POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 5, Foreurs 7

A collection of recaps from last night’s 7-5 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Val-d’Or Foreurs…

Our recap. Saint John continued their visit to Quebec on Thursday evening as they travelled to Val-d’Or to take on the Foreurs.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The Saint John Sea Dogs had their four-game winning streak snapped when they dropped a 7-5 decision to the Val d’Or Foreurs on Thursday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

L’Echo Abitibien’s recap. Lots of goals were scored at the Air Creebec Centre last night.

Abitibi Express’ recap. Smallest crowd of the season in Val-d’Or last night.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. Anthony Mantha scored twice as the Val-d'Or Foreurs held off the Saint John Sea Dogs 7-5 in the lone Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game Thursday night.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. In the lone game on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Schedule Thursday night, the Saint John Sea Dogs fell to the Val d’Or Foreurs 7-5 at Centre Air Ceebec.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Mackenzie Brown (knee), Benjamin Hade (upper body), Michael Mastrangelo (suspension/upper body), Jurij Repe (upper body), Jason Seed (healthy), Devon Oliver-Dares (personal reasons) and Aidan Kelly (upper body) on Thursday night.

Simply The Best

Jonathan Huberdeau is now alone at the top.

With an assist on Stephen MacAulay’s first period goal on Thursday night in Val-d’Or, the Saint John captain became the all-time leading scorer in Sea Dogs history with 252 points. Michael Kirkpatrick held the old record of 251, a mark Huberdeau tied Wednesday in Rouyn-Noranda.

Sea Dogs history - All time points leader @jonnyhuby11 Congrats!! instagr.am/p/SonggCNQg_/
— David DK Kelly (@SeaDogsDK) November 30, 2012

The Florida Panthers prospect added two more helpers in the 7-5 road loss to give him 254 career points. He has 42 points in 27 games this season.

Here’s a breakdown of his year-by-year numbers:

2009-10: 61 GP - 15G + 20A = 35Pts

2010-11: 67GP - 43G + 62A = 105 Pts

2011-12: 37 GP - 30G + 42A = 72 Pts

2012-13: 27 GP - 14G + 28A = 42 Pts
Career: 192GP - 102G + 152 = 254Pts

In the Bizarro World, Huberdeau was in the lineup for the Florida Panthers tonight taking on the Washington Capitals.

The Sea Dogs return home to host the Rimouski Oceanic on Sunday where one would assume Huberdeau will be recognized for his accomplishments.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

RECAP: Wild Times. Dogs Lose 7-5.

FINAL: Saint John 7, Val-d’Or 5

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

Saint John continued their visit to Quebec on Thursday evening as they travelled to Val-d’Or to take on the Foreurs.

Alex Fournier dusted off the pads and stepped into net for Saint John while Francois Tremblay guarded the Foreurs’ net.

FIRST PERIOD

Huberdeau took a stick to the face at 0:31 and Guillaume Gelinas was sent off for high sticking, sending Saint John to the power play.

Saint John then received a “to many men on the ice” call. Izacky went off at 5:30 to serve it.

Seconds later, Val-d’Or went on the attack. Fournier just couldn’t react fast enough and Samuel Henley walks away with the first goal of the game at 5:56. Val-d’Or took an early 1-0 lead.

Val-d’Or followed Saint John’s lead and received a call for “too many men on the ice” at 10:38. Anthony Mantha went to the box to serve that one as Saint John returned to the power play.

The game was tied as Stephen MacAulay shot one past Tremblay at 10:28. Durepos and Huberdeau each took an assist. Jonathan Huberdeau received his 252nd point with that assist which gave him the Sea Dogs leading scorer record.

Shortly after the Saint John goal, Anthony Mantha gave Val-d’Or the lead once more at 12:59 with the Foreurs’ second goal of the game. This brought the score 2-1.

Spencer Smallman got tied up with Nicolas Aube-Kubel at 17:17 which sent Saint John to their third power play of the night.

Shots in the first were 10-7 Foreurs.

SECOND PERIOD

Anthony Mantha started the period off with a bang. His shot into the Sea Dogs net at 1:06 resulted in a broken stick as well as the Foreurs’ third goal. That made it 3-1 for the Foreurs.

Brett Hester increased the lead even further as he scored the fourth goal for Val-d’Or at 2:21.

Steven Duda and Skyler Spiller decided to dance soon after Hester’s goal. Each were sent off for fighting, with Spiller also taking the instigator.

Julien Leduc pulled a cross-checking penalty at 4:59. It resulted in Stephen MacAulay scoring his second goal of the game and closing the gap 4-2. Huberdeau and Durepos received the assists.

Anton Zlobin headed off to the box for interference at 5:57.

GAMEDAY 27 - at Val-d'Or

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Val-d’Or Foreurs

Tonight at 8:30pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Air Creebec Centre – Val-d’Or, Que.

PREVIEW

VAL-D’OR, Que. – All eyes will be on Jonathan Huberdeau tonight.

The Saint John Sea Dogs captain is just one point away from becoming the all-time leading point producer in team history. He is currently tied with Michael Kirkpatrick with 251 career points as a Sea Dog.

Huberdeau tied the record last night with three points in a 5-1 win in Rouyn-Noranda over the Huskies. Kevin Gagne scored twice in that game while Ryan Tesink and Stephen Anderson added singles. Goaltender Sebastien Auger was solid as usual.

Saint John’s strange two-game, mid-week Quebec road trip ends this evening in Val-d’Or with an 8:30pm matchup with the Foreurs.

The Sea Dogs and Foreurs each have 28 points entering action tonight. Saint John is 14-12-0-0 and sits 12^th overall in the league while Val-d’Or is 13-11-0-2 and sits 11^th. Both teams sit fourth in their respective divisions.

Saint John has won four straight heading into tonight’s game thanks to wins over Bathurst, Cape Breton, Baie-Comeau, and Rouyn-Noranda. They are also 6-4-0-0 in their last 10 games.

The Dogs continue to be led by Huberdeau who has 39 points in 26 games. Ryan Tesink leads the club in goal scoring with 16 in 24 games.

The Foreurs are led by Anthony Mantha who 23 goals and 19 assists for 42 points in 25 games. He registered a hat trick against Saint John earlier this season. Anton Zlobin and Michael Beaudry each have 21 assists to lead the team in helpers.

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 5, Huskies 1

A collection of recaps from last night’s 5-1 Saint John Sea Dogs win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies…

Our recap. With a 5-1 victory over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Wednesday night, the Sea Dogs have now won four straight games. They now sit two games above the .500 mark with a 14-12-0-0 record.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). Kevin Gagne scored twice and added two assists and Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Tesink each had three points to lead the Saint John Sea Dogs to a 5-1 win over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Wednesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

Le Frontiere’s recap. A night to forget for the Huskies.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Rouyn-Noranda, Que., Kevin Gagne had two goals and two assists for Saint John (14-12-0) to drop the Huskies (16-9-1).

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. It was the start of another road trip as the Saint John Sea Dogs visited the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Wednesday night. The Sea Dogs won their fourth straight by a score of 5-1.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Mackenzie Brown (knee), Benjamin Hade (upper body), Michael Mastrangelo (suspension/upper body), Jurij Repe (upper body), Jason Seed (healthy), Devon Oliver-Dares (personal reasons) and Spencer Smallman (healthy) on Wednesday night.

RECAP: Rolling In Rouyn. Dogs Win 5-1.

FINAL: Saint John 5, Rouyn-Noranda 1

ROUYN-NORANDA – The Saint John Sea Dogs are on a roll.

With a 5-1 victory over the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Wednesday night, the Sea Dogs have now won four straight games. They now sit two games above the .500 mark with a 14-12-0-0 record.

It was a big night for Saint John’s veteran players once again. Kevin Gagne had two goals and two assists while Jonathan Huberdeau and Ryan Tesink each had a goal and two assists. Stephen Anderson scored the Sea Dogs’ other goal.

With three points, Huberdeau tied Michael Kirkpatrick’s team record for most points as a Sea Dog with 251. He’ll have a chance to break that record tomorrow night in Val-d’Or.

Sebastien Auger had a great game in net, making 24 saves in a second star performance. He made some very nice stops to keep the Sea Dogs in control.

Saint John never trailed in this game. They opened the scoring just five minutes into the first and never looked back. They led 2-1 after one and 3-1 after two.

The Huskies, who had their three-game winning streak snapped, had their lone goal scored by Sven Andrighetto. Robin Gusse was pulled in the third after allowing four goals on 20 shots. Alexandre Belanger made eight saves in relief.

Solid road win for Saint John. Their trip continues tomorrow in Val-d'Or.

GAMEDAY 26 - at Rouyn-Noranda

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Rouyn-Noranda Huskies

Tonight at 8:30pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Iamgold Arena – Rouyn-Noranda, Que.

PREVIEW

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. – Two teams that are both on three-game winning streaks clash tonight in Rouyn-Noranda.

The Huskies, 16-8-0-1, host the Saint John Sea Dogs, 13-12-0-0, at 8:30pm this evening in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. The contest is part of Saint John’s odd mid-week, two-game trip through Quebec that will also see them take on the Val-d’Or Foreurs.

The Sea Dogs are coming off a wild 5-4 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Sunday that saw them nearly blow a four-goal lead. That gave Saint John a third consecutive victory thanks to previous wins over Cape Breton and Bathurst.

Saint John sits fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 12^th overall in the QMJHL with 26 points. They are within striking distance of several teams in the overall standings, so a good week could see them move up a bit.

Jonathan Huberdeau continues to lead Saint John in scoring with 36 points in 25 games. Ryan Tesink has a team best 15 goals.

Rouyn-Noranda, who have won three straight and are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games just like Saint John, enters action tonight sitting sixth overall in the league and second in the Telus West Division with 33 points.

Jean-Sebastien Dea has slowed down a bit but still leads the Huskies in scoring with 41 points, just ahead of Sven Andrighetto who has 40. Dea has a team best 22 goals while Andrighetto leads the squad in assists with 24.

Sea Dogs Notebook

UP NEXT

The Sea Dogs are up north this week for a strange two-game mid-week road trip. The Dogs are in Rouyn-Noranda this evening to battle the Huskies at 8:30pm before moving on to Val-d’Or to face the Foreurs tomorrow night.

Saint John is on a bit of a roll. They’ve won three straight and moved above the .500 mark with a 13-12-0-0 record.

After these pair of games, they return home to host Scott Oke and the Rimouski Oceanic at 3pm on Sunday.

MOVEMBER

Movember is winding down but there is still time to donate to the Sea Dogs team. They currently have $545 raised in donations. Movember captain David Weckworth leads the way with $290 in donations.

Check out the Sea Dogs' page HERE.

The Sea Dogs posted some pictures of players sporting their stache on their Facebook page last night.

WORLD JUNIORS

According to NHL.com, Team Canada will announce their world junior selection camp roster this Monday. The camp will be held from December 11-15 in Calgary.

Jonathan Huberdeau is the only Sea Dog expected to receive an invite and is a lock to make the team (as long as the NHL and NHLPA continue their craziness).

“Huberdeau formed a dynamic duo alongside Mark Stone on last year’s world junior team, setting up the gifted scorer with some nice feeds in Alberta,” writes Sportsnet’s Patrick King who listed Huberdeau as one of the ‘hot’ players in his power rankings this week. “He’s playing a similar style with the Sea Dogs now, as evidenced by his performance last week.”

FIGHTING

Got news for you: fighting is down across the Canadian Hockey League.

“Over in Québec, they're going at a rate of two fights every three games, or 0.75 per game, a modest 5% drop from the last season,” writes Cam Charron in a post over at Buzzing The Net.

According to HockeyFights.com, the Sea Dogs have just 11 fights this season in 25 games, the second fewest in the league. They had 68 in 68 games last season.

Michael Mastrangelo (5), Marcus Cuomo (2), Devon Oliver-Dares (2), Jonathan Huberdeau (1), and Ryan Tesink (1) are the only Sea Dogs with fighting majors this year.

Michael Mastrangelo Suspended

According to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League website, Michael Mastrangelo has been suspended three games for “physical abuse of official.”

The incident happened following Sunday’s Saint John Sea Dogs win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. With both benches cleared and on the ice after the final buzzer went, Mastrangelo was involved in a fight with the Drakkar’s Alexis Vanier. Hockey Fights Plus has video of the post-game rough stuff but it isn’t clear where Mastrangelo abused an official.

[UPDATE: Look at the bottom of the video at the 18-second mark. Mastrangelo enters the screen and watch where he goes.]

QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau was at Harbour Station for the game to make things even more awkward.

Earlier in the game, Sea Dogs head coach Mike Kelly had to hold Mastrangelo back from getting involved in a scrum in front of the Saint John bench.

Page 66 of the QMJHL rule book has a section on physical abuse of officials.

Mastrangelo, who is second on the Sea Dogs in penalty minutes, has been involved in five fights this season according to HockeyFights.com. He was suspended for two games earlier this month after instigating a fight. The 19-year old has one goal in 17 games with Saint John this season.

The Dogs are on the road on Wednesday and Thursday before returning home to host Rimouski on Sunday.

VIDEO: Bussieres Hammers Repe

Jurij Repe has been struck with some bad luck lately.

The Saint John Sea Dogs rookie defenseman returned to action this weekend after missing two weeks with a shoulder injury. Repe scored his second goal of the season on Sunday afternoon against Baie-Comeau Drakkar just 39 seconds into the period. Moments later, this happened:

Repe needed the assistance of his teammates to get off the ice and did not return to the game. He did not look good at all when he was being helped off.

The Slovenian tweeted today that he suffered a minor concussion.

Minor concussion, I hope that I will be ok till sunday .
— Jurij Repe (@JurijRepe) November 26, 2012

Repe has two goals and two assists in 22 games this season.

Luckily for Saint John, Pierre Durepos is back which gives the team some extra defensive depth. The Sea Dogs are back in action on Wednesday night in Rouyn-Noranda.

Video via Hockey Fights Plus; Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

POSTSCRIPT: Drakkar 4, Sea Dogs 5

A collection of recaps from yesterday’s 5-4 Saint John Sea Dogs victory over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar…

Our recap. The Sea Dogs took on the Drakkar on Sunday at Harbour Station. This was the second game that the Sea Dogs played this weekend. Coming into the game after a 4-1 victory; the team looked energetic and in good spirits during the warm up.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The Saint John Sea Dogs survived a late scare and held on for a 5-4 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Sunday at Harbour Station.

Plein Jour de Baie-Comeau’s recap. It was a road trip to forget for the Drakkar.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Saint John, N.B., Sebastien Auger made 38 saves as the Sea Dogs (13-12-0) fended off Baie-Comeau (17-7-3), which scored three unanswered goals in the third period.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs took on the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Sunday afternoon. The Harbour Station crowd of 3,214 saw the Sea Dogs come out on top 5-4.

MISSING IN ACTION: Forward Mackenzie Brown and defenseman Benjamin Hade were still out injured. Ryan Kelly, Jason Seed, Andreas Tsogkas, Stephen Anderson, and Devon Oliver-Dares also did not play.

According to the Telegraph-Journal, Oliver-Dares, who didn't play in either game this weekend, has left the team for personal reasons.

RECAP: Beating The Boatmen. Dogs Win 5-4.

FINAL: Baie-Comeau 4, Saint John 5

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

The Sea Dogs took on the Drakkar on Sunday at Harbour Station. This was the second game that the Sea Dogs played this weekend. Coming into the game after a 4-1 victory; the team looked energetic and in good spirits during the warm up.

Sebastien Auger started in net for Saint John, while the Drakkar started Simon Lemieux.

FIRST PERIOD

Jakub Izacky began the period with a penalty at 54 seconds for cross checking.

At 5:40, a brawl erupted in the Drakkar end. Jonathan Huberdeau was sent to the box for roughing, along with Ryan Tesink for roughing and cross checking. Maxim Lamarche and Julien Lepage from the Drakkar were sent off for roughing as well.

Kevin Gagne was next on the penalty train as he took a penalty for holding at 9:57.

Valentin Zykov headed to the box at 14:30 as he was called for tripping.

The Sea Dogs were first on the board as Pierre Durepos scored at 16:23. Kevin Gagne and Jonathan Huberdeau each got an assist.

Shots in the first were 15-6 in favour of the Drakkar.

SECOND PERIOD

Baie-Comeau started off the second period with a penalty as Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau was called for hooking, only 32 seconds into the period.

The Dogs took advantage of the power play as Jurij Repe scored at 0:39. Aidan Kelly and Oliver Cooper each snagged an assist.

3:11 saw things getting chippy as Jason Cameron and Paquin-Boudreau were sent off for roughing. This came only moments after an injured Repe was assisted off the ice.

The third goal of the game went to the Dogs as Ryan Tesink scored at 6:59. Stephen MacAulay and Jonathan Huberdeau grabbed assists on that goal.

Today's Lineup

SAINT JOHN – The Baie-Comeau Drakkar are in town to take on the Sea Dogs this afternoon at Harbour Station. Saint John’s lineup features some changes once again today. Here’s a look at the listed line combos and defense pairings.

Huberdeau – MacAulay – Tesink

Mastrangelo – Cameron – A. Kelly

Cooper – Smallman – Izacky

Cuomo – Highmore – Zilbert

Gagne – Weckworth

LeBlanc – Durepos

Repe – Duda

Auger

Fournier

Forward Mackenzie Brown and defenseman Benjamin Hade are out injured still. Ryan Kelly, Jason Seed, Andreas Tsogkas, Stephen Anderson, and Devon Oliver-Dares are also not playing.

GAMEDAY 25 - vs Drakkar

GAMEDAY

Baie-Comeau Drakkar vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Today at 3:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs will have a tough test this afternoon at Harbour Station.

The Baie-Comeau Drakkar, one of the top teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and ranked No. 7 in the BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings this week, are in town to face the Sea Dogs at 3pm.

The Drakkar are currently on a lengthy road trip through the Maritimes. They played in Halifax on Wednesday, Charlottetown Friday, Moncton last night, and Saint John today. They are 1-2-0-0 so far with their only win coming against the PEI Rocket.

Despite having a rough stretch of games this week, the Drakkar still sit fourth overall in the QMJHL and second in the Telus East Division with a 17-6-1-2 record. They are just one-point back of the Quebec Remparts for tops in the division and six points back of the league leading Halifax Mooseheads.

Baie-Comeau is led by some familiar names. Petr Straka is having a great season and has 21 goals and 16 assists in just 21 games this season. Raphael Bussieres, the former Moncton Wildcat, has 35 points in 26 games. Meanwhile, import Valentin Zykov is second in rookie scoring with 29 points in 26 games.

The Drakkar are picking up where they left off last season when they stunned everyone and made it to the second round of playoffs. It’s nice to see for a franchise that hasn’t had great success over the past few seasons.

Saint John enters action today with a 12-12-0-0 record and sits fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 13^th overall in the QMJHL. They’ll be playing their second game in less than 24 hours after beating the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 4-1 last night.

Jonathan Huberdeau leads the Dogs in scoring with 33 points in 24 games. Ryan Tesink has a team high 14 goals.

Saint John hits the road again this week for two games in Quebec but return home for a match next Sunday.

POSTSCRIPT: Eagles 1, Sea Dogs 4

A collection of recaps from last night’s 4-1 Saint John Sea Dogs win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles…

Our recap. The veterans came to play for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The Saint John Sea Dogs jumped back to .500 on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League season wtih a 4-1 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in front of 3,881 fans at Harbour Station on Saturday night.

News 88.9's recap. Featuring Tim Roszell's goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Saint John, N.B., Stephen MacAulay scored twice and set up one more while Sebastien Auger stopped 25 shots as the Sea Dogs (12-12-0) beat Cape Breton (7-15-5), which has dropped four games in a row.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs and Cape Breton Screaming Eagles met at Harbour Station as the Sea Dogs took the contest 4-1 in front of 3,881 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Saturday night.

CapeBretonEagles.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs scored three times in the first period as they went on to down the visiting Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 4-1 in front of 3,881 fans on hand at Harbour Station on Saturday.

MISSING IN ACTION: The Sea Dogs were without Mackenzie Brown and Benjamin Hade due to injuries on Saturday.  Healthy scratches were Steven Duda, Jason Seed, Devon Oliver-Dares, Andreas Tsogkas, and Michael Mastrangelo.

VITO’S: The Sea Dogs paid tribute to the 1992 Allan Cup champion Saint John Vito’s last night. They wore retro Vito’s jerseys for the game. There was a pre-game ceremony with several players from the ‘92 Vito’s team on hand. The Allan Cup (pictured) was also in the house.

FIRST PERIOD: Saturday’s first period was certainly Saint John’s best opening frame in some time. Stephen MacAulay scored twice and Jonathan Huberdeau added another to make it 3-0 Sea Dogs after 20 minutes. Shots were 10-8 Dogs.

RECAP: Vito's Win. Dogs Win 4-1.

FINAL: Cape Breton 1, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN – The veterans came to play for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

Stephen MacAulay led the way with two goals and an assist, Jonathan Huberdeau and Kevin Gagne each recorded a goal and an assist, and Pierre Durepos recorded two helpers as the Sea Dogs defeated the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 4-1 on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

Goaltender Sebastien Auger made 25 saves in the win.

Saint John, playing their first home game in roughly forever, has now won back-to-back games. The win improved to Sea Dogs back to the .500 mark with a 12-12-0-0 record. They host the Baie-Comeau Drakkar tomorrow afternoon.

The Sea Dogs grabbed a 3-0 lead after one and took a 4-0 lead early in the second. They then cruised to a victory, getting some revenge on the Screaming Eagles team that beat them last week.

Cape Breton’s only goal came from Jakub Culek. David Honzik could not contain the Sea Dogs like he has in the past, allowing four goals on 24 shots in the loss.

FIRST PERIOD

Stephen MacAulay and Loic Leduc headed to the box at 3:44 following some rough stuff. Soon after, Jonathan Huberdeau centered the puck for Ryan Tesink but he couldn’t get a shot off.

Stephen MacAulay made it 1-0 Saint John at 8:05. Jonathan Huberdeau was along the boards and fed MacAulay who then beat David Honzik to open the scoring.

Jakub Izacky showed off some smooth moves moments later when entering the zone, sliding the puck through a couple Cape Breton defensemen but couldn’t get a shot off.

Huberdeau gave the Sea Dogs a 2-0 advantage at 11:25. Durepos fed the Sea Dogs captain who was parked at the side of the net to double Saint John’s lead.

Olivier LeBlanc was hit hard from behind by Raphael Corriveau at 12:20. Corriveau was given a five-minute major and game misconduct, but because Aidan Kelly picked up a roughing penalty on the play, the Sea Dogs only had a three-minute man advantage. LeBlanc would be okay which was the only good news to come out of that power play.

Late in the frame, Sea Dogs goaltender Sebastien Auger made a nice glove save on a point shot that went through some traffic.

MacAulay netted his second of the period at 19:55. The 20-year old ripped a shot past Honzik from just below the faceoff dot to make it 3-0 Sea Dogs.

Shots in the first were 10-8 in favour of the Sea Dogs.

Dogs Have A Different Look Tonight

It feels a little like opening night at Harbour Station. The Sea Dogs are playing their first home game since November 4, they are wearing different jerseys, and there are plenty of lineup changes.

Those lineup changes include:

• Forward Matthew Highmore, the eighth overall pick in June’s QMJHL Entry Draft, is making his debut. He has not played yet this year thanks to off-season shoulder surgery.
• Veteran defenseman Pierre Durepos, who hasn’t played a game all season due to injury, is making his 2012-13 debut. Durepos, playing in his fourth and final season, recorded three goals and 26 assists in 63 regular season games last year. He added a goal and four assists in 17 playoff games.
• Forward Spencer Smallman, a fourth round pick by Saint John in June, is returning to the Sea Dogs lineup tonight. He made his one and only appearance so far this season on October 12 against Rouyn-Noranda and injured his shoulder. He has not played since.
• Lastly, import defenseman Jurij Repe returns to the lineup tonight from a shoulder injury. He has not played since November 10 in Drummondville. Repe has a goal and two assists in 20 games this year.

Follow @station_nation on Twitter for in-game updates from tonight’s Sea Dogs – Screaming Eagles contest.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

GAMEDAY 24 - vs Screaming Eagles

GAMEDAY

Cape Breton Screaming Eagles vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – For the first time in a long time the Saint John Sea Dogs will be playing a Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs have played five straight road games and haven’t played a match at home since November 4. That changes tonight when Saint John hosts the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 7pm.

Saint John enters play tonight with an 11-12-0-0 record for 22 points. They sit fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 14^th overall in the QMJHL. The Dogs sit near the bottom of the standings but just six points separate them and the Moncton Wildcats who sit seventh overall.

The Sea Dog are 5-5-0-0 in their last 10 games. Their five game stretch of road games saw them go 2-3-0-0.

Jonathan Huberdeau still leads Saint John in scoring with 31 points. Thanks to a hat trick last Sunday, Ryan Tesink now has a team high 14 goals.

Cape Breton enters play with a 7-14-2-3 record for 19 points. They sit last in the Telus Maritimes Division and 16^th overall in the league. If the playoffs started today, the Eagles would grab the final spot.

Alexandre Lavoie and William Carrier continue to lead the way for Cape Breton. Lavoie has 43 points while Carrier has 40.

The Screaming Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2 last Friday in Sydney. Since then they have lost three straight, including a 4-2 loss to the Mooseheads in Halifax last night. Tonight will be the third time this month Saint John and Cape Breton hook up.

The Good And The Bad Visit Harbour Station This Weekend

Two very different teams travel to Saint John to take on the Sea Dogs this weekend.

On Saturday, the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are in town for a 7pm contest. The Eagles are 7-14-2-3 and sit 16^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with 19 points. They played in Halifax on Friday night, losing 4-2 to the Mooseheads.

Saturday’s game will see the Sea Dogs pay tribute to the Saint John Vito’s 1992 Allan Cup victory. From the Sea Dogs:

Several extras are taking place for fans. The Allan Cup will be in attendance, a special highlight video of the win will be played and the Sea Dogs will don retro Vito’s jerseys for the occasion, which will be auctioned off during the first and second intermissions at Sea Dogs Central. In a pre-game ceremony, several Vito’s team members will be honoured at centre ice.

The Dogs, who enter action this weekend with an 11-12-0-0 record, will be playing Cape Breton for the third time this month. They are 1-1 in those previous pair of games.

On Sunday, the Baie-Comeau Drakkar are in Saint John. The Drakkar, who were eliminated from the playoffs by the Sea Dogs last year in the second round, sit fourth overall in the league with a record of 17-5-1-2. In this week’s BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings, Baie-Comeau was ranked seventh.

Sunday’s game is CAA Sunday Fun-day and Special Olympics night.

The Sea Dogs hit the road yet again next week for two mid-week games in Quebec. They return home on Sunday to kickoff what will be a home heavy month of December.

Sea Dogs Notebook

VITO’S

Vito’s posted this photo on their Facebook page last week. Click to enlarge.

MOVEMBER

Movember is winding down but there is still plenty of time to donate to the Sea Dogs team.

The team announced last week that Scott McCain “will personally match donations to the Saint John Sea Dogs team, up to a maximum of $3,000.”

“Movember is a special reminder to all of us that we need to collectively do all that we can to fight this terrible disease,” the Sea Dogs CEO said in a release. “I'm happy to support such an important cause and I wish good luck to the Sea Dogs in their fund-raising attempts.”

Fans can follow the progress of the Sea Dogs team and make donations HERE.

SCHOLASTICS

Aidan Kelly was named Saint John’s scholastic player of the month for October. He is a business student at UNBSJ.

“The Scholastic Players of the Month UL Mutual are a great initiative by the QMJHL,” said UL Mutual CEO Jacques Desbiens  in a release. “We are very proud of having been invited to contribute and to add the name of UL Mutual, your mutual for life.”

GALIEV

Stanislav Galiev was sent back down to the East Coast Hockey League’s Reading Royals on Wednesday. The Washington Capitals even made a press release this time around.

Galiev played for Reading on Wednesday and was a +1 in a 5-4 shootout win over the South Carolina Stingrays. The former Sea Dogs forward was given a shooting opportunity in the shootout but did not score. Galiev has now played in two ECHL games but has yet to record a point.

In nine games with the American Hockey League’s Hershey Bears, Galiev had an assist.

PHILLIPS

Rant Sports is analyzing some of the Minnesota Wild’s first round draft picks from the past few years. That includes Zack Phillips.

“So far this season, that success has not translated into the AHL, where he has just five points through 14 games,” writes Bob Spencer. “At just 20 years old, Phillips has a lot of development left, but what he has shown so far certainly has Wild fans buzzing. It’s still too early to really grade this pick so I have to default and take the middle ground.”

They gave Phillips a ‘B’ rating.

Highmore Named To Team Atlantic

He hasn’t played a game this season, but today Matthew Highmore was named to Team Atlantic for the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge next month.

“I’m just honoured to be named to Team Atlantic and am really excited to play,” Highmore said in a Saint John Sea Dogs news release. “Hopefully we can bring home a medal.”

Highmore was selected by Saint John with the eighth overall pick in the 2012 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft. He has been with the club all season but has yet to play a game because of off-season shoulder surgery. Today’s Team Atlantic announcement is an obvious sign that he is nearing his QMJHL debut.

Other notables to make the team include Bathurst’s Mason McDonald, Rouyn-Noranda’s Cody Donaghey, and Cape Breton’s Clark Bishop. Also making the team were Nathan Noel and Luc Deschenes, top prospects for the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft.

"We had a very competitive camp and a lot of evaluating this fall and the decisions were difficult, but we as a staff are excited to have the quality of players available to us heading to the World Under 17 Challenge in Quebec," head coach Dave Ritcey said in a release.

The World Under-17 Challenge takes place in Drummondville and Victoriaville this year. Team Atlantic - who will be in a pool with Slovakia, the United States, Team Ontario, and Team Quebec – will play Finland in a preliminary contest on December 28 before beginning tournament play December 29 against Quebec.

Saint John’s other first round pick in June, defenseman Olivier LeBlanc, will play for Team Quebec at the tournament.

The Past Will Be Honoured Saturday

The Saint John Sea Dogs will honour the past on Saturday night.

The Sea Dogs have designated Saturday’s game as Saint John Vito’s Night. The club will honour the Vito’s team that won the national senior championship, the Allan Cup, back in 1992.

Sea Dogs equipment manager David Kelly posted on Instagram (which you should be checking out on a regular basis) the above photos of the jerseys the Sea Dogs will wear on Saturday night. Saint John hosts the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 7pm at Harbour Station.

It’s not the first time the Sea Dogs have honoured past champions from the city. They wore Saint John Mooseheads sweaters for a game during the 2008-09 season and wore Saint John Flames digs in 2010-11.

We approve of these jerseys mainly because of Vito’s. Unreal restaurant. 

VIDEO: Jurco Scores Twice In 9 Seconds

This probably won’t be Tomas Jurco’s most viral video but it is still quite impressive. The Grand Rapids Griffins forward only needed nine seconds to score two goals in the third period of a 6-5 overtime win over the Lake Erie Monsters last Friday.

Jurco’s first goal tied the game while his second gave Grand Rapids the lead. He was named the game’s second star.

It was the first multi-goal American Hockey League game for the former Saint John Sea Dog. He now has three goals and two assists in 14 games this season.

The Griffins, who sit first in the Midwest Division with a record of 8-4-1-1, are back in action on Friday against the Chicago Wolves.

Coyle Getting Plenty Of Attention

Charlie Coyle is a hot topic on the internet these days.

A reason for the attention might be because he has gotten his first season in the American Hockey League off to a great start. The former Saint John Sea Dog has seven goals and four assists in 16 games with the Houston Aeros.

The Aeros played at the Minnesota Wild’s home rink, the Xcel Energy Center, on Sunday and beat the Rockford IceHogs 3-2. Coyle had an assist.

Here he is talking post-game with Wild TV.

Houston head coach John Torchetti told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Coyle "has been our most consistent, complete forward night in and night out since the start of the year."

Some Coyle related links for your reading pleasure:

• Minnesota Star Tribune: Coyle poised to make major impact with Wild
• Winnipeg Sun: Around the AHL: Coyle a consistent producer
• Pioneer Press: Minnesota Wild coaches impressed by Charlie Coyle
• Gone Puck Wild: Wild Prospect Charlie Coyle Proving He’s Ready For NHL
• Pro Hockey Talk: AHL boss on prospect Coyle: “He’s going to make an impact on the Wild”

Former Sea Dog Zack Phillips, also playing with the Aeros, has a goal and four assists in 14 games this season.

Houston has a 7-6-1-2 record and sits third in the AHL's South Division.

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 4, Titan 2

A collection of recaps from yesterday’s 4-2 Saint John Sea Dogs win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

Our recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs travelled to the K.C. Irving Centre on Sunday afternoon to take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The Saint John Sea Dogs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to hand the Acadie-Bathurst Titan their fifth straight loss in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action in front of 1,081 fans at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst on Sunday.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Bathurst, N.B., Ryan Tesink scored three times and Jonathan Huberdeau set up two of them as Saint John (11-12-0) handed the Titan (9-13-4) their fifth loss in a row.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. Sunday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action saw the Saint John Sea Dogs take a 4-2 contest against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in front of 1,081 fans at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

LeTitan.com’s recap. The Titan have lost five straight.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Benjamin Hade, Matthew Highmore, Mackenzie Brown, Pierre Durepos, Spencer Smallman, Jurij Repe, and Andreas Tsogkas on Sunday afternoon.

Michael Mastrangelo returned to the Saint John lineup after serving a two-game suspension.

FIRST PERIOD: The first period was a fairly evenly played frame with shots ending 11-10 in favour of Bathurst. Saint John had a few good scoring chances and two power plays but could not cash in. Brandon Hynes had the only goal in the period, giving the Titan a 1-0 advantage.

RECAP: Come On Back. Dogs Win 4-2.

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 2

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

The Saint John Sea Dogs travelled to the K.C. Irving Centre on Sunday afternoon to take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Sebastien Auger would start in net for Saint John while Jacob Brennan took his place in net for Bathurst.

FIRST PERIOD

First penalty of the game went to the Titan as Alec Jon Banville got sent to the box for interference at 2:31.

Lots of pressure was being put forth by both teams and it quickly paid off for Bathurst as Brandon Hynes scored the opening goal for the Titan. Time on the goal was 4:54.

The Sea Dogs took their first penalty at 7:36. Steven Duda was sent off on a holding penalty and that sent the Titan to their first power play.

Just as the Duda penalty ended, the Titan went back to the power play as Oliver Cooper was called for boarding at 9:57.

14:31 saw Francois Godin serving a roughing penalty for Bathurst.

Shots were 11-10 Bathurst in the first.

SECOND PERIOD

Bathurst kicked the period off with a bang as Christophe Lalancette scored the second Titan goal of the game at 1:32.

Ryan Tesink closed the scoring gap by one as he scored an unassisted goal, the first goal of the game for Saint John, at 11:28.

Alexandre Gosselin took a tripping call at 12:37.

GAMEDAY 23 - at Bathurst

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Acadie-Bathurst Titan

Today at 4:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

KC Irving Regional Centre – Bathurst, NB

PREVIEW

BATHURST – Two teams on losing streaks will meet this afternoon at the KC Irving Regional Centre in Bathurst.

The Acadie-Baturst Titan will be looking to end their four game slide when they host the Saint John Sea Dogs, losers of three straight, today at 4pm. Both squads have been having their problems of late with Saint John 4-6-0-0 in their last 10 games and Bathurst 3-7-0-0.

Things are certainly a bit uglier in Bathurst than in Saint John. The Titan, although not President Cup favourites by any means, were expected to have a solid team this year. They are currently a disappointing 9-12-4-0 and sit 13^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. It’s gotten to the point where owner Leo-Guy Morrissette has called his team out in the media.

Zach O’Brien leads the team in scoring with 35 points this year. His 18 goals are most on the team while his 17 assists are tied for the most with Matthew Bissonnette.

The Titan are fourth in the Telus Maritimes Division with 22 points but have played three more games than Saint John. The Sea Dogs currently have 20 points, making today’s game a key divisional matchup.

The Dogs enter action today with a 10-12-0-0 record and sit 14^th in the QMJHL and fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division. The Dogs have lost three straight and have been outscored 19-5 during that span. Today’s game will also be their fifth straight away from home.

Saint John’s offense has not looked great over the past few games. Jonathan Huberdeau still leads the club in scoring with 29 points.

Hopefully Saint John can get things moving in a positive direction today. The team finally returns to Harbour Station ice for a pair of games next weekend.

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 2, Eagles 5

A collection of recaps from last night’s 5-2 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles…

Our recap. William Carrier recorded four assists as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-2 on Friday night at Centre 200 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

The Cape Breton Post’s recap. It was a case of beauty and the beast for Kyle Farrell on Friday night, as he led the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles to a 5-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs at Centre 200.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. At Sydney, N.S., Kyle Farrell and Alexandre Lavoie each scored twice and William Carrier had four assists as Cape Breton (7-11-5) downed Saint John (10-12-0), which has dropped three straight games.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. Noah Zilbert scored his first QMJHL goal and Marcus Cuomo added another for the Sea Dogs while Sebastien Auger made 28 saves while facing 32 shots in the loss. Saint John now sits with a record of 10-12-0-0.

CapeBretonEagles.com’s reacp. Kyle Farrell's power play goal at 16:03 of the second period proved to be the game winner as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-2 in front of 2,705 fans on hand at Centre 200, Friday.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Benjamin Hade, Matthew Highmore, Mackenzie Brown, Pierre Durepos, Spencer Smallman, Jurij Repe, and Michael Mastrangelo on Friday night.

Michael Mastrangelo served the second game of his two-game suspension.

Marcus Cuomo had the instigator penalty he received on Sunday removed so he was in the Saint John lineup.

RECAP: Oh Well. Dogs Lose 5-2.

FINAL: Saint John 2, Cape Breton 5

SYDNEY, NS – William Carrier recorded four assists as the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles defeated the Saint John Sea Dogs 5-2 on Friday night at Centre 200 in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

Carrier helped setup Cape Breton’s first four goals of the game while the fifth was an empty netter by Alexandre Lavoie. Kyle Farrell and Lavoie each had two goals while Jakub Culek added a solo marker.

David Honzik got the start in net for the Eagles but was pulled after allowing two goals on five shots in the first period. Philippe Trudeau had a solid relief performance, making 17 saves.

It wasn’t the greatest night offensively for Saint John as veteran forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Stephen MacAulay, and Ryan Tesink were all held pointless. Marcus Cuomo and Noah Zilbert scored for the Sea Dogs. Sebastien Auger made 28 stops in the loss.

The Eagles opened the scoring in what was a wild first period. Four goals were scored between the 5:03 and 7:25 marks. The Dogs entered the second period in a 2-2 tie but would never score again.

The loss, Saint John’s third straight, drops them to 10-12-0-0 on the season.

GAMEDAY 22 - at Cape Breton

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Cape Breton Screaming Eagles

Tonight at 7:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Centre 200 – Sydney, NS

PREVIEW

SYDNEY, NS – With Rhoda’s Christmas fair thing taking over Harbour Station this weekend, the Saint John Sea Dogs will once again be headed out on the road.

The Sea Dogs begin their trip this evening in Cape Breton with a 7pm contest against the Screaming Eagles. Saint John will also play Bathurst on Sunday, wrapping up what will be a stretch of five straight road games.

It should be an interesting weekend. The Sea Dogs currently have a 10-11-0-0 record and sit fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 14^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. They are just three points ahead of the Screaming Eagles and two points back of the Titan.

Tonight’s opponent, Cape Breton, enters play with a 6-11-2-3 record and sit sixth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 15^th overall in the QMJHL. They are 4-5-0-1 in their last 10 games and are coming off a 5-3 victory over the PEI Rocket where they fired 44 shots on goal.

Alexandre Lavoie and William Carrier continue to lead this club offensively. Lavoie has 37 points (15G, 22A) in 22 games while Carrier has 35 (14G, 21A) in 22 matches.

The Eagles might have a bit of a different look compared to the last time Saint John faced them. They acquired import Jakub Culek from the Rimouski Oceanic on Tuesday. Also, goaltender David Honzik, who has been a Sea Dogs killer in his QMJHL career, is back playing after missing the first few months of the season with an injury.

The Sea Dogs will be looking to get in the win column tonight after an ugly to end to their three-in-three road trip through Quebec. After posting an 8-4 win in Sherbrooke last Friday, Saint John dropped a Saturday decision to Drummondville, 6-2, and a Sunday game to Blainville-Boisbriand, 8-1.

Captain Jonathan Huberdeau still leads Saint John in scoring with 12 goals and 17 assists in 21 games this season.

LeBlanc Named To Team Quebec

Olivier LeBlanc was named to Team Quebec’s World Under-17 Hockey Challenge roster today.

The Saint John Sea Dogs rookie defenseman was one of 22 players named to Quebec’s roster for this year’s event. The tournament will be extra special for LeBlanc’s team with it being held in Victoriaville and Drummondville.

It’s not a big surprise to see LeBlanc get named to the team. He’s been one of Saint John’s best defenseman this season and it’s easy to see why he was a first round pick. He has three goals and seven assists in 20 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League games this year.

The Dogs selected LeBlanc with the 11^th overall pick in June’s QMJHL Entry Draft.

As you’d expect, Quebec’s roster is filled with QMJHL players. Notables include Sherbrooke’s Daniel Audette and PEI’s Alexis Pepin.

Team Quebec plays an exhibition game on December 28 against Russia. They begin the preliminary round of the World Under-17 Challenge on December 29 against non-other than Team Atlantic. The tournament ends on January 4.

Quebec will be in a tough pool with the United States, Slovakia, Team Ontario, and Team Atlantic.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation