Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-2

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 5

Evan Richtsfeld/UNB Athletics

FREDERICTON - Cole Burbidge led the Saint John Sea Dogs to a pre-season win over the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday at Fredericton's Aitken Centre.

Burbidge, a second-round pick in 2021 who likely has a roster spot already secured on this year's Sea Dogs team, recorded two goals and an assist to lead Saint John to a 5-2 win over their provincial rivals on the opening night of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's pre-season.

Ried Calder, a seventh-round pick of the Sea Dogs in this year's draft, had a goal and two assists playing on the top line with Burbidge and Eliott Simard. Vince Elie and Danny Akkouche also scored.

Quicy-Nicolas Supprien and Ben Mercer had Moncton goals. The Wildcats hit a couple posts in the final few minutes of the third but could not score another.

Justin Robinson started the game and stopped all 25 shots he faced in the Saint John crease. Charles-Antoine Girard played the second half of the contest, allowing two goals on 14 shots.

Moncton's Eli James allowed four goals on 16 shots in the first half of the game. Anthony Leblanc allowed a goal on 10 shots in the second half of the contest.

The two teams meet again on Friday night in Dieppe.

LINEUP

Calder - Burbidge - Simard

Akkouche - Beaulieu - Elie

MacIntyre - O'Blenis - Bellemare

Mangala - Corscadden - Beaudry

Bilodeau - Dickie

Cloutier - Stone

Richard - Tracey

Robinson

Girard

NOTES: It was pretty warm inside the Aitken Centre and there was condensation on some of the glass... the Sea Dogs played their Memorial Cup intro video before the game... Campbell MacIntyre was sporting a full cage on his helmet... Natan Grenier, a 2021 Sea Dogs draft pick who was dealt to the Wildcats in the Philippe Daoust deal, suited up for Moncton... Brady Stone put a big open ice hit on Grenier in the first period... Jacob Beaulieu was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for a knee in the first... Raine Nadeau and Reid Calder were both given four-minutes for roughing in the second period - although it could have been classified as a small fight... the two teams shook hands after the game, which typically doesn't happen in the pre-season... attendance was 949.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs and Wildcats meet again tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at Dieppe's UNIplex.