Recap: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Charlottetown 4, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Xavier Simoneau scored with 2:48 remaining in the third period to lift the Charlottetown Islanders to a 4-3 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night at TD Station.

The Sea Dogs had a strong opening half in this game, leading 2-0 after one period. Saint John was noticeably more physical and was delivering on both the power play and penalty kill.

The Islanders began to press as the game hit the midway mark. Charlottetown tied the game in the second period and then took a 3-2 advantage on a four-on-three power play to start the third. Even after Peter Reynolds tied it up, the Islanders would not go away. Simoneau netted the winner late in the third, beating Jonathan Lemieux with a shot from the slot.

Simoneau, Patrick Guay, Patrick LeBlanc and Brett Budgell all scored for Charlottetown. Rookie netminder Oliver Satny made 21 saves in the win.

The Islanders are now 3-1 against the Sea Dogs this season.

Reynolds scored twice for Saint John while Dufour netted a goal and added two assists. Lemieux made 27 saves in the loss.

LINEUP

Burns - Lawrence - Dufour

Savoie - Reynolds - Bezeau

Picard - MacDonald - Crete

Foston - Laforge - Sapelnikov

Poirier - Inniss

Drapeau - DesRoches

Gartley - Despont

Lemieux

Patenaude

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without forwards Ryan Francis (Stockton Heat), Carter McCluskey (healthy) and Adam Bowness (healthy) along with defenseman William Villeneuve (injured).

GARTLEY: With William Villeneuve out of the lineup, defenseman Hunter Gartley slid into the lineup for the first time in over a calendar year. Gartley appeared in just two games with Saint John last season (his last being on Oct. 17, 2020) before the pandemic and an injury sidelined him.

STREAK: William Dufour extended his point streak to nine games with an impressive one goal and two assist night. Dufour has been held off the scoresheet in just one game this season. He now has 10 goals in 11 games including five in his past four matches.

🚨 Dufour opens the scoring on the power play! 10 goals for him in 11 games this season🚨 pic.twitter.com/td8ql13F0n

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 29, 2021

GUAY: William Dufour has been hot of late but so has Charlottetown's Patrick Guay. With a goal in the second period on Friday, Guay now has seven goals in his past five games.

QUICK TURN OF EVENTS: With 11:17 remaining in the third, it looked as though the Islanders had taken a 4-2 lead on a Lukas Cormier goal from the top of the circle. But after a review, the goal was called back due to an offside. Moments later, Peter Reynolds scored to make it a 3-3 game.

REYNOLDS: Speaking of Peter Reynolds, he now has three goals and four points in his past two games. After a slow start, he may be heating up.

VS ISLES: It's going to be a season long battle between these two teams but Charlottetown is off to the better start, winning three of the first four meetings. The two don't meet again until Dec. 11 at TD Station.

NOTES: It was Military Appreciation Night at TD Station and the Sea Dogs held their annual ceremony before the game... Islanders rookie netminder Oliver Satny, a first-round pick in this year's CHL Import Draft, made his first start against Saint John... hits were 17-10 in favour of the Sea Dogs... Saint John is now 3-2-0-0 when scoring first... the attendance of 3,026 was the largest crowd at a Sea Dogs home game this season.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Halifax Mooseheads on Halloween Sunday at 3 p.m.