Sea Dogs Notebook

FRIDAY

The Ross Yates head coaching era begins on Friday night at Harbour Station as the Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats. Game time is 7:30pm.

Saint John, 5-10-0-2, will be looking to end their eight-game losing streak. Despite what those who just look at the scores may think, the Sea Dogs actually haven’t played that terribly during this losing skid. Their past four games have all been decided by a goal with the latest, Sunday’s 3-2 loss in Chicoutimi, coming in a shootout.

Moncton has a record of 7-11-0-1 entering play this weekend.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, “four fans will be selected randomly for our 'Shoot to Win' competition in the first intermission. The two best shooters will qualify for a chance to shoot for a BRAND NEW CAR, courtesy of Downey Ford, on November 27th!

“The Sea Dogs Foundation will raffle off a #22 Keven Charland Sea Dogs alumni jersey worn during the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend. Wallace McCain Alumni golf shirts will also be raffled. Tickets are $5 each, three for $10, or ten for $20. Proceeds will be donated to the MOvember campaign.

“A secondary 50/50 prize of $500 will be given away.”

So that’s all cool.

SATURDAY

On Saturday, the Sea Dogs host the Charlottetown Islanders. The Isles sit second in the Maritimes Division with a 10-5-0-1 record but do have a better winning percentage than the division-leading Halifax Mooseheads.

According to the Sea Dogs release,” It's Support Our Troops Night at Harbour Station!

“Members of Canadian Forces from CFB Gagetown will take part in a special pregame ceremony to pay tribute to fallen Canadian soldiers and all members of this country's military.

“The Sea Dogs Foundation will raffle off a #35 Karel St-Laurent Sea Dogs alumni jersey from the Wallace McCain Memorial Alumni Weekend. Wallace McCain alumni golf shirts will again be raffled.

“Another secondary 50/50 prize of $500 will be given away.”

MOVEMBER

The Sea Dogs also announced this week that the team will be taking part in the MOvember Challenge. Full details on all that can be found on the Sea Dogs website.

In addition to the money raised through donations, the Sea Dogs will also be making a donation to the campaign that will increase with rising attendance numbers.

If the Sea Dogs average 3,800 fans during the seven home games in November, the team will donate $5,000. If the average hits five thousand fans per game, the team will donate $15,000. If it reaches six thousand fans, the team will donate $30,000.

In addition, the Sea Dogs will donate $10,000 for any game which is sold out.

Yates Named Head Coach, Co-GM

The Sea Dogs announced this afternoon that Ross Yates has been named the club’s new head coach.

Yates, who has been an assistant coach with the team since the 2012-13 season, takes over for Mike Kelly who was fired yesterday. Terms of the Yates’ contract were not disclosed.

Yates spent 10 years with the American Hockey League’s Syracuse Crunch – including four as head coach – prior to joining the Sea Dogs. He has also coached in Europe. Last season Yates served as Sea Dogs head coach for several games when Kelly was away on scouting adventures.

"We are very pleased to have Ross Yates as our coach," said Sea Dogs' President Wayne Long in a release. "He has an impressive coaching background in Europe and the American League, and he was brought here because of his extensive experience."

Not a huge surprise to see the Sea Dogs promote from within for this role. There’s not exactly a ton of coaches on the free agent market in October like there often are in the off-season.

It was also announced today that Yates and head scout Christian Vermette have been named co-general managers.

Vermette, in his fourth season as head scout, is a former assistant coach with the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies who joined the Sea Dogs' scouting staff in 2005. He also coached the Levis Commandeurs in Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League.

According to the Sea Dogs there is no "interim tag" of having Yates as head coach & co-GM with Vermette. #QMJHL
— Sunaya Sapurji (@sunayas) October 30, 2013

The “new” Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats on Friday night at Harbour Station.

The Day After

Sportsnet’s Sam Cosentino was on The Pipeline Show last night and discussed the firing of Mike Kelly.

Cosentino explained that he was surprised by the news and didn’t have any guesses on who would be brought in to replace him. Cosentino did say he would not be surprised if it was a younger, inexperienced guy to work with this young team, which would not be surprising.

The interview can be heard HERE around the 9-minute mark.

Some other stuff from yesterday’s announcement:

• Read Scott Briggs’ article in today’s Telegraph-Journal if you have a chance. Scott McCain and Wayne Long both speak about the decision.
• CBC News has an article on the firing. The Sea Dogs are all about 2017.
• TVA Sports' Louis Jean tweets that Gerard Gallant is not leaving the Montreal Canadiens to return to Saint John. Shocker.
• TVA Sports’ Mikael Lalancette tweets that he would not be surprised if Ross Yates was given the Sea Dogs head coaching job.
• Sea Dogs president Wayne Long told News 88.9 that the firing is about more than the Sea Dogs’ recent losing streak. “The team obviously has lost eight in a row but it’s not about the wins and losses”, said Long. “We know we’re developing, we know we’re rebuilding but sometimes you need to make change for the sake of making change”.

Who Will Be The Next Dogs Coach?

By Andrew McGilligan

SN Staff

With Mike Kelly out as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations, the questions now looms as to who takes over behind the Saint John Sea Dogs bench.

The team has made it clear it will separate the roles of coach and general manager – at least for now – and the coach will obviously be hired first.

The position is an intriguing one as the Dogs have a good core of young players that need to be developed, the looming bid for the 2017 Memorial Cup, one of the best arenas as well as facilities in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and a recent history of winning.

One name that immediately comes to mind to fill the vacancy is former Drummondville Voltigeurs and Tampa Bay Lightning head coach Guy Boucher. He comes with an established track record having won a QMJHL championship and took the Lightning to within a game of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2011 as well as a coaching philosophy and system.

Boucher is a known quantity and familiar to the Sea Dogs brass as he was interviewed by the team for its head coaching position prior to the 2006-07 season. The job ultimately went to Jacques Beaulieu.

If Boucher is willing, he would be a prime candidate as he brings both the star quality of having coached in the NHL and a thorough understanding of the major junior game (ie. development of young talent).

There are several other candidates the organization is no doubt looking into with solid coaching backgrounds. Perhaps Moncton Wildcats Vice-President of Hockey Operations Danny Flynn could be lured up to the Port City to face off against the Wildcats.

Flynn, like Boucher, has a track record of success in junior hockey, was an assistant coach in the NHL and was successful behind the bench in the CIS. However, it should be noted that Flynn is still under contract with Moncton and this would be a long shot.

Of course, the Sea Dogs could stay in house and promote Ross Yates from assistant coach to bench boss. Yates was head coach of the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League for four years and has Maritime roots having played in his university days at Mount Allison, his time at Mt. A overlapped with that of Sea Dogs majority owner Scott McCain who earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the school in 1979.

The Mike Kelly Era Is Over

SAINT JOHN - The Sea Dogs have "parted ways" with head coach and general manager Mike Kelly.

Here is the full press release from the team:

The Saint John Sea Dogs have announced that they have parted ways with Mike Kelly. 

Kelly had been the head coach and general manager of the Sea Dogs since the summer of 2012. Before that, he was the team's associate coach and director of hockey operations for three seasons beginning in 2009. 

"Mike Kelly is a man of integrity, and decisions like these are never easy," said Sea Dogs' President Wayne Long. "It is our duty to do what we feel is in the best interest of our team. We will always be grateful and appreciative of what Mike has done for the Sea Dogs' organization." 

The Sea Dogs expect to name a new head coach in the coming days.

So this was certainly unexpected.

Hard to imagine this is based solely on the Sea Dogs start to the year. They are playing pretty much like they were expected to in year two of this rebuild. Bizarre move.

No idea who they may bring in as a replacement.

More to come at some point.

Auger Named To Super Series Roster

SAINT JOHN – Sea Dogs goaltender Sebastien Auger has been named to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s roster for the upcoming Subway Super Series.

Auger was, not surprisingly, the only Sea Dog invited to the event. He’ll join Halifax’s Zach Fucule as the team’s goaltending tandem for the series which will feature the QMJHL’s best Canadians who are eligible for the world junior team taking on a Russian squad.

The full QMJHL roster can be found here.

Auger, 19, is 3-9-0-2 this season with a 2.63 goals against average and a 0.926 save percentage. His GAA ranks fourth in the league, his save percentage is second, and leads the league in saves with 465. He is also fourth in minutes played having started 14 of Saint John’s 17 games.

This is Auger’s third season in the QMJHL. He was a fifth-round pick of Saint John in 2010. This will be his first Super Series.

The QMJHL portion of the Super Series takes place on Monday, November 18^th in Gatineau and Wednesday, November 20^th in Sherbrooke. The games will be broadcast on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

News & Notes From Saturday's Game

CHICOUTIMI, Que. – Mackenzie Brown left last night’s game and did not return after taking this hit from Chicoutimi’s Jeremy Carignan in the first period.

Get your tickets now to see Sugar Sammy.

Carignan received a five-minute major and game misconduct for checking to the head. Unfortunately, Saint John was unable to cash in on the man advantage.

Some other stuff from last night’s game…

• The Sea Dogs were down 2-1 entering the final minute of the game but Oliver Cooper scored after a Stephen Anderson shot produced a rebound. This happened with Sebastien Auger on the bench and 44 seconds remaining. Clutch.
• Nathan Noel was the only Sea Dog to score in the shootout. He now has two shootout goals in three attempts this year.
• Chicoutimi has 10 wins this season with four of them coming in overtime and one in a shootout.
• If you haven’t heard, the Sea Dogs have now lost eight straight (0-7-0-1) games. They went 0-2-0-1 on this Quebec road trip with all three loses being one-goal games. There are certainly some positives to take away from this trip.
• Sebastien Sylvestre was in beast mode for the Sags, getting a handful of really good scoring chances. He finished the game with a goal, a shootout goal, and eight shots.
• With Cooper scoring and Olivier LeBlanc picking up a goal and an assist, Michael Abbott, LeBlanc, and Cooper all have 12 points on the year to lead the team.
• It was ‘Pink in the Rink’ night in Chicoutimi so the Sags wore pink jerseys.
• Was a bit surprising to see Sebastien Auger get the start again with this being Saint John’s third road game in four days and second in less than 24 hours. But it was a good call as Auger was very good in this game, making 42 saves and earning second star honours.
• This was the fifth time this season that Auger faced 40 or more shots in a game. He has an above .900 save percentage in all of those games.
• Saint John once again got a lot of shots on net (40) but just couldn’t score a lot of goals. The Dogs are 4-6-0-2 when being out shot by their opponent.
• The Sea Dogs were without defensemen Michael Abbott (upper body) and Will Thompson (upper body) along with forwards Noah Zilbert (upper body) and Marcus Cuomo (hand). Goaltender Maxime Michaud was also scratched once again.

RECAP: The Streak Goes On. Dogs Lose 3-2.

FINAL: Chicoutimi 3, Saint John 2 (SO)

CHICOUTIMI, Que. – At least the Saint John Sea Dogs are coming home with a point.

Even though their losing streak extended to eight games, the Sea Dogs picked up a well-deserved point on Saturday in Chicoutimi with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Sagueneens.

The Dogs were down 2-1 entering the final minute of the third but Oliver Cooper would tie it up with 44 seconds remaining. Although they would lose the shootout, Saint John will at least be coming home with a point for their strong efforts during this three-game Quebec road trip.

Olivier LeBlanc also scored for the Sea Dogs while Nathan Noel had Saint John’s only shootout goal. Sebastien Auger was sensational as usual, making 42 saves in the loss.

Chicoutimi had regulation time goals from Sebastien Sylvestre and Janne Puhakka. Julio Billia made 38 saves in the win.

GAMEDAY 17 - at Chicoutimi

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Chicoutimi Sagueneens

Tonight at 5:00pm

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

Georges Vezina Centre – Chicoutimi, Que.

PREVIEW

CHICOUTIMI, Que. – The Saint John Sea Dogs play another game today.

The Sea Dogs are in Chicoutimi to take on the Sagueneens at 5pm. Saint John has lost seven straight and are 0-2 so far on this Quebec road trip despite playing a couple of decent games.

Saint John is 5-10-0-1 and sits 16^th overall while Chicoutimi is 9-8-0-0 and sits ninth.

Have to think Antoine Landry will get the start in net today for the Sea Dogs.

This is your pre-game post.

News & Notes From Friday's Game

Some stuff from last night’s game…

• Well, the Sea Dogs have now lost seven straight games and have a record of 5-10-0-1. They still have one more game on this Quebec road trip to play before heading home for a three-game home stretch.
• Meanwhile, Baie-Comeau has won six straight. They sit second overall in the league and are closing in on the first-place Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.
• Joey Richard had Saint John’s only goal. It was his third of the season and first since his two goal game on October 6^th in Bathurst – Saint John’s last win.
• Felix Girard received a checking to the head game misconduct at the end of the second period for a hit on Noah Zilbert. Zilbert would be okay. The Sea Dogs got a long power play out of the penalty but could not score or generate that many chances.
• Alexander McQuaid received an instigator for his fight against Gabriel Verpaelst in the second period. It was McQuaid’s second fight of the regular season.
• Jason Cameron made a big time shot block in the final seconds of the first period. He was helped to the bench by Sea Dogs athletic therapist JP Laciak and limped to the dressing room. He would return for the second period.
• Matthew Highmore’s assist on Richard’s goal was his first point since October 16^th.
• Sebastien Auger, man. The netminder made 30 saves and was named first start in this game. He did an unreal job and gave the Dogs a good chance to win. Auger has made 30 or more saves in 11 of his 13 starts this season.
• It was 'Pink in the Rink' night in Baie-Comeau so the Drakkar wore pink jerseys.
• Sea Dogs scratches were forwards Connor Donaghey (healthy) and Marcus Cuomo (hand) along with defensemen Thomas Chabot (healthy) and Will Thompson (upper body).
• Goaltender Maxime Michaud, who the Sea Dogs recalled earlier this week, was also scratched. Backup Antoine Landry returned to the team after missing Wednesday’s match due to a death in his family.

RECAP: So Yeah. Dogs Lose 2-1.

FINAL: Saint John 1, Baie-Comeau 2

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. – This losing streak is going to end at some point.

The Saint John Sea Dogs produced yet another solid road performance but came away with nothing to show for it. The Sea Dogs lost their seventh straight Quebec Major Junior Hockey League contest on Friday night in Baie-Comeau, losing 2-1 to the Drakkar.

Rookie Joey Richard had Saint John’s only goal. Goaltender Sebastien Auger was Sebastien Auger, giving the Sea Dogs a good chance to win this game thanks to a 30 save, first star performance.

But much like on Wednesday in Drummondville - and despite being outshot - the Sea Dogs played a solid road game against a good team. The effort is there – unfortunately the wins just aren't coming right now.

The Drakkar had goals from Alec Jon Banville and Gabryel Boudreau. Philippe Cadorette made 22 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs and Drakkar are heading in opposite directions at the moment. While Saint John dropped their seventh straight, Baie-Comeau picked up their sixth consecutive victory.

Saint John, now 5-10-0-1 on the year, continues their three-game Quebec road trip tomorrow in Chicoutimi.

Friday Night Stuff

Harbour Station is looking a little different these days.

Few other things of note:

• With Skate Canada International taking over the Station, Sea Dogs Styles will be closed tomorrow.
• Select members of the Sea Dogs will be signing autographs on Tuesday, October 29^th from 5-6:30pm at the McAllister Drive McDonald’s.
• Really good on article on former Sea Dog Rory Craddock and his comeback from a fairly severe concussion.
• Note the start times of this weekend’s Sea Dogs road games. They play at 8:30pm tonight and 5pm tomorrow.
• The Drakkar are wearing pink jerseys tonight as are the Sagueneens tomorrow.
• What we’ve learned this week: a lot more members of the figure skating media know how to spell Saint John correctly compared to the hockey media.

GAMEDAY 16 - at Baie-Comeau

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Baie-Comeau Drakkar

Tonight at 8:30pm

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

Henry Leonard Centre – Baie-Comeau, Que.

PREVIEW

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. – Two teams heading in opposite directions meet tonight.

The Saint John Sea Dogs continue their Quebec road trip this evening in Baie-Comeau with an 8:30pm date with the Drakkar. The Sea Dogs have lost six straight while the Drakkar have won their last five.

The Sea Dogs enter play this evening with a 5-9-0-1 record which is good for sixth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 16^th overall. Saint John is coming off a hard fought 4-3 loss in Drummondville on Wednesday which kicked off a three-in-four road swing.

Despite being outshot by a fairly large margin on Wednesday, the Sea Dogs did manage to score three goals. Goals have been hard to come by for Saint John of late so that was good to see.

Michael Abbott leads Saint John in scoring with five goals and seven assists for 12 points. Rookie Nathan Noel, who had a goal and an assist on Wednesday, leads the team in goals with six.

Meanwhile, the Drakkar enter the play tonight with a 10-4-0-2 record. They sit first in the Telus East Division, second overall in the league, and are ranked ninth in the latest BMO CHL MasterCard Top 10 Rankings.

Unlike Saint John, Baie-Comeau hasn’t had many problems scoring goals this year and have scored a league high 72. The Drakkar, who lost to the Halifax Mooseheads in the 2013 President Cup final, have plenty of veterans in their lineup and they are expected to be one of the league’s top teams again this year.

Jeremy Gregoire leads the Drakkar in scoring with 12 goals and 10 assists in 13 games for 22 points.

Eric Gelinas Scores First NHL Goal

Former Saint John Sea Dogs defenseman Eric Gelinas scored his first National Hockey League goal on Thursday night.

Gelinas scored on the power play at 9:41 of the first period of Thursday’s contest between the New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks. The Devils lost 3-2 in a shootout.

Congrats to Gelinas who, along with being named third star in this game, currently has more goals this season than Claude Giroux.

Gelinas was recalled from the American Hockey League’s Albany Devils yesterday and was making his season debut. He played in one NHL game last season.

News & Notes From Wednesday's Game

Some stuff from last night’s game…

• So Saint John has now lost six straight games. They still have two more games in Quebec before returning home. The longest losing streak in the league this season is 11 by the Shawinigan Cataractes.
• Nathan Noel opened the scoring with his sixth of the season. It was his first goal since October 6^th which is also the last time Saint John won a game. Noel had a solid match and was named second star.
• Noel and Oliver Cooper each had a goal and an assist.
• Cooper, who has 11 points this season, scored his first goal since September 15^th.
• Spencer Smallman picked up an assist on Noel’s goal, giving him points in three straight games. Smallman has seven points in 15 games this year. He had six in 42 games last season.
• Drummondville’s Jerome Verrier is having a pretty good year. He has 13 goals in 15 games which is second most in the QMJHL.
• The Volts entered the game with the league’s best power play and went 2-for-4 on the man advantage last night. They scored the game winning at 17:24 of the third period with Jurij Repe in the box.
• Olivier Caouette scored a shorthanded goal at 16:41 of the first. It was the second shorthanded goal the Sea Dogs have allowed this season.
• The Sea Dogs were outshot 42-23 but scored more than two goals in a game for the first time since October 6^th. Four of Saint John’s five wins have come when they have been outshot.
• Saint John is 2-4-0-1 when scoring first.
• The Sea Dogs are now 5-9-0-1 on the year and remain sixth in the Maritimes Division and 16^th overall. They are just one point ahead of the 17^th-place Sherbrooke Phoenix.
• Sea Dogs scratches were forwards Kelly Bent (healthy) and Marcus Cuomo (hand) along with defensemen Will Thompson (upper body) and Jeremy Doucet (healthy).
• If you didn’t hear, import forward Juraj Siska has returned home to Slovakia to continue his rehab.
• Goaltender Antoine Landry is not with the team right now due to a death in his family. The Sea Dogs recalled netminder Maxime Michaud to backup Sebastien Auger.

RECAP: Six Straight. Dogs Lose 4-3.

FINAL: Saint John 3, Drummondville 4

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. – A late power play goal by Christophe Lalancette gave the Drummondville Voltigeurs a 4-3 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night at the Marcel Dionne Centre.

With Jurij Repe serving a high sticking penalty, the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s best power play unit went to work in a 3-3 game late in the third. At 17:24, Lalancette connected to give Drummondville a 4-3 lead. They would hang on for the win.

Lalancette, Mitch Graham, Jerome Verrier, and Olivier Caouette had goals for Drummondville. Louis-Philip Guindon made 19 saves for the victory in net.

Despite being outshot by a significant margin, the Sea Dogs put in a pretty solid effort in this game. They managed to get their offense going a bit more, scoring more than two goals in a game for the first time since early October. This was certainly a respectable road performance.

Nathan Noel, Michael Abbott, and Oliver Cooper scored for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 37 saves in the loss.

The loss drops Saint John to 5-9-0-1 on the year and increases their losing streak to six games. They still have two games remaining on this Quebec road trip. Fun times.

Siska Heads Home

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - Well, this isn’t great news.

The Sea Dogs have announced that 17-year old Slovakian forward Juraj Siska, the 9^th overall pick in this past summer’s CHL Import Draft, has returned home to continue rehabbing his neck and back.

From the Sea Dogs press release:

"Juraj spent the last three weeks practicing and training with the team," said Sea Dogs' Head Coach and General Manager Mike Kelly. "While he has worked very hard over that period, he is still a long way from being fit enough to play at this level.  He has enjoyed his time here but he needs to go back home and follow up on some procedures that he hopes will speed up his recovery so that he can be ready to play at a high level."

"He will return to Nitra, Slovakia, where he will continue to receive treatment and we will be in close contact with him and his agent so that we can monitor his progress.  We are obviously disappointed that Juraj cannot join us at this point, but we will not put a player into the lineup if we believe he runs the risk of further injury."

So there’s that.

Siska played last season with HC Nitra in Slovakia’s Under-20 league. He registered a point-per-game in 27 contests, scoring 12 goals and adding 15 assists. He has received mixed reviews from scouts but was listed as a “C skater” by Central Scouting for the 2014 NHL Draft.

GAMEDAY 15 - at Drummondville

GAMEDAY

Saint John Sea Dogs vs Drummondville Voltigeurs

Tonight at 8pm

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

Marcel Dionne Centre – Drummondville, Que.

PREVIEW

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. – The Saint John Sea Dogs take their five-game losing streak into unfamiliar territory tonight.

The Sea Dogs are in Drummondville to take on the Voltigeurs at 8pm this evening. Saint John has not played at the Marcel Dionne Centre in almost a year.

By now you probably know of Saint John’s recent woes. They have lost five straight and, despite playing some okay games, have scored just five goals during that span. The Dogs have the second worst offense in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Saint John enters action tonight with a 5-8-0-1 record and sit last in the Telus Maritimes Division and 16^th overall. Michael Abbott leads Saint John in scoring with four goals and seven assists for 11 points. Olivier LeBlanc and Oliver Cooper each have nine points.

The Volts head into tonight’s contest with a 7-6-0-1 record and sit fifth in the Telus West Division and 12^th overall. They have lost two straight games and are 4-5-0-1 in their last 10.

Former Acadie-Bathurst Titan forward Christophe Lalancette leads Drummondville in scoring with three goals and 13 assists for 16 points. Drummondville also features the likes of Nikolas Brouillard, Guillaume Gauthier, and Jerome Verrier.

The Volts also have American rookie Cam Askew who was a first-round pick in June’s draft. He has two goals and three assists in 13 games this season.

This game kicks off a three games in four days road trip for the Dogs. They are also in Baie-Comeau on Friday and Chicoutimi on Saturday.

Sea Dogs Bring Up Michaud

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. – The Sea Dogs announced this morning that they have called up goaltender Maxime Michaud for the team’s Quebec road trip.

According to a Sea Dogs press release, Michaud will replace Antoine Landry who is away from the team for personal reasons.

Michaud played 30 minutes for the Sea Dogs in a pre-season game, allowing four goals on 29 shots. He was also Saint John’s backup in their second game of the season when Sebastien Auger was hurt.

In 14 games with the Louis J. Robichaud Patriotes high school hockey team last season, Michaud had a record of 11-2, with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .883 save percentage.

The Sea Dogs begin a three-in-four road trip this evening in Drummondville against the Voltigeurs. Auger has started the past five games and Landry would have presumably gotten one start on this road trip. What happens now? Well we’re going to find out over the next few days.

Saint John also plays in Baie-Comeau on Friday and in Chicoutimi on Saturday.

Sea Dogs Are Getting Chances

The Saint John Sea Dogs have lost five straight and have scored just five goals over that span.

But the good news is that Saint John hasn’t played as poorly as a quick look at the scoreboard may tell you. With the exception of the game in Halifax where Saint John looked flat, the Sea Dogs have played some decent hockey during their losing skid.

As the table below shows, they are getting shots and some quality scoring chances (DS = dangerous shots). They just aren’t going in right now.

Opponent	GF	Shots	DS	PP
Oct. 12 at Halifax	0	21	8	0/6
Oct. 13 vs Charlottetown	1	39	17	1/6
Oct. 16 vs Moncton	1	39	24	0/3
Oct. 19 vs Quebec	2	38	14	1/7
Oct. 20 vs Chicoutimi	1	34	17	1/7
Total	5	171	80	3/29

The Sea Dogs currently have the second worst goals per game average in the league (2.33) but are eighth in shots per game average (31.55). Matthew Highmore sits fourth in the league in total shots (66) and sixth in dangerous shots (37) while Stephen Anderson sits sixth (63) and second (45).

This young Saint John team was expected to have their ups and downs offensively this season. But things aren’t looking completely down right now and hopefully the Sea Dogs will start being rewarded for some of their efforts like they were earlier in the season.

Some other stuff:

• The Sea Dogs take their losing streak into Quebec for a three-in-four road trip this week. They are in Drummondville on Wednesday, Baie-Comeau on Friday, and Chicoutimi on Saturday.
• Saint John is the QMJHL’s coldest team right now, according to Buzzing The Net.
• The only team that’s been worse at scoring goals than Saint John this year? The 1-10-2-0 Shawinigan Cataractes. They’re off to a pretty bad start.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

The Maritimes Division Is Doing Really Well

What a division. Seriously though, this could be a real fun season with some close and entertaining games.

News & Notes From Sunday's Game

Some news and notes from yesterday’s game…

• Plenty of penalties in the first period as each team took five infractions. At the end of the game, Saint John would go 1-for-7 on the power play and Chicoutimi 1-for-5.
• If you haven’t seen Nathan Noel fighting Nicolas Roy.
• Speaking of Noel, his assist on Spencer Smallman’s first period goal was his first point since October 6^th – which also happens to be the last time Saint John won a game.
• Smallman’s goal gave him goals in back-to-back games after also scoring in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Quebec Remparts. He now has four goals and two assists for six points on the year, matching his point total from last year.
• Matthew Highmore had eight shots in this game. He sits fourth in the league in shots with 66.
• The Sea Dogs have now lost five straight and are 3-7 in their last 10. They have fallen to 5-8-0-1 on the year and sit last in the Maritimes Division and 16^th overall. They are only one point ahead of the 17^th place Sherbrooke Phoenix who have played one more game than Saint John.
• The Sea Dogs have scored a total of five goals during their losing streak. Sherbrooke, of all teams, had five in a period yesterday. True story.
• Defenseman Jurij Repe made his season debut after missing all of training camp and the start of the regular season with a hand injury. He was a -1 with one hit.
• How about Chicoutimi’s schedule? This was their third game in three nights in fourth in five. They played in Rimouski on Wednesday, Bathurst Friday, Charlottetown Saturday, and Saint John Sunday.
• Sea Dogs scratches were forwards Marcus Cuomo (hand), Juraj Siska (back), and Mackenzie Brown (healthy) along with defensemen Will Thompson (upper body) and Alexander McQuaid (healthy).

VIDEO: Sunday's Surprise Fight

SAINT JOHN – It’s not too often you see two of the top 16-year old rookies in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League dropping the gloves for a fight against each other. But that is what happened on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station.

Nicolas Roy, the first overall pick in the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft, and Nathan Noel, the third overall choice, squared off for a fight in the second period of the Chicoutimi Sagueneens’ 2-1 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs.

Video via HockeyFights.com:

Not a bad little tilt. It was the first Q fight for both players.

Noel had an assist in the game while Roy was held pointless. 

According to HockeyFights.com, the Sea Dogs have 13 fights this season which is 10^th most in the league. The Sherbrooke Phoenix lead the league with 23.

RECAP: Where Them Goals At. Dogs Lose 2-1

FINAL: Chicoutimi 2, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN – The goals just aren’t coming for the Saint John Sea Dogs right now.

Despite getting 34 shots on net, outshooting the Chicoutimi Sagueneens, and being awarded seven power play opportunities, the Sea Dogs could score just once in a 2-1 loss to the Sags in front of a small Sunday afternoon crowd at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs have now lost five straight games heading into this week’s Quebec road trip. Over those five games Saint John has scored just five goals.

The Dogs fell to 5-8-0-1 with the loss and remain in the Maritimes Division basement and 16^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

Spencer Smallman, who also scored in Saturday’s 5-2 loss to the Quebec Remparts, had Saint John’s only goal. Sebastien Auger made 31 saves in the loss.

Chicoutimi had goals from Laurent Dauphin and Jeremy Bouchard. Julio Billia made 33 saves in the win.

The Sagueneens improved to 8-8-0-0 on the year.

GAMEDAY 14 - vs Sagueneens

GAMEDAY

Chicoutimi Sagueneens vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Today at 3pm

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

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – Two of the top picks in the 2013 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League Entry Draft battle this afternoon at Harbour Station.

For the first time this year, Nathan Noel and the Saint John Sea Dogs host Nicholas Roy and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Noel was selected third overall by Saint John while Roy was picked first overall by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and later traded to Chicoutimi.

Both rookie forwards are off to respectable starts. Noel has five goals and two assists in 13 games while Roy has two goals and five assists in 15 matches.

Noel, like most Sea Dogs players, has struggled to put up points during Saint John’s current four-game losing skid. The streak has dropped Saint John to 5-7-0-1 on the season and into the basement of the Telus Maritimes Division and 16^th overall.

The Sags enter play today with a 7-8-0-0 record and sit fifth in the tough Telus East Division and 12^th overall. This will be Chicoutimi’s third game in as many days after playing in Bathurst on Friday and in Charlottetown last night.

RECAP: The Streak Continues. Dogs Lose 5-2.

FINAL: Quebec 5, Saint John 2

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs’ losing streak has hit four games.

The Sea Dogs dropped their fourth consecutive Quebec Major Junior Hockey League game on Saturday night at Harbour Station, falling 5-2 to the Quebec Remparts.

It was more of the same issues for the Sea Dogs – they got plenty of shots, some quality scoring chances, but just could not capitalize enough. During this losing skid the Sea Dogs have scored just four goals. This game was the first time Saint John has scored more than one goal in a game since October 6^th.

Spencer Smallman and Jason Cameron scored for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 23 saves in the loss.

The loss dropped the Sea Dogs to 5-7-0-1 on the season.

Quebec meanwhile is moving in the opposite direction. They have picked up points in each of their past six games and are now 6-5-3-0 after an awful start to the year.

The Remparts had goals in this game from Fabrice Herzog, Jason Houde, Adam Erne, Kurt Etchegary, and Anthony Duclair. Callum Booth made 35 saves for his first career QMJHL win.

GAMEDAY 13 - vs Remparts

GAMEDAY

Quebec Remparts vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7pm

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

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – Things were going pretty well for the Saint John Sea Dogs just a couple weeks ago.

But a three-game losing streak and a struggling offense has since dropped the Sea Dogs below the .500 mark with a 5-6-0-1 record. They currently sit last in the Telus Maritimes Division and 16^th overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

The Sea Dogs will look to get back in the win column – and the .500 mark – tonight at Harbour Station against the Quebec Remparts. Game time for Saint John’s annual ‘Pink in the Rink’ in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation is 7pm.

Saint John’s struggling offense has been the big story in Sea Dogs land over the past week. In their last three games they have scored a total of just two goals. That’s just not going to get it done in this league. The last time they scored more than one goal in a game was back on October 6^th in a 5-4 shootout win in Bathurst.

The Sea Dogs have scored 30 goals this season, the second lowest total in the league. Their average of 2.47 goals per game is also the second lowest in the Q.

The good news though is that Saint John is still generating some quality scoring chances – they just haven’t been able to capitalize on them in the past couple games. Hopefully the goals start coming soon.

The Patrick Roy-less Quebec Remparts got off to a rough start this season but are beginning to climb back in the standings. Following a 3-0 win in Moncton last night, the Remparts sit 13^th overall with a 5-5-3-0 record. They are also 3-3-2-0 on the road.

Anthony Duclair, Fabrice Herzog, and Adam Erne each have 12 points to lead the team. Duclair and Herzog each have a team high eight goals.

According to TVA Sports, highly touted rookie goaltender Callum Booth is expected to start for the Remparts today. He is 0-3 with a 3.43 GAA and 0.894 SV% but has not appeared in a game since September 28^th. He was a third-round pick of the Remparts in June’s draft.

Here Are Saint John's Pink Jerseys

SAINT JOHN – Via the official Twitter of official Sea Dogs equipment manager David Kelly, here are Saint John’s official jerseys for today’s ‘Pink in the Rink’ game at the official Harbour Station.

Very nice as always.

Every Sea Dogs player will be wearing a pink jersey today. They will be raffled off during the game and can be picked up at ice level following the match. Full details are available on the Sea Dogs website.

Plenty of tickets are still available for today's game against the Quebec Remparts. Please come so we can stop whining about the attendance. 

'Pink in the Rink' Tomorrow Night

Some guys have a little extra motivation for tomorrow night! #Family pic.twitter.com/ZjMtrOe9wK
— DK (@SeaDogsDK) October 18, 2013

FREDERICTON – A reminder that tomorrow night’s Saint John Sea Dogs game against the Quebec Remparts is the annual ‘Pink in the Rink’ Night in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Sea Dogs will be wearing pink jerseys as usual and they will be raffled off. From the team release:

All Sea Dogs' players will be wearing special, limited edition pink jerseys during the game. Volunteers will sell raffle tickets throughout Harbour Station until the end of the second period.

Tickets prices are:

$5 = 1 ticket
$10 = 3 tickets
$20 = 10 tickets

One ticket will be drawn for each pink jersey. Winning raffle tickets will be announced during the third period. Fans with winning tickets can claim their jerseys at ice level, directly from the player, immediately following the game. Fans who win and do not claim their jerseys following the game will have until November 1 to do so at the Sea Dogs' office on the second floor of Harbour Station.

A jersey for Saint John Sea Dogs' mascot, Fleaburn, and a #13 jersey autographed by all Sea Dogs' players, will be auctioned off to the highest bidders following the game at a live auction near Section S on the main concourse level.

All proceeds will be donated by the Sea Dogs Foundation to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

The Sea Dogs, 5-6-0-1, will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak against the Patrick Roy-less Remparts, 4-5-3-0, at 7pm at Harbour Station. Quebec takes on the Wildcats in Moncton tonight.

On Sunday, it’s Mascot Day at Harbour Station as the Sea Dogs host Nicholas Roy and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens. Game time for that one is 3pm.

AUS Hockey Season Begins Tonight

FREDERICTON – The 2013-14 Atlantic University Sport hockey season begins tonight.

There are four games on tonight’s schedule and is highlighted by the University of New Brunswick Varsity Reds hosting the St. Francis Xavier X-Men tonight at 7pm at the Aitken Centre. UNB, who won both the 2013 AUS title and CIS national championship, will have a banner raising ceremony before the game.

The StFX-UNB game can be seen on Rogers TV (channel 10) in New Brunswick.

There are two former Sea Dogs on the V-Reds this season: Mike Thomas who had to “red-shirt” last season because of playing pro the year before and Shea Kewin who transferred to UNB after playing four seasons at Dalhousie University.

Here are the other former Sea Dogs playing in the AUS ranks this season (according to rosters on team websites):

Acadia Axemen: None

Dalhousie Tigers: Francois Gauthier, Andrew Langan, and Pascal Amyot

UdeM Aigles Bleus: Pierre Durepos, Danny Chiasson, and Keven Charland

UNB Varsity Reds: Shea Kewin and Mike Thomas

UPEI Panthers: None

Saint Mary’s Huskies: None

StFX X-Men: Michael Kirkpatrick

St. Thomas Tommies: Spencer MacDonald, Jordan Moore, and Alexandre Leduc

Plenty of former Sea Dogs also playing in the OUA and Canada West conferences but we just ain’t got time to go through all those rosters.

This year’s University Cup will be held in Saskatoon again. It was just announced today that the 2015 and 2016 tournaments will be held at the Halifax Metro Centre.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

News & Notes From Wednesday's Game

Stuff from yesterday’s game…

• The Wildcats opened the scoring at 9:31 of the first period on a power play. Moncton improved to 5-0-0-0 when scoring first.
• Saint John’s scoring troubles continued despite getting close to 40 shots on goal (with many of them being quality chances). The Sea Dogs could only get one of their 39 shots past Alex Dubeau in the 3-1 loss. Saint John has scored two goals in their past three games combined.
• Rothesay native and former Saint John Vito Mark Simpson had a goal and an assist in this game. He was named first star.
• Penalties were certainly an issue for the Sea Dogs last night. They gave the Wildcats eight power play opportunities – including multiple five-on-three chances. That’s just not good. Stephen Anderson had six penalty minutes, Oliver Cooper four, and Jason Cameron four.
• Speaking of Anderson, his stat line is a bit weird from this game. Despite taking three minor penalties, he was a +1 and had seven shots. Anderson could have easily had a couple goals in this game if not for some good saves from Dubeau.
• Kyle Haas and Lukas Walter dropped the gloves just a couple minutes into the game. The two fought each other twice – or at least tried too – in the pre-season.
• The Sea Dogs are now below the .500 mark with a 5-6-0-1 record.
• Moncton forward Ivan Barbashev left the game in the first period and did not return. According to the Times & Transcript, the Russian forward “caught his skate in a rut in the ice” and it is “initially thought to be a minor injury.”
• Sea Dogs scratches were forwards Marcus Cuomo (hand), Kelly Bent (serving one-game suspension), and Juraj Siska (back) along with defensemen Will Thompson (upper body) and Jurij Repe (wrist).
• Another tiny crowd of 2,730 at this game. The Sea Dogs are now averaging 2,864 fans per game after six home games. Saturday’s game, which is ‘Pink in the Rink’ and features the Remparts, should tell us something about the state of the Sea Dogs attendance.
• The all-important Rivalry Cup is now tied 1-1.

RECAP: Ugh. Dogs Lose 3-1.

FINAL: Moncton 3, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN – The goal scoring woes continued for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night.

Despite firing 39 shots on net, the Sea Dogs could only beat Alex Dubeau once in a 3-1 loss to the Moncton Wildcats in front of yet another small crowd at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs have now lost three straight games and have scored a total of two goals. But, on the bright side, it’s not like they are not getting chances. Tonight’s game is a good example. Saint John had 39 shots with 24 of those being listed as “dangerous shots” by the league. But the Dogs are just a little bit off on offense right now – and have also run unto some solid goaltending the past two games.

Penalties were a big problem in this one as they gave Moncton eight power play opportunities. The Wildcats only scored once on the power play but, y’know, being shorthanded so much ain’t going to help that struggling offense.

Matthew Highmore scored Saint John’s only goal. The goal came in an 18 shot third period that Saint John entered down 3-0. Sebastien Auger made 21 saves in the loss.

Moncton goals came from JC Campagna, Mark Simpson, and Stephen Johnson. Dubeau made 38 saves in the win.

The loss dropped Saint John to 5-6-0-1 while Moncton improved to 6-8-0-0.

GAMEDAY 12 - vs Wildcats

GAMEDAY

Moncton Wildcats vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Tonight at 7pm

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

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – Scoring goals was a problem for the Saint John Sea Dogs this past weekend.

The Sea Dogs were shutout on Saturday night in Halifax and then on Sunday afternoon were able to score just once despite registering 39 shots on Charlottetown Islanders goaltender Eric Brassard. Saint John’s goals per game average fell to 2.60, the third lowest total in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.

But this past weekend is the past. The Sea Dogs will look to get their offense back on track this evening at 7pm at Harbour Station when they host the Moncton Wildcats in the second game of the 2013-14 Brunswick News Rivalry Cup.

The two provincial rivals have met just once so far this season and that was way back on opening night in Moncton (September 13^th). The Sea Dogs won that game 5-3 thanks to a solid showing from rookie Antoine Landry in net and goals from Noah Zilbert, Michael Abbott, Nathan Noel, Kelly Bent, and Stephen Anderson.

Saint John is now 5-5-0-1 and sit fourth in the Maritimes Division and 13^th overall in the league. Despite not scoring a ton of goals so far this year, the Sea Dogs have a goal differential of just -4. The Dogs have also been pretty good on home ice and have a record of 3-1-0-1 at the Station. They play at home tonight, Saturday, and Sunday.

The Wildcats meanwhile enter action tonight with a 5-8-0-0 record and sit fifth in the Maritimes Division and 15^th overall. Moncton’s schedule is a bit bizarre as they are in Saint John tonight after playing two games in Quebec this past weekend – a 5-4 shootout win in Rimouski on Saturday and a 4-2 loss in Quebec City on Sunday.

Moncton is led by NHL draft eligible Russian forward Ivan Barbashev who has seven goals and 11 assists for 18 points in 13 games. Christopher Caissy, playing in his first full QMJHL season, is second on the team in points with 16.

The Wildcats goaltending has been pretty much what was expected. Alex Dubeau is 5-7-0-0 with a 3.17 goals against average and a 0.887 save percentage.

There Is A Game Tomorrow

The Rivalry Cup resumes tomorrow night at Harbour Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs (5-5-0-1) host the Moncton Wildcats (5-8-0-0) on Wednesday at 7pm at Harbour Station. It is the first meeting between the two since the season opener way back on September 13^th when the Dogs edged the ‘Cats, 5-3, at the Moncton Coliseum.

Saint John is coming off back-to-back loses this past weekend where they scored just one goal. So hopefully the Sea Dogs offense can get something going tomorrow.

The Sea Dogs play three home games this week. They also host the Quebec Remparts on Saturday night and the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday afternoon.

Some other stuff:

• Saturday’s game against Quebec is ‘Pink in the Rink Night’ and Sunday’s game against Chicoutimi is ‘Mascot Night.’
• Former Sea Dogs defenseman Steven Duda scored his first OHL goal on Monday in North Bay’s 5-4 shootout win over Niagara. Duda has a goal and three assists in 12 games with the Battalion.
• Alex Grant currently leads the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals is scoring with three goals and an assist for four points in four games. Meanwhile, Kevin Gagne has three assists in four games with the Ads.

News & Notes From Sunday's Game

Some news and notes from yesterday’s game…

• It looked like Saint John’s offensive woes from Saturday’s game had carried over into Sunday’s game when the Sea Dogs were on a four minute power play in the first. They had nothing going on until Olivier LeBlanc fired a point shot on net that went past Eric Brassard to make it 1-0.
• The Sea Dogs would only score one goal in this game but had 39 shots on goal with plenty of quality chances. So that's good.
• It was a good thing LeBlanc played in this game because he was probably Saint John’s best player. He scored his third goal of the season in the first period and had a team high eight shots.
• Daniel Sprong is having a decent rookie season for the Islanders. He scored his sixth goal of the year in just his 11^th game on Sunday. He now has 12 points in 11 games.
• Islanders captain Jack Nevins continues to lead the team in scoring with four goals and 10 assists for 14 points in 11 games. He had 15 points in 51 games with the PEI Rocket last season.
• Charlottetown entered the game with the best power play in the QMJHL but it certainly didn’t look like it. The Islanders went 0-for-5 on the man advantage and really couldn’t get much of anything going.
• Olivier LeBlanc, Michael Abbott, and Stephen Anderson all had an ‘A’ on their jerseys. The Sea Dogs announced after the game that the trio will wear the letters for the next month as part of the team’s rotation.
• Matthew Bursey Nation was out in full force. They dominated section four.
• Two fights in this one. Kelly Bent had an unreal fight against Zach Beaton while Bursey dropped the gloves with Samuel Dove-McFalls. For Dove-McFalls, it was his first career QMJHL fight.
• This was Saint John’s first regulation home loss of the season. They are now 3-1-0-1 at Harbour Station. The Sea Dogs play their next three games at home.
• Saint John fell to 0-2-0-1 against Charlottetown this season while the Islanders improved to 3-0-0-0 against Saint John.
• Another small crowd of 2,722 at this game. The Dogs are now averaging 2,891 fans per game in a building that seats nearly 6,300 people. After five home games last year the Sea Dogs averaged 3,900 fans per game.
• Before the game, goaltender Sebastien Auger was named the Irving Player of the Month and Oliver Cooper was named the Canadian Tire Student of the Month.
• Saint John scratches were forwards Marcus Cuomo (hand), Connor Donaghey (healthy), and Juraj Siska (back) along with defensemen Will Thompson (upper body) and Jurij Repe (wrist).

VIDEO: Bent vs Beaton

SAINT JOHN – Kelly Bent’s second fight as a Saint John Sea Dog was an impressive one.

Bent and Charlottetown Islanders forward Zach Beaton dropped the gloves at 11:52 of the first period and, man oh man, did they ever throw ‘em.

Here’s the fight, via HockeyFights.com.

Bent has a goal and 20 penalty minutes in seven games with the Sea Dogs this season.

RECAP: Back To .500. Dogs Lose 4-1.

FINAL: Charlottetown 4, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - Goals didn’t come easy for the Saint John Sea Dogs this weekend.

After being shutout by the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night, the Sea Dogs were able to score just once in a 4-1 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station.

Olivier LeBlanc was the only Sea Dog to score. It wasn’t like the Sea Dogs didn’t have plenty of chances, though. They fired 39 shots on net and had plenty of quality scoring opportunities but Islanders goaltender Eric Brassard posted a solid performance to backstop the Isles to a win.

Daniel Sprong, Jack Nevins, Alexandre Goulet, and Yan Pavel Laplante all scored for Charlottetown. Brassard made 38 saves in the win.

Sebastien Auger made 35 saves in the loss for Saint John.

The loss dropped the Sea Dogs back to the .500 mark with a 5-5-0-1 record. Charlottetown improved to a Maritimes Division best 8-2-0-1.

The Islanders are now 3-0-0-0 against the Sea Dogs this season.

GAMEDAY 11 - vs Islanders

GAMEDAY

Charlottetown Islanders vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Today at 3pm

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

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs don’t have much time to think about last night’s 3-0 loss in Halifax.

Less than 24 hours after being shutout at the Metro Centre by the Halifax Mooseheads, the Sea Dogs are right back at it this afternoon at Harbour Station against the Charlottetown Islanders. Game time is 3pm.

The Sea Dogs struggled to get anything going offensively in last night’s loss. They fired juts 21 shots on Mooseheads backup goaltender Kevin Darveau with only eight of them being considered “dangerous shots” by the league. That’s just not going to get it done.

The loss dropped Saint John to 5-4-0-1 on the season. They sit fourth overall in the Telus Maritimes Division with 10 points but are just four points back of the division leading Islanders and one point ahead of the basement dwelling Titan. This is quite the division this season.

The Sea Dogs have had a good time on home ice so far this year. They are 3-0-0-1 at Harbour Station and have outscored opponents 12-7. Today’s game kicks of a four game homestand for the Dogs.

Michael Abbott, who missed last night’s game with the flu, leads the Sea Dogs in scoring with four goals and six assists for 10 points. Rookie Nathan Noel leads the squad in goals with five.

Meanwhile, the Islanders enter action today with a 7-2-0-1 record, good for first in the Maritimes and third overall in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Despite the solid record, the Isles have just a +3 goal differential having outscored opponents 39-36.

Jack Nevins leads Charlottetown in scoring with three goals and 10 assists for 13 points. Rookie Daniel Sprong is second on the team in scoring with 11 points.

This is the third meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Islanders. Charlottetown has won both of those games but each were one goal wins.

RECAP: Power Outage. Dogs Lose 3-0.

FINAL: Saint John 0, Halifax 3

HALIFAX – Kevin Darveau made 21 saves for his first career Quebec Major Junior Hockey League victory on Saturday night at the Metro Centre.

The 18-year old stopped every Saint John Sea Dogs shot he faced, helping the Halifax Mooseheads post a 3-0 win.

Halifax, who registered 36 shots on net, had goals courtesy of Darcy Ashley, Timo Meier, and Andrew Ryan.

Lukas Walter picked up an instigator infraction and misconduct and all that good stuff to send the Moose to a power play at 3:54 of the first. Ashley opened the scoring at 7:44 with his first of the season.

Halifax doubled their lead at 13:51 thanks to a Meier goal. The Moose outshot the Sea Dogs 12-7 in the first.

After a scoreless second, Ryan scored at 8:34 of the third to make it 3-0 Halifax. Shots in the third were 11-7 Moose. Saint John’s offense was a no show in this one.

Sebastien Auger made 33 saves in the loss.