Recap: Sea Dogs lose 9-4

FINAL: Saint John 4, Halifax 9

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

HALIFAX - The Halifax Mooseheads proved to be too much for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night at Scotiabank Centre, earning a 9-4 victory.

The Sea Dogs kept it close through 40 minutes, tying the game at 3-3 in the second period, but the Mooseheads always seemed to have an answer for Saint John's momentum pushes. After Brady Burns tied the game with his second of the night in the middle frame, Halifax retook the lead less than two minutes later. Saint John would get back within one late in the second, but that would be as close as they would get.

The Mooseheads led 5-4 after two but blew it open in the third, scoring four times.

Evan Boucher and Jordan Dumais each scored hat tricks for Halifax while solo markers came from Stephane Jr Huard, Brody Fournier and Reece Peitzsche. Mathis Rousseau made 28 stops in the win.

The Mooseheads ended a three-game losing streak with the victory.

Burns scored a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Sam-Luca Thifault and Cam MacDonald. Nikolas Hurtubise allowed nine goals on 37 shots in the loss.

This was just the second meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Mooseheads - and this was a much closer affair. Halifax blewout a depleted Saint John lineup 7-0 less than two weeks ago.

LINEUP

Burns - MacDonald - Elie

Laforge - Trenholm - Reinhart

Thifault - Burbidge - Simek

Mateiko - Cournoyer - Beaulieu 

Tivey - Akkouche

Bilodeau - Despont

Richard - Dickie

Hurtubise

Shingarov

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Olivier Brideau (healthy); defensemen Jared Cosman (injury), Charlie DesRoches (injury) and Jake Tracey (injury); and forwards Peter Reynolds (injury) and Tomasz Szczerba (injury).

FIRST GOAL: Sam-Luca Thifault netted his first career QMJHL goal in the opening period, tying the game 1-1 at the time. The Mooseheads retook the lead 47 seconds later.

Straight down the slot, his FIRST QMJHL goal!

Congratulations Sam-Luca! #CityofChampions pic.twitter.com/8THByr3euP

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) November 18, 2022

NOTES: Brady Burns became the first Sea Dog to reach double-digits in goals this season, scoring his 10th on a power play in the second period... Burns had nine of Saint John's 32 shots... Saint John's power play, which entered the game operating at a league low 9.8%, went 2/3... the Mooseheads were not awarded a power play until the third period... Cam MacDonald extended his point streak to eight games... after posting a goal and two assists against Saint John on Nov. 6, Halifax's Stephane Jr Huard recorded a goal and two assists in this game... Halifax's Jordan Dumais, the QMJHL's leading scorer, had six points... Ventsislav Shingarov replaced Nikolas Hurtubise for 2:57 in the third period, presumably due to an equipment issue... attendance was 7,325.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs and Mooseheads meet again tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Scotiabank Centre.