnon, Samuel Laberge and Alex-Olivier Voyer scored for Rimouski. Callum Booth made 13 stops in the win. Charles-Olivier Levesque made 42 saves in the loss.

Czech Republic advances to semifinals

BUFFALO - The Czech Republic isn't done yet.

Ostap Safin, Radim Salda and the Czechs have advanced to the semifinals of the 2018 World Junior Hockey Championship thanks to a 4-3 shootout win over Finland on Tuesday afternoon.

The Czechs will play Canada in Thursday's semifinal.

Safin, who was placed on the team's fourth line, played just six total minutes on Tuesday and didn't take a single shift in the third period or overtime, according to the IIHF box score. He was held off the scoresheet and did not record a shot on net.

Salda, meanwhile, registered one shot in 26:11 of ice time.

Filip Zadina of the Halifax Mooseheads was the hero on Tuesday, scoring twice in the game. The 2018 NHL Draft prospect has five goals and an assist in five games.

Neither the Czechs nor the Finns had a great tournament heading into Tuesday's match, but this will go down as an upset. The Czechs will obviously need to play a spectacular game on Thursday to advance to Friday's gold medal game. Canada defeated the Czech Republic 9-0 in pre-tournament play - although the Czechs did not have their fill lineup for that contest.

Photo: IIHF

Czechs to play Finland in quarterfinals

BUFFALO - The Czech Republic begins the medal round of the 2018 World Junior Championship tomorrow.

Ostap Safin, Radim Salda and the Czechs finished group play with a 3-1 record, defeating Russia, Belarus and Switzerland. Their only loss came against Sweden. None of the team's wins came easy and goaltending is certainly a question mark moving forward.

The Czech Republic will play Finland at 1 p.m. on Tuesday in the first quarterfinal game of the tournament.

Finland finished group play with a 2-2 record.

Safin has a goal and two assists through four games at the tournament. Salda has been held pointless.

The other quarterfinals will feature Canada playing Switzerland, Sweden taking on Slovakia and the United States facing Russia.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Moncton 5

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs closed out 2017 with a 5-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.

In the Sea Dogs' final regular season game at the Moncton Coliseum, Kevin Gursoy scored the lone goal, a first period marker that came with the team already down 3-0.

Saint John got off to a rough start on Sunday and never recovered. Jeremy McKenna scored shorthanded just 2:57 into the game and then Jakob Pelletier and Adam Capannelli scored just over a minute apart later on.

McKenna scored his second of the game at 1:17 of the third and then Daniil Miromanov made it a 5-1 final by scoring at 11:47.

Both of McKenna's goals were scored while shorthanded. Saint John's power play had a very rough day, scoring on just one of 11 opportunities. Moncton went 0/8 on the man advantage.

Mark Grametbauer made 19 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 34 stops in the loss.