Titan Down Dogs In Shootout

SAINT JOHN – The Acadie-Bathurst Titan made a third period comeback and ultimately defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-4 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League pre-season play on Wednesday night.

The Sea Dogs led 4-2 with just over two minutes remaining in the final frame after Ryan Tesink, Alexandre Beauregard, Danick Gauthier and Oliver Cooper had all scored previously for Saint John. Zach O’Brien would score for the Titan with 2:02 remaining and then Christophe Losier netted the game tying marker 18:48.

O’Brien and Jeremie Blain scored for Bathurst in the shootout while Pierre Durepos would be only the Sea Dog to connect in the breakaway contest.

It was the Sea Dogs’ final pre-season game – but it wasn’t their best. Bathurst had the better of the scoring chances, outshooting the home-side 36-25.

Saint John wraps up exhibition play with a 2-2-0-1 record. They won’t play again until next Thursday when they host the Moncton Wildcats in their season opening game.

After a scoreless first period in front of a sparse crowd at Harbour Station, Ryan Tesink found the score-sheet at 1:07 on a power play in the second period. The Titan quickly tied it just 31 seconds later as Christophe Lalancette beat Saint John netminder Mathieu Corbeil.

The Sea Dogs retook the lead at 19:04 as Beauregard beat Titan ‘tender Robert Steeves.

Just 47 seconds into the third, Sebastien Trudeau tied it at 2-2. Shortly after at 2:29, Spencer MacDonald got the better of Alec Jon Banville in a great scrap at centre ice.

At 8:38 on another man advantage, Danick Gauthier gave Saint John a 3-2 lead. Then Gauthier made a beautiful pass to Oliver Cooper at 9:20 to give the Dogs their first two-goal lead of the contest.

But Bathurst would not go away. O’Brien scored at 17:58 to pull the visitors within one. The match would come to a 4-4 tie at 18:48 as Losier snapped the puck past Sebastien Auger.

With the shootout tied at 1-1, Stephen MacAulay nearly gave the Dogs the lead put nailed the post. Blain would score the game winner in the fifth round.

Steeves earned the win in goal, making 21 saves.

In the loss, Corbeil allowed a goal on 20 shots and Auger allowed three on 16.

Saint John went 2-for-7 on the man advantage while Bathurst went 0-for-5.