RECAP: The Peter Trainor Show. Dogs Lose 9-1.

FINAL: Saint John 1, Rimouski 9

Friday night was a night to forget for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs produced very little offense in a 9-1 blowout loss to the Rimouski Oceanic in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. The game kicked off a three-in-three road trip through Quebec for Saint John that continues tomorrow in Victoriaville.

Brett Malone, playing in his first game as a Sea Dog, scored Saint John’s lone goal. It was pretty much the only bright spot in a game Rimouski dominated from start to finish.

The Oceanic led 4-0 after one and 6-1 after two. They out shot the Sea Dogs 42-16 overall.

Fredericton native Peter Trainor was in beast mode, recording four goals and adding two assists. Alexandre Lavoie, acquired by Rimouski on deadline day, also had a six point game as he netted three goals and helped set up three more. Anthony DeLuca and Frederik Gauthier added singles.

Oceanic goaltender Philippe Desrosiers made 15 saves in the win. Sebastien Auger allowed six goals on 27 shots and was pulled after two. Alex Fournier allowed three on 15 shots in the third.

So yeah… not a good night. Rimouski is good.

FIRST PERIOD

Rimouski opened the scoring early. Frederick Gauthier scored just 1:23 in to give the home side a 1-0 lead.

Maxime Villemiare made everyone aware he has returned to the QMJHL at 2:20. He dropped the gloves with Lucas Grundy in front of the Saint John bench for a scrap that featured some good punches.

Villemaire got an extra penalty on the fight, giving Rimouski a power play. At 3:25, Peter Trainor doubled Rimouski’s lead and make it 2-0.

Soon after Trainor’s goal, Michael Joly made a nice move and got a shot off on Sea Dogs goaltender Sebastien Auger but was stopped. Gauthier had a decent chance a few minutes later but could not connect.

At 7:28, Anthony DeLuca made a perfect pass to Alexandre Lavoie who was skating towards the opposite side of the net. He tapped the puck into the net to make it 3-0 Oceanic.

A few minutes later, DeLuca turned on the jets and went past a Saint John defenseman to create a good scoring chance.

Saint John went to the power play at 14:23. That ended when Villemaire headed to the box for boarding at 14:47. During the four-on-four at 15:23, Trainor beat Auger five-hole to make it 4-0 Rimouski. Kevin Gagne got an assist.

Shots were 14-3 Rimouski in the first. It wasn’t pretty.

SECOND PERIOD

Andreas Tsogkas had a great chance early in the first as he went in alone but couldn’t get much of a shot off. A few minutes later, Marcus Cuomo entered the offensive zone and cut through the crease but was denied.

Rimouski headed to the power play at 7:28 as Spencer Smallman went to the box for delay of game. Trainor completed the hat trick at 8:42 as the puck rolled across the line to make it 5-0 Rimouski.

Jeremy Doucet fired a point shot at 12:41. Brett Malone then grabbed the loose puck and put in the net to make it a 5-1 contest.

Mackenzie Brown made a nice pass to Oliver Cooper a few minutes later but could not score.

Rimouski went back to the man advantage at 16:09. Lavoie scored again at 16:50 to get Rimouski’s five-goal lead back.

Brown and DeLucua each picked up roughing penalties at 19:53.

Shots in the second period were 13-6 in favour of the home side.

THIRD PERIOD

Alex Fournier took over Saint John goaltending duties to start the third period.

DeLuca scored at 2:04 to make it a 7-1 Rimouski lead. Not even sure how he put it in.

Rimouski went back to the power play at 2:53. Trainor scored his fourth goal of the game as he beat Fournier up high to make it 8-1 Rimouski.

Jakub Izacky, Saint John’s leading scorer, was then sprung on a break but hit the post behind Philippe Desrosiers in the Rimouski goal. A few minutes later, Francis Beauvillier cranked a shot off the Saint John goal’s crossbar.

Saint John went to the power play at 9:47. The Dogs had some decent pressure on during the man advantage but no great scoring chances.

Lavoie completed the hat trick at 17:43 as he scored some goal. That made it 9-1 Oceanic and that is the way it would end.

Shots were 15-6 Rimouski in the third.

The Oceanic were a solid 4-for-5 on the power play while the Sea Dogs went 0-for-2.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.

NEXT GAME: Saint John takes on Victoriaville tomorrow at 5pm.