Saturday, November 30, 2019

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Shawinigan 4, Saint John 3
SAINT JOHN - The Shawinigan Cataractes are on a roll.

The Cataractes scored four unanswered goals in their fifth straight win on Saturday night at TD Station, defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs 4-3.

The Sea Dogs took a 3-0 lead thanks to two early second period goals. But once the Cataractes got on the board with a power play goal 9:12 of the middle frame, momentum slowly began to shift to the other end of the ice.

Saint John struggled to generate many quality scoring chances in the second half of the game with Shawinigan controlling puck possession for much of it. The Sea Dogs simply let yet another winnable game slip away.

Gabriel Denis scored twice for Shawinigan while Vasily Ponomarev and Charles Beaudoin also scored. Antoine Coulombe made 24 saves in the win.

James White, Brady Burns and William Villeneuve scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 32 saves in the loss.

The loss ended a three-game winning streak for the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 28: vs Cataractes

SAINT JOHN - The rival Shawinigan Cataractes make their only visit of the season to TD Station tonight.

While both the Cataractes and Saint John Sea Dogs sit in the lower half of the standings, both clubs have been playing fairly well of late. Shawinigan has won four straight while Saint John has won three.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-15-1-0 for 23 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Cataractes are 14-12-0-0 for 28 points (third Central, fifth Western, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 shootout win in Cape Breton on Wednesday. Nicolas Guay scored twice while Brady Burns added a single. Zachary Bouthillier was solid, making 48 stops in the win. The Cataractes are coming off a 4-2 win in Cape Breton on Thursday. Kirill Nizhnikov, Xavier Bourgault, Vasily Ponomarev and Mavrik Bourque scored for Shawinigan. Antoine Coulombe made 20 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Cataractes this season while Shawinigan is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: The Cataractes defeated the Sea Dogs 8-5 in a wild game on Nov. 12 in Shawinigan. Xavier Bourgault had a hat trick for the Cataractes while singles came from Gabriel Denis, Mikael Robidoux, Olivier Nadeau, Charles Beaudoin and Mavrik Bourque. Saint John had goals from Alex Drover, Brady Burns, Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Maxim Cajkovic and Jeremie Poirier. Antoine Coulombe made 30 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 stops in the loss.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Cape Breton 3 (SO)
SYDNEY, NS - Jeremie Poirier continues to show off his offensive abilities.

Playing in a front of a large amount of scouts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's only game on Wednesday night, Poirier recorded an assist, a +3 rating and scored the shootout winner in a Saint John Sea Dogs road victory over the Cape Breton Eagles.

The draft eligible defenseman now has nine goals and 18 assists on the year, which is good for a point-per-game average. Not bad for s second-year d-man.

The Sea Dogs perhaps could have used a bit more of Poirier's defensive abilities on Wednesday as the team hung for the extra point. After a strong opening frame that had the Dogs up 3-1, Saint John struggled to contain the Cape Breton offense over the final two periods. Zachary Bouthillier was busy all night long yet again, making 48 saves - and stopping all three shooters in the shootout - in a third star performance.

Nicolas Guay scored twice for Saint John while Brady Burns added a solo marker.

Egor Sokolov scored twice for Cape Breton and Ryan Francis added the other. Rookie goaltender Ewan MacDonald - perhaps the most Cape Breton-ish named player in Eagles history - made 20 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs have now won three straight games heading into this weekend's back-to-back home matches.

The Sea Dogs website has a full recap.

Game Day 27: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs travel all the way to Cape Breton for a rather random Wednesday night game this evening.

The Sea Dogs, who are coming off back-to-back wins over the last-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan on the weekend, are 0-2 against the Eagles at Centre 200 this season.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-15-1-0 for 15 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 15-9-1-0 for 31 points (third Maritimes, fifth Eastern, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday at TD Station. Maxim Cajkovic had a pair of goals while singles came from Brady Burns, Matt Gould and Dawson Stairs. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 saves in the win. The Eagles are coming off a 2-1 home loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday. Logan Kelly-Murphy scored Cape Breton's lone goal. William Grimard made 33 saves in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 29 in Sydney where the Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 8-3. Ivan Ivan and Shawn Boudrias each scored twice for Cape Breton while singles came from Derek Gentile, Felix Lafrance, Shaun Miller and Egor Sokolov. Joshua Roy, Jeremie Poirier and Nicolas Guay scored for Saint John. William Grimard made 21 saves in the win. Noah Patenaude made 37 stops in the loss.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Bathurst 1, Saint John 5
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs completed a weekend sweep of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday afternoon.

Maxim Cajkovic scored twice to lead the Sea Dogs to a 5-1 victory over the Titan at TD Station. The victory came less than 24 hours after Saint John defeated Bathurst 4-3 at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Brady Burns, Matt Gould and Dawson Stairs also scored. Zachary Bouthillier, who had Saturday off, made 34 saves in the win.

Logan Chisholm scored for Bathurst. Felix-Anthony Ethier allowed four goals on 15 shots before being replaced by Tristan Berube to start the second. Berube made 30 saves in the final 40 minutes.

Saint John is now 4-0 against the last-place Titan this season. Bathurst, meanwhile, is still looking for their first road win of the season, falling to 0-8-1-2 away from the KCI.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 26: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan meet again this afternoon at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs ended a four-game losing streak with a tight 4-3 victory in Bathurst last night. Saint John is now 3-0 against the league's last-place team this season.

Puck drop for Teddy Bear Toss Day is 3 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 9-15-1-0 for 19 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 16th QMJHL) while the Titan are 3-14-3-3 for 12 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 4-3 last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Nicolas Guay scored twice for Saint John while Dawson Stairs and Jordan Spadafore added singles. Anderson MacDonald, Yan Aucoin and Harijs Brants scored for Bathurst. Noah Patenaude made 27 saves in the win. Tristan Berube made 36 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-0-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 0-2-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: See above.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 3
BATHURST - Maxim Cajkovic continues to make up for lost time.

After missing nearly a month of action, Cajkovic has been blazing hot since he returned to the lineup at the start of the Saint John Sea Dogs' Quebec road trip. He continued his stellar play on Saturday at the KC Irving Regional Centre, recording three assists in a 4-3 Sea Dogs victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Cajkovic now has six goals and seven assists in his seven games since returning to the lineup - which included goals in five straight games, a streak that ended on Saturday.

Nicolas Guay had two goals and an assist for Saint John in the win. Dawson Stairs and Jordan Spadafore also scored. Noah Patenaude earned his first career QMJHL win, making 27 stops.

Anderson MacDonald, Yan Aucoin and Harijs Brants scored for Bathurst. Tristan Berube made 36 saves in the loss.

The win ended a four-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Game Day 25: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The second game of a weekend three-in-three takes place tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs fell 5-4 to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens and will now play a home-and-home series against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Game time tonight is 7 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Titan still sit at the bottom of the standings but have been playing better of late, winning their last two games.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-15-1-0 for 17 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 16th QMJHL) while the Titan are 3-13-3-3 for 12 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens last night at TD Station. Charlie DesRoches, Brady Burns, Ben Badalamenti and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 37 stops in the loss. The Titan are coming off a 3-2 overtime win last Saturday. Logan Chisholm, Shawn Element and Cole Huckins scored for Bathurst. Tristan Berube made 33 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 0-1-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 17 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 2-1 in a shootout. Brady Burns scored for Saint John and Shawn Element replied for Bathurst. Zachary Bouthillier made 29 saves in the win. Tristan Berube made 35 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None.

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-4

FINAL: Chicoutimi 5, Saint John 4
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs dug themselves into a first period hole they couldn't dig themselves out of.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring in the first period but allowed the Chicoutimi Sagueneens to score on the following shift. The visitors seemed to grab all momentum from there, scoring two more in the period en route to a 5-4 win over Saint John on Friday night at TD Station.

A night after getting shutout by the Moncton Wildcats and playing without one of their top forwards, the Sagueneens had little trouble generating offense. Even Chicoutimi's power play, ranked last in the league, got in on the scoring.

Saint John has had a bad habit of late of allowing goals quickly after scoring their own. It hurt them in the past and hurt them again in this one. The team played catch up all night and could never get closer than a goal or two.

Felix-Antoine Marcotty, Justin Ducharme, Felix-Antoine Drolet, Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Ethan Crossman scored for Chicoutimi. Daniel Moody made 33 stops in the win.

Charlie DesRoches, Brady Burns, Ben Badalamenti and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 37 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Game Day 24: vs Sagueneens

SAINT JOHN - For the first time since Halloween night, the Saint John Sea Dogs will hit the TD Station ice.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a stretch of six straight road games, which saw them go a respectable 3-3. The team has been off since last Friday to prepare for an odd three-in-three that will see them host the Chicoutimi Sagueneens tonight; visit the Acadie-Bathurst Titan tomorrow; and then return home to take on the Titan on Sunday afternoon.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-14-1-0 for 17 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 16th QMJHL) while the Sagueneens are 16-5-2-0 for 34 points (first East, second Eastern, third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 loss in Rouyn-Noranda last Friday. Maxim Cajkovic scored twice while Matt Gould added a single. Zachary Bouthillier allowed five goals on 39 shots. The Sagueneens are coming off a 4-0 loss in Moncton last night. Alexis Shank allowed four goals on 37 shots.

2019-20 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Sagueneens last season while Chicoutimi went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 26 in Saint John where the Sags defeated the Dogs 3-1. Hendrix Lapierre had two goals for Chicoutimi while Liam Murphy added a single. Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Alexis Shank made 29 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 40 stops in the loss.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Reynolds invited to WJAC camp

Peter Reynolds will have the opportunity to play on the international stage for a second time this season.

The Saint John Sea Dogs 2019 second round pick was invited to Canada West's selection camp ahead of this year's World Junior A Challenge in Dawson Creek, BC. Reynolds was one of 44 players invited to take part in the camp, which will take place in Calgary from Dec. 1-3.

Reynolds has been playing with the BCHL's Chilliwack Chiefs this season where he has six goals and 10 assists in 20 games.

The Fredericton native recently participated in the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and had one assist in five games. Current Sea Dogs forward Joshua Roy played on the same team as Reynolds at the tournament and recorded two goals and two assists.

Reynolds is committed to Boston College for the 2022 season - but the Sea Dogs are no doubt hoping he decides to take the major junior route before then. The forward participated in Saint John's development camp this past summer.

The World Junior A Challenge begins on Dec. 7.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-3

RECAP: Saint John 3, Rouyn-Noranda 6
ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' five-game road trip ended on a losing note on Friday.

The Sea Dogs fell 6-3 to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies at Arena Iamgold - the team's third straight loss. Saint John's road trip ends at a respectable 2-3 - although being outscored 21-11 in the final three games was not ideal.

Maxim Cajkovic - who has been sizzling hot since his return to the lineup at the beginning of this trip - scored twice for Saint John while Matt Gould added a solo marker. Zachary Bouthillier made yet another start, allowing five goals on 39 shots.

William Rouleau, Thomas Belzile, Adrian Valigura, Alex Gritz, Alex Beaucage and Tyler Hinam scored for the Huskies. Zachary Emond allowed three goals on 38 shots.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Game Day 23: at Rouyn-Noranda

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. - The road trip ends tonight.

The Saint John Sea Dogs' five-game road trip through Quebec comes to a close this evening with a matchup against the reigning Memorial Cup champion Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. The Sea Dogs are 2-2 on this trip and have lost back-to-back games.

Game time is a late one with puck drop scheduled for 8:30 p.m. Atlantic.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-13-1-0 for 17 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Huskies are 10-8-2-1 for 23 points (second West, fourth Western, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-3 loss in Val-d'Or last night. Maxim Cajkovic, Jeremie Poirier and Josh Lawrence scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier and Tommy DaSilva combined to allow seven goals on 29 shots. The Huskies are coming off a 3-1 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Saturday. Tyler Hinam, William Rouleau and Jeremy Duguay scored for Rouyn-Noranda. Zachary Emond made 32 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Huskies last season while Rouyn-Noranda went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 20 at Iamgold Arena where the Huskies defeated the Sea Dogs 8-4. Justin Bergeron and Joel Teasdale each scored twice for the Huskies while singles came from Samuel Naud, Jacob Neveu, Alex Beaucage and Raphael Harvey-Pinard. Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Maxim Cajkovic, Jeremie Jacob and Filip Prikryl scored for Saint John. Zachary Emond made 18 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 52 saves in the loss.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 7-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Val-d'Or 7
VAL-D'OR, Que. - It was another rough night on the defensive end for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Thursday night at the Air Creebec Centre.

Despite firing 52 shots on goal, the Sea Dogs fell 7-3 to the Val-d'Or Foreurs in the second-to-last game of this five-game trek through Quebec. Saint John is now 2-2 on the trip after dropping this contest and Tuesday's in Shawinigan.

The Sea Dogs heavily outshot the Foreurs - 52-29 overall - with 19 of those shots coming in the third period with the game basically out of reach. Zachary Bouthillier, perhaps (understandably) feeling some fatigue, allowed five goals on 19 shots in 40 minutes of action. Tommy DaSilva allowed two goals on 10 shots in the third period.

Two of Saint John's two goals came in that 19-shot third period with Jeremie Poirier and Josh Lawrence scoring when the Dogs trailed 7-1. Maxim Cajkovic had the Sea Dogs' other goal.

Marshall Lessard had two goals for Val-d'Or while singles came from Jacob Gaucher, Alexandre Doucet, Alexander Mirzabalaev, Olivier Picard and Jeremy Michel. Jonathan Lemieux made 49 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 22: at Val-d'Or

VAL-D'OR, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to get things back on track tonight in Val-d'Or.

After winning the first two games of this five-game road trip, the Sea Dogs stumbled defensively on Tuesday night in Shawinigan, falling 8-5 to the Cataractes.

Tonight, the Dogs will try to start a new winning streak against the Foreurs. Game time is 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-12-1-0 for 17 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 10-9-2-0 for 22 points (second West, fourth Western, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-5 loss in Shawinigan on Tuesday. Alex Drover, Brady Burns, Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Maxim Cajkovic and Jeremie Poirier all scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 saves in the loss. The Foreurs are coming off a 3-2 shootout win in Quebec City on Sunday. David Noel and Jeremy Michel scored regulation time goals for Val-d'Or. Jonathan Lemieux made 29 saves in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Foreurs this season while Val-d'Or is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 11 at TD Station where the Foreurs defeated the Sea Dogs 7-5. Emil Lessard-Aydin, Karl Boudrias, William Provost, Jacob Gaucher, Jérémy Michel, Maxence Guenette and Alexandre Doucet scored for Val-d'Or. Brady Burns scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Ben Badalamenti, Jeremie Poirier and Matt Gould. Jonathan Lemieux made 25 stops in the win. Noah Patenaude made 37 stops in the loss.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Recap: Sea Dogs lose 8-5

FINAL: Saint John 5, Shawinigan 8
SHAWINIGAN, Que. - An old demon paid the Saint John Sea Dogs a visit on Tuesday night and it proved to be costly.

Saint John's penalty kill issues, which have relatively low key over the past couple weeks, came back to life in a big way with the team surrendering three power play goals in a back-and-forth 8-5 loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes at Centre Gervais Auto.

Shawinigan's first three goals of the game all came on the power play as the Sea Dogs simply couldn't get their defense sorted out. It was a frustrating night as the Dogs kept fighting all game long to grab momentum - only to give it up just a couple minutes later.

The Sea Dogs led 2-1 in the first but that proved to be their only lead of the night. They never trailed by more than two goals (until the final minute) and got back within one a couple times - but they couldn't keep the puck out of their own net. It's a result we've seen many times this season where the team let a good offensive performance slip away.

Jeremie Poirier had another big night, recording a goal and three assists. Alex Drover, Brady Burns, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Maxim Cajkovic also scored. Zachary Bouthillier, who was pulled in the first period of Saint John's lone visit in Shawinigan last season, allowed seven goals on 41 shots in the loss.

Xavier Bourgault recorded a hat trick for Shawinigan while singles came from Gabriel Denis, Mikael Robidoux, Charles Beaudoin and Mavrik Bourque. Antoine Coulombe made 30 stops in the win.

The loss brought Saint John's season best winning streak to a halt at three games. They have two more games on this Quebec road trip before returning home.

Game Day 21: at Shawinigan

SHAWINIGAN, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs carry a three-game winning streak into Shawinigan this evening.

The Sea Dogs have won three straight road games and are off to a 2-0 start on this five-game trip. They'll look to make it four straight wins - something they have not done yet this season - tonight against their old rivals.

Game time is 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-11-1-0 for 17 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 14th QMJHL) while the Cataractes are 8-11-0-0 for 16 points (third Central, seventh Western, 16th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Victoriaville on Sunday. William Villeneuve, Maxim Cajkovic and Jeremie Poirier scored for Saint John. Tommy DaSilva made 35 saves to earn his first QMJHL win. The Cataractes are coming off an 8-4 loss in Chicoutimi on Sunday. Valentin Nussbaumer scored twice while Charles Beaudoin and Vasily Ponomarev added singles. Justin Blanchette made 35 stops in the loss.

2019-20 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-0-1 against the Cataractes last season while Shawinigan went 1-0-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 31 in Shawinigan where the Cataractes defeated the Sea Dogs 5-4 in a shootout. Xavier Bourgault, Jan Drozg, Valentin Nussbaumer and Vincent Senez scored for Shawinigan. Aiden MacIntosh, Filip Prikryl, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and William Poirier scored for Saint John. Justin Blanchette made 28 stops in the win. Zachary Bouthillier allowed three goals on six shots. Mikhail Denisov made 32 stops in relief.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Victoriaville 2 (OT)
VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - Make it three straight wins - and road wins, at that - for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Jeremie Poirier netted the overtime winner at 4:35 of the extra frame to give the Sea Dogs a 3-2 win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday at Colisee Desjardins.

William Villeneuve and Maxim Cajkovic also scored for Saint John while Nicholas Guay added two assists. The biggest story of the night was in net though where Tommy DaSilva, who's struggles at the major junior level have been well documented over the past couple seasons, made 35 stops to earn his first QMJHL victory.

Mikhail Abramov and Conor Frenette scored for the Tigres. Tristan Côté-Cazenave made 25 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs are off to a 2-0 start on this five-game road trip (who saw that coming?) and are on a three-game winning streak for the first time this season. Maybe, just maybe, this is the start of some consistent play.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 20: at Victoriaville

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - A big test awaits the Saint John Sea Dogs today.

Too many times this season have the Sea Dogs put in a strong performance on one night only to come out flat against a lesser opponent the next day. The team finds itself in this position once again, coming off a solid 6-2 win in Boisbriand last night and now face the 17th-placed Victoriaville Tigres today.

We'll see what Sea Dogs team comes out to play today. Puck drop is 5 p.m. at Colisee Desjardins.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 7-11-1-0 for 15 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Tigres are 6-12-0-3 for 15 points (fourth Central, eighth Western, 17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 win in Boisbriand last night. Nicholas Deakin-Poot recorded a hat trick while singles came from Dawson Stairs, Ben Badalamenti and Matt Gould. Zachary Bouthillier made 40 saves in the win. The Tigres are coming off a 7-3 home win over the Shawinigan Cataractes last night. Anthony Poulin and Mikhail Abramov each scored twice while Felix Pare, Jerome Gravel and Zackary Riel added singles. Fabio Iacobo made 23 saves in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Tigres this season while Victoriaville is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 27 at TD Station where the Tigres defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2. Maxime Pellerin, Vincent Sévigny, Jérôme Gravel, Zackary Riel and Mikhail Abramov scored for Victoriaville. Saint John had goals from Nicholas Guay and Brady Burns. Tristan Côté-Cazenave made 43 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 29 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Tigres: Forward Olivier Mathieu.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Recap: Sea Dogs win 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 6, Blainville-Boisbriand 2
BOISBRIAND, Que. - A gruelling road trip got off to a pleasant start for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday.

Nicholas Deakin-Poot netted a hat trick as the Sea Dogs defeated the St. John's Fog Devils Montreal Junior Blainville-Boisbriand Armada 6-2 to kick off a five-game Quebec road trip. It was Saint John's second straight road win and just their third win away from TD Station all season.

This was as strong a road as the Sea Dogs have played all year. Dawson Stairs, Ben Badalamenti and Matt Gould added singles while Zachary Bouthillier was busy again, making 40 saves in the victory.

Blake Richardson and Luke Henman scored for the Armada. Rookie Olivier Adam made 31 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full recap.

Game Day 19: at Blainville-Boisbriand

BOISBRIAND, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a five-game Quebec road trip today in the Montreal suburbs.

The Sea Dogs, who are coming off a road win in Halifax last Saturday, begin the trip with a 5 p.m. matchup against the St. John's Fog Devils Montreal Junior Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. This will be the first meeting of the season between the two clubs that both sit in the bottom half of the standings.

This road trip will also see the Sea Dogs make stops in Victoriaville, Shawinigan, Val-d'Or and Rouyn-Noranda.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 6-11-1-0 for 13 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Armada are 9-7-1-1 for 20 points (second West, fourth Western, 11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 win in Halifax on Saturday night. Ben Badalamenti, Julian Vander Voet, William Villeneuve and Matt Gould scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 34 stops in the win. The Armada are coming off a 3-1 win in Quebec City last night. Miguël Tourigny, Stéphane Jr Huard and Benjamin Corbeil scored for the Armada. Emile Samson made 34 stops in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Armada last season while Blainville-Boisbriand went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 2 in Boisbriand where the Armada defeated the Sea Dogs 5-1. Antoine Demers scored a hat trick for the Armada while singles came from Tyler Hylland and Simon Pinard. Brady Burns scored Saint John's lone goal. Brendan Cregan made 30 stops in the win. Mikhail Denisov made 32 saves in the loss.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Canada Russia Pre-Game Notes (again)

MONCTON - Greetings from downtown Moncton where the second game of the 2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series will take place this evening.

Here are some notes heading into the game:

  • If you're reading this, you are likely aware that Russia erased a 3-1 deficit to defeat Team QMJHL in the first game of the series last night in Saint John. Russia improved to 3-0 all-time in games played at TD Station.
  • The big story was Moncton's Alexander Khovanov, who continued his hot play into Monday's game, recording two goals and helping set up the other two. 
  • It was a big night for Wildcats players on Saint John ice. Along with Khovanov's performance, Jakob Pelletier had two assists and Jordan Spence one.
  • Moncton goaltender Olivier Rodrigue will presumably get the start tonight in his home building. Alexis Gravel played the entire game last night.
  • It's looking like there will be a good crowd at tonight's game - the first event to be nationally televised from Avenir Centre. Last night's game at TD Station was listed as a sell out, although it looked as though it was slightly under.
  • Team QMJHL was swept by the Russians last year and haven't won a game since the fifth match of the 2017 series, played in Charlottetown.
  • Moncton last hosted a Canada Russia Game in 2017, which Russia won 2-1. In 2005, Team QMJHL defeated the Russians 6-4.

Game time tonight is once again 8 p.m. The game can be seen on Sportsnet.

Monday, November 4, 2019

Canada Russia Pre-Game Notes

SAINT JOHN - The first game of the 2019 CIBC Canada Russia Series takes place tonight at TD Station.

Here are a few notes prior to the game:

  • The QMJHL confirmed late last night that Alexis Lafreniere will miss both games of the series with an injury. The news comes after Lafreniere was tossed from Rimouski's last game for a check to the head.
  • With Lafreniere unable to play, Halifax's Benoit-Olivier Groulx has been named Team QMJHL's captain.
  • It's been a rough few weeks for the QMJHL's top draft eligible talents. Chicoutimi's Hendrix Lapierre, projected to be a top-10 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft by many, had previously pulled out of the series with an injury.
  • Even with Lafreniere and Lapierre out, the Q's lineup still features some strong draft eligible talent, including Saint John's Jeremie Poirier, Halifax's Justin Barron, Drummondville's Dawson Mercer and Shawinigan Mavrik Bourque.
  • Halifax's Alexis Gravel will, unsurprisingly, get the start in net. Moncton's Olivier Rodrigue will likely get the start in his home building tomorrow night.
  • The Sea Dogs have been promoting this game as part of the club's bid to host the 2022 Memorial Cup (pictured). There were less than 300 tickets remaining for the game at the time of this post.
  • Note that game time is 8 p.m. The game can be seen on Sportsnet One.

The series shifts to Moncton tomorrow.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Third time a charm for Team QMJHL?

SAINT JOHN - Team QMJHL will be looking for their first ever win on TD Station ice on Monday night.

Saint John will be hosting the CIBC Canada Russia Series for a third time tomorrow night with puck dropped scheduled for 8 p.m. The Russians have won both of the previous games held at TD Station - and Team QMJHL will look to change that this year.

In 2008, Alex Grant, Yann Sauve, Steven Anthony and future Sea Dog Mike Hoffman fell 4-3 to the Russians. Grant was named Team QMJHL's player of the game. Then in 2010, Zack Phillip, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nathan Beaulieu and future Sea Dogs Eric Gelinas and Charles-Olivier Roussel lost 5-4 to Stanislav Galiev and the Russian squad.

There will be just one Sea Dog on the ice tomorrow - defenseman Jeremie Poirier. Sea Dogs head coach Josh Dixon will act as an assistant coach under Dale Hunter, the head coach of Canada's world junior team this year.

Saint John hosted the opening game of the series in 2010 as well. Game 2 will be held in Moncton - the first CHL event to take place at the Avenir Centre.

Team QMJHL is 17-11-1-3 all-time in the series.

Recap: Sea Dogs win 4-3

FINAL: Saint John 4, Halifax 3

HALIFAX - For one reason or another, the Saint John Sea Dogs have enjoyed playing the Halifax Mooseheads this season.

The Sea Dogs picked up their third win of the season over the Mooseheads on Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre, hanging on for a 4-3 victory. This was only the Sea Dogs' second road win of the year.

The Sea Dogs led for much of the game, leading 3-0 at one point. Halifax pressed hard in the third period, outshooting Saint John 16-5. The Mooseheads got within one early in the third and then tied the match at 3-3 at 14:22 with a five-on-three power play goal. Less than a minute after the Moose tied the game, Matt Gould scored on a shorthanded breakaway, which proved to be the game-winner.
Saint John was opportunistic with scoring chances, netting four goals on just 14 shots. Zachary Bouthillier had a strong night in the Sea Dogs' net, stopping 34 shots.

Gould, Ben Badalamenti, Julian Vander Voet and William Villeneuve scored for Saint John. Brady Burns had two assists.

Raphael Lavoie, Maxim Trepanier and Senna Peeters scored for Halifax. Alexis Gravel made 10 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Game Day 18: at Halifax

HALIFAX - A big stretch of road games begins tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will take on the Halifax Mooseheads at Scotiabank Centre this evening before travelling to Quebec for a five-game road trip. Saint John won't play at TD Station again until Nov. 22.

Saint John has had success against Halifax this season, and they'll look to continue that play tonight. Game time is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio Live/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 5-11-1-0 for 11 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 15th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 8-8-1-0 for 17 points (fourth Maritimes, seventh Eastern, 12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 home loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Thursday. Joona Lehmus scored Saint John's lone goal and Zachary Bouthillier made 50 stops in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 4-1 win in Bathurst last night. Raphael Lavoie, Justin Barron, Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Senna Peeters scored for Halifax. Alexis Gravel made 25 saves in the win.

2019-20 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 26 at TD Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Mooseheads 4-1. Brady Burns had two goals for Saint John while Matt Gould and Dawson Stairs added singles. Sonny Kabatay scored for Halifax. Zachary Bouthillier made 25 saves in the win. Cole McLaren made 32 saves in the loss.

Friday, November 1, 2019

Sea Dogs begin big road stretch

MONCTON - Things have been rough in Sea Dogs land - and things won't be getting any easier in the coming weeks.

Saint John, 5-11-0-1 on the year and 2-7-1-0 in their last 10 games, begins a gruelling stretch of road games Saturday night in Halifax. Thursday's home loss to the Rimouski Oceanic was the Sea Dogs' final home game until Nov. 22 - a stretch that will see the team play six consecutive road games.

Saturday's contest at Scotiabank Centre will be an interesting one given how the Sea Dogs have played against the Mooseheads this season. Saint John is 2-1 against Halifax with their lone loss featuring a 4-2 Sea Dogs lead at one point.

The Sea Dogs will begin a five-game Quebec road trip next Friday in Boisbriand. Here's who they'll be playing on the trip:

Nov. 9 at Blainville-Boisbriand - 5 p.m.
Nov. 10 at Victoriaville - 5 p.m.
Nov. 12 at Shawinigan - 8 p.m.
Nov. 14 at Val-d'Or - 8 p.m.
Nov. 15 at Rouyn-Noranda - 8:30 p.m.

The good news for the Sea Dogs is that only Val-d'Or currently sits in the top half of the standings. The bad news: Saint John has just one win in seven road games this season and are 0-5 against Quebec based teams. The team will need to try and turn things around on this trip.

This will be Saint John's longest stretch of road games all season.