Recap: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Gatineau 1, Saint John 5

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

FREDERICTON - The new-look Saint John Sea Dogs overcame a tough first period in a 5-1 win over the Gatineau Olympiques on Thursday night.

Playing their second of three regular season games at Fredericton's Aitken Centre, the Sea Dogs trailed 1-0 and were outshot 12-8 in the opening frame. But Saint John turned the tides in the second, scoring three times to take a commanding 3-1 lead into the third.

Saint John added two more in the final frame to earn their second straight win.

Olivier Duhamel, Alexander Donovan, Everett Baldwin, Angelo Fullerton and Maxime Côté scored for Saint John. Arseni Radkov, making his first start for Saint John, was very good in net, making 36 saves in the victory.

Côté and Radkov were two of the five players making their Sea Dogs debuts in this game.

Alex Dagenais scored Gatineau's lone goal. Danai Shaiikov made 27 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs entered this game owning the QMJHL's 16th and final playoff spot with 31 points. The Olympiques sat 17th, also with 31 points. This win pushes the Dogs two points up – and they've played one less game.

LINEUP

Fullerton - Groulx - Donovan

Côté - Joseph - Morin

Rozzi - Murnieks - Yared

Héroux - Krayer - Seymour

Wasmer - Duhamel

Magnusson - Baldwin

Drabczynski - Damphousse

Radkov

Courchesne

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without forward Alexis Gauthier (healthy) along with defensemen Cameron Chartrand (injury) and Vincent Croteau (healthy).

DEBUTS: Several players made their Sea Dogs debuts, including forwards Maxime Côté and Jabez Seymour; defensemen Carl-Otto Magnusson and Bo Damphousse; and goaltender Arseni Radkov. Côté, playing against his old team, scored into an empty net in the third period.

NOTES: Defenseman Vincent Croteau was Saint John's final scratch. The Sea Dogs went with 12 forwards and six defensemen... forward Olivers Murnieks returned from the IIHF World Junior Championship and played his first game since Dec. 4... this was Saint John's second of three regular season games that will be played in Fredericton... Saint John didn't record a shot on goal until 6:51 of the first period... Everett Baldwin now has goals in three straight games and four in the five games since the Christmas break... Olivier Groulx had two assists... Alexander Donovan, Olivier Duhamel and Angelo Fullerton each had a goal and an assist... Baldwin and Duhamel each had four shots... Saint John was not awarded a power play in the game. Gatineau had just one... the Olympiques have now lost four straight games overall and seven straight on the road... announced attendance was just 1,845.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Newfoundland Regiment tomorrow night at 7 p.m. at TD Station.