Chabot named playoff MVP

Thomas Chabot has, unsurprisingly, been named the QMJHL's playoff MVP.

Chabot was awarded the Guy Lafleur Trophy as the playoff's most valuable player following the Saint John Sea Dogs' President Cup clinching 5-1 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Wednesday.

The defenceman finished the post-season with five goals and 18 assists in 18 games. He also finished the playoffs with a +29 rating, an impressive number even if you're not a fan of the stat.

A big story of the final two games was the amount of ice time being logged by Chabot, which was tracked by RDS' Stephane Leroux.

On a menagé Thomas Chabot un peu en 3e periode ( 8 min 49). Total pour le match : 30 min 37 apres son 36:31 d'hier #MVP #LHJMQ

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) May 11, 2017

Chrono final pour @ThomasChabot1

1-11 min 32
2-12 min 41
3-12 min 18

Total : 36 min 31 sec / une passe et +1 - 1re etoile #SeaDogs

— Stephane Leroux (@StephRDSJunior) May 10, 2017

Chabot is the first defenceman to win the award since Danny Groulx in 2002 and just the fourth all-time.

Saint John's Jonathan Huberdeau won the award in 2011 and Charlie Coyle did so in 2012.

Earlier this year, Chabot was named the MVP of the World Junior Hockey Championship.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-1

RECAP: Saint John 5, Blainville-Boisbriand 1

BOISBRIAND, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs are President Cup champions once again.

The Sea Dogs clinched the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League championship with a a 5-1 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Wednesday at the Arena With A Really Long Name, completing a four-game sweep.

It's the third President Cup title for Saint John and the first since 2012.

Even though the Armada got within a goal in the second period, the game never felt in doubt. The victory capped off an impressive performance in the President Cup Final, a performance that saw the Sea Dogs allow just four goals.

Spencer Smallman scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Bokondji Imama, Simon Bourque and Matthew Highmore. Mathieu Joseph had four assists in the contest. Callum Booth was solid once again, making 20 saves in the win.

The Armada's lone goal came from Pierre-Luc Dubois, which was his first and only point of the series. Samuel Montembeault allowed five goals on 34 shots in the loss.

To the notes...

• The game started out quite differently than Game 3. The Sea Dogs were buzzing early and created several solid scoring chances. Joe Veleno had the best chance on a power play when he wasn't able to connect on an open net.
• Imama opened the scoring at 7:29. After accepting a pass from Matthew Highmore in the corner, Imama fired a quick wrist shot past Montembeault to make it 1-0 Saint John.
• The Armada finally started pressuring offensively near the six-minute mark, which got Booth flopping around in his crease a bit but the puck stayed out.
• Smallman made it 2-0 Saint John at 17:38 on a power play. Joseph fed Highmore down low who then fired a lovely backhand pass to a wide open Smallman. The Saint John captain had an open net to double the Sea Dogs' lead.
• The first half of the second period was a nasty one with both teams slashing and hacking away at each other.
• The Armada came close to scoring near the midway point of the second, beating Booth but not the post.
• Dubois got the Armada on the board at 13:53, beating a screened Booth on a power play to make it 2-1.
• But not long after after at 15:21, Bourque scored to restore Saint John's two-goal lead.
• Smallman scored another power play goal at 5:16 of the third, this time during a five-on-three, firing into an empty net after another nice Saint John passing play.
• At 15:07 of the third, Highmore rounded out the scoring by fooling Montembeault with a long wrist shot. It was that kind of night for the Armada. That made it a 5-1 final.
• With Julien Gauthier serving the second game of his two-game suspension, the Sea Dogs went with the same lineup they went with in Game 3.
• Imama's goal was his first of the series and first since Game 6 of the semifinals.
• The Armada finished the series 1/16 on the power play.
• Joseph took over the league's playoff scoring lead with 32 points.

Sea Dogs look to clinch on the road again

It was five years ago on this day that Jonathan Huberdeau lifted the President Cup above his head on Rimouski Oceanic ice.

On May 10, 2012, the Sea Dogs completed a four-game sweep of the Oceanic with a convincing 8-0 road victory, giving Saint John their second straight QMJHL championship. Saint John will look to repeat that success tonight when they take on the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in Game 4 of the 2017 President Cup Final. Like 2012, the Dogs enter Game 4 with a 3-0 series lead.

Saint John has won both of its previous President Cup titles on the road, winning in Gatineau in 2011 and Rimouski in 2012. The Sea Dogs, it seems, have a long history of winning big playoff games on the road. Of all the series wins Saint John has had over the years, only five have been decided on Harbour Station ice.

Year	Series Win	Games	Deciding Game
2008	1st round vs PEI	4	Road
2008	2nd round vs BAT	6	Road
2010	1st round vs PEI	5	Home
2010	2nd round vs GAT	4	Road
2010	3rd round vs VIC	6	Home
2011	1st round vs CAP	4	Road
2011	2nd round vs VIC	5	Road
2011	3rd round vs LEW	4	Road
2011	4th round vs GAT	6	Road
2012	1st round vs CAP	4	Road
2012	2nd round vs BAC	4	Road
2012	3rd round vs CHI	5	Home
2012	4th round vs RIM	4	Road
2016	1st round vs BAT	5	Home
2016	2nd round vs CAP	7	Home
2017	1st round vs RIM	4	Road
2017	2nd round vs VAL	4	Road
2017	3rd round vs CHI	6	Road

If the Sea Dogs clinch the President Cup on the road this year, they will have clinched all four rounds away from Harbour Station, which they previously did in 2011.

Unlike the 2011 and 2012 championships, Saint John has not played any teams from within their division to get to this point. A President Cup championship would give the Sea Dogs franchise three titles, the most by any Maritimes team (we're not including the Laval Titan's titles). 

A win by the Dogs tonight would also be the first sweep in a President Cup final since Saint John did so in 2012.

Playoffs Game Day: Game 4 at Boisbriand

The Saint John Sea Dogs can win the President Cup with a victory tonight over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Game time is 8:30 p.m. at the Arena With A Really Long Name.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Sportsnet 360 and TVA Sports 2/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Series status: The Sea Dogs lead the best-of-seven President Cup Final series 3-0 over the Armada.

Last game: The Sea Dogs won Game 3 of the series last night in Boisbriand, defeating the Armada 2-0. Samuel Dove-McFalls scored both Saint John goals. Callum Booth made 22 saves in the shutout victory. Samuel Montembeault made 17 stops in the loss.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-1-0 against the Armada during the regular season while Blainville-Boisbriand went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Armada: None.

Random stat: The Sea Dogs completed a sweep of the Rimouski Oceanic to win the 2012 President Cup exactly five years ago today.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 2-0

FINAL: Saint John 2, Blainville-Boisbriand 0

BOISBRIAND, Que. - Playing without one of their top offensive players, the Saint John Sea Dogs got it done with their defence in Game 3 of the President Cup Final on Tuesday.

The Sea Dogs allowed just 22 shots on goal and Callum Booth stopped all of them in a 2-0 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at the Arena With A Really Long Name. The victory gives Saint John a 3-0 lead in the series and puts them one win away from a President Cup title.

Both teams put on defensive displays in this game. Shots on goal were just 22-19 in favour of Blainville-Boisbriand while dangerous shots favoured the Dogs at 11-7.

Samuel Dove-McFalls, who moved up to Saint John's second line to replace the suspended Julien Gauthier, scored what proved to be the game-winner midway through the second period. He added an empty net goal late in the third to secure the victory.

It was the second straight shutout for Booth and his fourth of the post-season. Armada goaltender Samuel Montembeault, although not tested a whole lot, was named third star for his 17-save performance.

To the notes...

• Saint John's fourth line had the first quality scoring chance of the game when Kyle Ward fired a quick shot from the slot that was stopped by the arm of Montembeault.
• There weren't a whole lot of scoring chances for either side in a closely fought first period.
• Pierre-Luc Dubois took two minor penalties in the opening frame.
• Shortly after killing off an Armada power play, Dove-McFalls opened the scoring at 12:28 of the second. Mathieu Joseph entered the zone, put on the brakes and fed a streaking Dove-McFalls in the slot. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect wired a wrist shot past Montembeault's glove to make it 1-0 Saint John.
• Miguel Picard had the Armada's first good scoring chance in forever near the 12-minute mark of the third, beating Booth but not the post.
• The Armada were able to apply some strong offensive pressure in the final minutes of the third period, but could only get a few good shots on net.
• At 19:44, Dove-McFalls secured the win with an empty net goal.
• Samuel Leblanc drew back into the Saint John lineup and was on the team's fourth line.
• Joel Teasdale, who was the victim of the Gauthier hit on Saturday, did not play. He is out with a reported concussion.
• According to Tim Roszell, Cole Reginato broke a skate blade just before the start of the second period.
• The Armada are now 0/13 on the power play in this series.
• Dubois was held off the scoresheet for a third straight game.
• Great atmosphere in Boisbriand. The place can get loud.

Playoffs Game Day: Game 3 at Boisbriand

The Saint John Sea Dogs look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead tonight against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the President Cup Final. Game time is 8:30 p.m. in Boisbriand.

TV/Radio/Webcast: TVA Sports 2/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Series status: The Sea Dogs lead the Armada 2-0 in the best-of-seven President Cup Final series.

Last game: The Sea Dogs shutout the Armada 4-0 in Game 2 on Saturday night at Harbour Station. Julien Gauthier scored a pair of goals while singles came from Mathieu Joseph and Spencer Smallman. Callum Booth made 27 saves in the shutout. Samuel Montembeault made 33 stops in the loss.

2016-17 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-1-0 against the Armada during the regular season while Blainville-Boisbriand went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Armada: None.

Random stat: Callum Booth recorded his third shutout of the playoffs on Saturday. Booth allowed four goals following his first shutout and five following his second.