Recap: Sea Dogs win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Moncton 2, Saint John 3 (OT)

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs provided fans one of their biggest treats of the season on Halloween night.

Matteo Mann scored 1:51 into overtime to give the Sea Dogs a 3-2 win over the Moncton Wildcats – the CHL's No. 1 ranked team – in front of a small crowd at TD Station.

William Yared scored twice in regulation time. Charles-Edward Gravel looked a bit shaky at times but was able to make 33 saves in in the victory.

This was Saint John's second straight overtime win after defeating the Gatineau Olympiques 3-2 in overtime on Sunday – where Mann had the winner as well. Saint John is now 9-7-0-0 on the season.

The Wildcats carried the play at times but the Sea Dogs did a good job of breaking up any sustained momentum. Saint John was able to take advantage of a Moncton team that didn't look their sharpest.

Caleb Desnoyers and Juraj Pekarcik scored for Moncton. Jacob Steinman made 22 saves in the loss.

Saint John opened the scoring at 14:51 of the first period when the puck made its way down low to Yared who beat Steinman with a perfectly placed shot top corner. But the Wildcats quickly countered with Desnoyers converting at 16:23.

Shots were 11-6 Moncton in the opening frame. The Wildcats were a bit sloppy defensively at times but the Sea Dogs were unable to take advantage.

The Wildcats grabbed a 2-1 lead early in the second when Pekarcik scored just 2:33 in. It looked as though Gravel had made a big glove save but the puck snuck by him and slowly crossed the goal line.

Moncton had two power plays in the middle frame but shots ended 7-7.

Yared tied the game at 4:05 of the third. Zachary Morin had the puck in the circle and fed Yared in the high slot who beat Steinman top corner for a second time.

In overtime, the Wildcats had a chance to grab a Steinman rebound but were stripped of the puck by Nicolas Bilodeau. The Sea Dogs d-man then fed Mann who scored to give Saint John the extra point.

LINEUP

Morin - Mateiko - Peddle

Reynolds - Groulx - Beveridge

Rozzi - Dubé - Yared

Calder - Miller - Beaulieu

Tivey - Mann

Bilodeau - Duhamel

MacLean - Scanzano

Gravel

Robinson

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without forwards Ben Cross (healthy) and Florian Schenk (healthy) along with defensemen Benjamin Amyot (injury or sickness) and Giuliano Caputo (healthy).

NOTES: Assistant coach Jeff Hansen ran the Sea Dogs bench with head coach Travis Crickard away at the Under-17 World Challenge... rookie defenseman Cruz Scanzano played his first game since Oct. 18... this was William Yared's first multi-goal game in the QMJHL... Saint John had two defenseman on the ice for the game-winning goal with Matteo Mann and Nicolas Bilodeau being joined by forward Tyler Peddle... Moncton really struggled on the power play, going 0/4... Coen Miller had four shots...  attendance was, as expected, a season low 1,654.

Here’s a new one: Fleaburn is tonight’s 7th player, skating out with his favourite player Eriks Mateiko. pic.twitter.com/5WLEMT4MnN

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) October 31, 2024

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs take on the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Saturday at 7 p.m. at TD Station.