RECAP: Wild One. Dogs Lose 8-5.

FINAL: Saint John 5, PEI 8

CHARLOTTETOWN – One of the craziest games of the Saint John Sea Dogs’ season took place on the final day of the regular season.

The Sea Dogs lost a wild, back-and-forth game to the PEI Rocket on Sunday afternoon at the Charlottetown Civic Centre, ultimately falling 8-5.

The game was tied 2-2 heading into the second period, setting up a wild 20 minutes of hockey. PEI grabbed a 4-2 lead only to have Saint John score three times and lead 5-4 heading to the third. But the Sea Dogs could not contain the Rocket in the final stanza as the home side scored four times to take the game 8-5.

PEI out shot Saint John 23-8 in the third period and 49-40 overall.

Rocket veterans Ben Duffy and Josh Currie – playing in their final QMJHL regular season game – each had huge games. Duffy had a goal and four assists for five points, giving him 110 on the year and the league scoring title. Currie had a hat trick, giving him 49 goals on the season.

Louick Marcotte also had two goals while Victor Provencher and Alexis Pepin added singles. Matej Beran had three assists. Antoine Bibeau made 35 saves for the win in net.

Jason Cameron, Jakub Izacky, Pierre Durepos, Maxime Villemaire, and Marcus Cuomo scored for Saint John. Durepos, playing in his final regular season game, also had two helpers.

Alex Fournier got the start in net, allowing eight goals on 46 shots in the loss. He left the game late in the third period after appearing to take a high shot in the throat/mask area. He threw his glove, blocker, and mask off and immediately skated to the Sea Dogs bench for assistance. Sebastien Auger played the remaining 3:11, making three stops.

The Sea Dogs went 3-for-8 on the power play while PEI went 2-for-3. A bizarre incident at 6:31 of the second saw both Jack Nevins and Patrick McGrath get five-minute majors and game misconducts. Nevins for fighting after the original altercation and McGrath for being an aggressor. There was two minutes of three-on-three play followed by a lengthy five-on-three advantage for the Dogs.

With the loss, Saint John finishes the regular season with a 23-44-1-0 record, placing them fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 16^th overall in the league. This was the third worst season in club history.

The playoffs start on Friday.

NOTES: See Sea Dogs Postscript tomorrow on SN.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs take on the Halifax Mooseheads in round one, game one this Friday night at the Metro Centre.