RECAP: Doubled Up. Dogs Lose 6-3.

FINAL: Saint John 3, PEI 6

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

The Saint John Sea Dogs headed to Prince Edward Island to face off against the PEI Rocket on Sunday afternoon.

Alex Fournier started in net for Saint John while Antione Bibeau took the net for PEI.

FIRST PERIOD

Justin Dickinson and Patrick McGrath got into a scuffle at centre ice early on. Both players were sent off for fighting at 3:17.

Ryan Tesink decided to take on Josh Currie a few minutes after the first tilt. A flurry of blows later and they both headed off to the box at 7:39.

Moments later, Oliver Cooper and Jimmy Oligny followed Tesink’s lead. They battled it out and are both were sent off at 7:45 for fighting.

Ben Duffy just slipped one past Fournier, his 22nd of the year, at 15:50. This put the Rocket up on the board, 1-0.

Late in the frame, Currie took a shot but it wasn’t enough. It came to a stop just behind Fournier, but Ben Duffy swooped in and tapped it in at 19:49. That made it 2-0 PEI.

Shots were 11-4 Rocket in the first.

SECOND PERIOD

Cameron sacrificed himself for Fournier and took a hooking call to prevent a goal 1:02.

Mark Trickett sent the Sea Dogs on to their first power play as he headed off for slashing at 6:42. Saint John failed to get on the board, though.

Provencher scored the third PEI goal at 12:36, expanding their lead 3-0

Responding to the goal, Stephen Anderson rocketed one past Bibeau at 13:21, putting the Dogs on the board. That would close the gap slightly and bring it to 3-1 in favour of the Rocket.

Once again, in the final minute of the period, PEI scored. Alex Micallef scored the fourth PEI goal of the game at 19:25.

That would end the period 4-1 in favour of the Rocket. Shots in the second were 20-8 PEI.

THIRD PERIOD

Provencher was sent off just seconds into the period after getting called for interference. Josh Currie tried to make up for the penalty kill as he scored the fifth Rocket goal – a shorthanded marker -  at 1:35.

Aidan Kelly gave the Dogs a goal at 4:24. Highmore and Zilbert each grabbed assists. That would bring the score 5-2 for PEI.

Oligny sent the Rocket onto the penalty kill with a holding call at 5:37.

Ryan Kelly headed off at 13:02 after receiving a holding penalty. Once again the Dogs found themselves down a man and back on the defensive.

Stephen MacAulay came out of nowhere to score Saint John’s third goal of the evening at 17:29. Anderson and Tesink were awarded the assists on the goal. That closed the gap to 5-3.

Josh Currie scored an empty netter at 19:13. This would seal the deal, making it a 6-3 final for PEI.

Total shots on goal after 60 minutes of play were 42-26 in favour of PEI.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs return to Harbour Station to take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Thursday, December 20th. Puck drops at 7:00 pm.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation