News & Notes From Friday's Game

The league’s top offense was no match for Sebastien Auger last night.

Auger posted his second shutout in less than a week with a stunning 2-0 road win over the Val-d’Or Foreurs. The Sea Dogs goaltender made 53 saves, including 24 in the third period. He was simply spectacular in this game.

Val-d’Or has scored the league’s most goals this season, has the league’s best power play, and features the league’s top scorer in Anthony Mantha. Despite all that, the Foreurs couldn’t score a goal on the Sea Dogs.

Along with picking up his second shutout of the year, Auger improved his already league best save percentage to .921. He also made some team history last night.

Sebastien Auger's win tonight is the 50th of his career, tying the @SeaDogsHockey record for career reg season wins by a goalie (Corbeil).
— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SeaDogsHockey) February 1, 2014

Last night’s game certainly gives you some hope if the Sea Dogs make the playoffs. I also think there will be some playoff teams this spring who will regret not swinging a deal to acquire Auger.

Some other stuff from the game…

• The Foreurs have scored a league high 222 goals this season. The Sea Dogs have scored 122 – 100 fewer than Val-d’Or – which is the second fewest in the league.
• Lost in the Auger stuff was rookie Mathieu Joseph finally scoring his first career QMJHL goal on a power play in the second period. Joseph has come really close to scoring over the past few games and everyone knew it would come eventually. Joseph now has a goal and six assist in 14 games with the Sea Dogs.
• Rookie defenseman Thomas Chabot got an assist in Joseph’s goal, giving him five assists in his past five games.
• The Sea Dogs had just one shot in the third period and it was Oliver Cooper’s empty net goal. Shots were 24-1 Val-d’Or.
• Foreurs goaltender Antoine Bibeau made some quality saves in this game as well. He made 19 stops in the loss, including a really nice stick stop in the second period after being caught in no man's land.
• Congrats to Sea Dogs equipment manager David Kelly who took part in his 600^th Sea Dogs game last night.
• The Sea Dogs were without forwards Stephen Anderson (upper body), Joey Richard (shoulder), and Lukas Walter (healthy) along with defensemen Michael Abbott (hand) and Will Thompson (healthy). Goaltender Antoine Landry also remains out with a lower body injury.
• With Sherbrooke picking up a point last night, Saint John is now one-point back of the Phoenix for the final playoff spot with a game in-hand. Intense times. If things keep going the way they are now, the Sea Dogs have a realistic chance of finishing as high as 14th.

NOTES: Mackenzie Brown had four shots… Jurij Repe had four hits… Guillaume Gelinas and Nicolas Aube-Kubel each had seven shots… only two Foreurs players did not record a shot… Gelinas had five hits… hits were 25-16 Val-d’Or… this was Val-d’Or's eighth home loss of the season... Auger was named the CHL’s first star last night by Buzzing the Net.

SN Three Stars

3. Tim Roszell’s call of the third period

2. Mathieu Joseph

1. Sebastien Auger

NEXT GAME: Saint John looks to make this a winning road trip tonight at 8:00 pm in Rouyn-Noranda.