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.

FIRST PERIOD

Nathan Noel gave Saint John a 1-0 lead at 4:27 as he beat Voltigeurs goaltender Louis-Philip Guindon five-hole.

Drummondville would quickly tie things up though. After Sebastien Auger made a few good saves, a point shot was stopped by the Sea Dogs ‘tender but he could not stop Mitch Graham who potted the rebound and make it 1-1 at 6:13.

Alexander McQuaid took a roughing penalty at 7:52 followed by Oliver Cooper heading off at 8:47 for hooking. During the five-on-three, the best power play in the league looked like the best power play in the league. Jerome Verrier gave the Volts a 2-1 lead at 8:59 as he fired a shot from the slot past the blocker of Auger.

Saint John went to the man advantage at 13:14. Michael Abbott fired a bomb from the point that tied things up at 2-2 at 14:03.

Verrier headed off for elbowing at 15:10 but it would be Drummondville scoring. On a shorthanded two-on-one, Olivier Caouette beat Auger with a deke to give the Volts the lead back.

Back at even strength, Joey Ratelle had a great chance following a scramble in the Sea Dogs crease but he shot the puck over the net.

Shots in an eventful first period were 14-7 in favour of Drummondville.

SECOND PERIOD

It was all Drummondville early in the second as they had some good pressure on and were getting quite a few shots on net. Christophe Lalancette had a solid backhand scoring opportunity as he muscled his way through a Saint John defender but Auger made the stop.

Later on in the frame, Connor Donaghey had one of the few good scoring chances for the Dogs in the frame as he let a quick shot from the bottom of the faceoff circle go but was stopped.

The Sea Dogs tied things up at 14:13. Following a scrambly faceoff, Noel got the puck to Oliver Cooper who beat Guindon to make it a 3-3 game.

Shots were 17-6 in favour of Drummondville in the middle stanza.

THIRD PERIOD

The dangerous Drummondville power play went back to work at 2:22 as Jurij Repe was called for holding. But the Volts were not looking too electric and could not break the tie on this man advantage.

After Matthew Boudens put a big hit on McQuiad behind the net, Lukas Walter and Boudens dropped the gloves for a short fight at 8:38.

After the fight, the Sea Dogs got some good scoring chances. Stephen Anderson made a nice slap pass to an open Matthew Highmore but could not beat Guindon. Then Abbott and Oliver LeBlanc both fired long shots that were stopped.

Repe went back to the box at 16:04, this time for high sticking. The Drummondville power play was clicking this time and finally, at 17:24, Christophe Lalancette scored to put the Volts in front, 4-3.

The Sea Dogs pulled Auger in the final minute. Despite some decent pressure and a solid chance for Smallman in the final second, Saint John could not tie things up and dropped their sixth straight.

Shots in the third were 10-9 in favour of Drummondville and 41-22 overall.

The Sea Dogs went 1-for-2 on the power play while the Voltigeurs went 2-for-4.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs travel to Baie-Comeau and take on the Drakkar on Friday night.