Sea Dogs missing more forwards tonight

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs will once again be missing several regulars from their lineup tonight when they face the CHL's top-ranked team.

According to the lineup sheet posted on the QMJHL website, the Sea Dogs will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen. The team's fourth line will be made up of defensemen Matthew MacLean – who will play a third game as a forward – and affiliate forward Jonah Leard, who's season recently ended with the Maritime Hockey League's Grand Falls Rapids.

Here's what Saint John's lineup is expected to look like.

Rozzi - Groulx - Morin

Peddle - Dubé - Cross

Calder - M. Krayer - Beaulieu

MacLean - Leard

Tivey - Mann

Bilodeau - Duhamel

Lumsden - Amyot

Bonnet

Young

Robinson

Saint John's original lineup submission showed captain Nate Tivey as injured or sick but he's since been added to the top pairing. We'll see what happens there.

The Sea Dogs will be without five forwards due to either injury or illness: Egan Beveridge, Dylan Krayer, Darien Reynolds, Mitchell Wagner and William Yared. Four of those five missed last weekend's games as well. Yared is the new addition. 

Perhaps the biggest lineup news for Saint John is that Justin Robinson is listed as the team's backup. Robinson hasn't played since Feb. 20 in Baie-Comeau where he took a hard boot to the head. Eric Young has played every game in net since Robinson's departure.

The Sea Dogs and Moncton Wildcats will meet tonight at 7 p.m. at Avenir Centre. Saint John will travel to Charlottetown to face the Islanders on Sunday at 2 p.m. in the club's final road game of the regular season.

Saint John enters play tonight three points back of the Gatineau Olympiques and Halifax Mooseheads, who currently own the final two playoff spots. The Olympiques host a shorthanded Rimouski Oceanic team this afternoon while the Mooseheads have the day off.