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.

Cape Breton opened the scoring just 2:39 into the first period when Proulx banged in a rebound. Then at 12:10, Miller redirected a point shot past D'Orio to give the Screaming Eagles a 2-0 advantage.

Cedric Pare scored for Saint John in the opening frame, but the goal was called off and not reviewed due to goaltender interference.

MacIntosh got Saint John on the board at 4:12 of the second period with his first QMJHL goal. The rookie collected the puck following an Eagles turnover and quickly ripped a shot past Mandolese to make it 2-1.

Not long after William Poirier ripped a shot off the crossbar, Boucher tied the game at 2-2 at 5:17 of the third. On a Saint John rush, Ostap Safin threw the puck in front where a streaking Poirier had a wide open net to even things up.

The game headed to overtime where, with 0.2 seconds remaining, Sokolov scored to give the Screaming Eagles the extra point.

LINEUP

Here's a look at tonight's #SJSeaDogs lineup, which is brought to by - as always - @CantrburyDental. #AlwaysWearYourMouthGuard pic.twitter.com/QJAR9t9dU8

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) January 31, 2018

SCRATCHES
The Sea Dogs were without forwards Cole Reginato (lower body), Matt Green (upper body), Landon Quinney (upper body) and Nicholas Deakin-Poot (upper body); and defenceman Tyler Hungerbuhler (healthy).

Hungerbuhler took warm up but was the team's final scratch. Saint John dressed 11 forwards and seven defencemen again.

According to Tim Roszell, Green skated on Tuesday before the team headed to Sydney while Reginato is now off crutches.

NOTES
Alexis Girard and Declan Smith dropped the gloves in the first period after Smith put a big hit on Kevin Mason. Mason would leave the game, giving Saint John just 10 forwards... Saint John has now lost eight straight road games... Aiden MacIntosh now has a goal and two assists in 10 games with the Dogs... Alex D'Orio has faced 40 or more shots in six of his past seven starts... with this weird stretch of road games over, the Sea Dogs will now play four straight at home.

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs host the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday at 7 p.m.