Game Day 63 & 64: vs Eagles

SAINT JOHN - It all comes down to this.

The Saint John Sea Dogs enter the final weekend of the regular season outside the playoff picture – but they still have a chance to get in. With two games to play, Saint John is three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques, who own the 16th and final playoff spot.

The Sea Dogs will host the Cape Breton Eagles tonight at 7 p.m. and again on Saturday at 4 p.m. Saint John must at least equal Gatineau in points to get into the playoffs (the Sea Dogs own the tie breaker).

While it's not impossible for the Sea Dogs to get into the playoffs, it certainly feels like a long shot. The team has won just five games since Christmas and haven't won back-to-back matches since mid-December.

Gatineau, meanwhile, travels to Victoriaville to play the last-place Tigres tonight before hosting the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Saturday.  

Saying the Sea Dogs need a miracle here would be a stretch, but they do need a few things to fall their way if they want to keep their season alive.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/Sea Dogs Radio/CHL TV

2024-25 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 21-41-0-0 for 40 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/17th QMJHL) while the Eagles are 32-23-4-3 for 71 points (second Maritimes/fifth Eastern/10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-0 loss in Charlottetown on Sunday. Eric Young made 30 saves in the loss. The Eagles are coming off a 5-3 loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday. Jacob Newcombe, Luke Patterson and Cam Squires scored for Cape Breton. Jakub Milota made 30 stops in the loss.

2024-25 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-4-0-0 against the Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 4-0-1-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 2 in Sydney where the Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 6-2. Cole Burbidge, Luke Patterson, Xavier Daigle, Romain Litalien, Brayden Schmitt and Cam Squires scored for Cape Breton. Ben Cross and Mitchell Wagner had Saint John goals. Alexis Cournoyer made 30 saves in the win. Eric Young made 39 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Eagles: Forward Cole Burbidge. 

Eagle to watch: Cam Squires has two goals and nine assists in five games against Saint John this season.

Random stat: Cape Breton has scored nine shorthanded goals, tying them for the fourth most in the QMJHL.

Notes: Olivier Groulx and Nate Tivey each have a Sea Dogs high 39 points... Zachary Morin leads the club in goals with 16... Tivey has a team high 34 assists... Cam Squires leads Cape Breton in points with 71 and assists with 51... Jacob Newcombe has a team high 36 goals... Saint John is 12-18-0-0 at home... Cape Breton is 14-11-3-2 on the road... Tomas Lavoie is third in QMJHL defensemen scoring with 53 points... the Eagles have the fourth best penalty kill in the league with a rating of 82%... after getting shutout in back-to-back games, the Sea Dogs are now averaging a league low 2.39 goals against per game... Squires has assists in five straight road games... Joseph Henneberry has points in seven straight road games... the Eagles have lost three straight road games.

Out of town:

Acadie-Bathurst at Charlottetown - 7:00 PM ADT 

Halifax at Moncton - 7:00 PM ADT 

Baie-Comeau at Chicoutimi - 7:00 PM EDT 

Québec at Rimouski - 7:00 PM EDT 

Blainville-Boisbriand at Rouyn-Noranda - 7:00 PM EDT 

Drummondville at Sherbrooke - 7:00 PM EDT 

Shawinigan at Val-d'Or - 7:00 PM EDT 

Gatineau at Victoriaville - 7:00 PM EDT

Next game: If the Sea Dogs make the playoffs, Game 1 of their opening round series would likely be next Friday on the road. If they miss the playoffs, we'll see y'all in August.