RECAP: Dogs Lose 3-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Bathurst 3

BATHURST – Two third period goals led the Acadie-Bathurst Titan to a 3-1 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon.

Lucas Grundy scored what proved to be the game winner at 4:02 of the third in what was a fairly evenly played Quebec Major Junior Hockey League contest. Matthew Boudreau and Simon Fortier also scored for Bathurst while Jacob Brennan made 26 stops in the win.

Jason Cameron continued his solid play of late with another goal for Saint John. Antoine Landry made 27 saves in the loss.

The two teams are fighting for the league’s final few playoff spots and it showed. There were three fights, a number of big hits, and plenty of hate – especially in the penalty filled first period.

FIRST PERIOD

David Weckworth went off for slashing at 2:55. On the power play, Raphael Lafontaine was robbed by the pad of Landry.

Then the penalties started as the rough stuff picked up between Alexander McQuaid and Scott Oke. At 9:28, Kelly Bent and Nicolas Latulippe drop the gloves for a short tilt.

The penalties got started again at 10:24 with, not surprisingly, McQuiad and Lucas Grundy involved. When Jake Primeau got out of the penalty box he had a break but his shot missed the net.

Saint John had two abbreviated five-on-three power plays in the first but couldn’t create many quality chances on either.

At 18:31, Nicolas Dumulong put a big hit on Noah Zilbert. Oliver Cooper then fought Dumulong in what turned out to be a spirited tilt. Cooper picked up an instigator.

Shots in the penalty filled first were 11-6 Titan.

SECOND PERIOD

Spencer Smallman and Anthony Gingras had a fight at 1:46. Smallman had to go to the dressing after getting cut during the fight.

The Titan opened the scoring at 3:38. Matthew Boudreau was left alone in front and Alexandros Soumakis found him to make it 1-0.

Weckworth went to the box for cross checking at 4:34. The Titan had some good pressure on but could not score.

The Sea Dogs went to the power play at 8:33 after Lafontaine took down Samuel Dove-McFalls. On that man advantage, Jason Cameron put in a rebound to make it 1-1.

Gabriel Gosselin went off at 16:28 for roughing. Smallman had the best chance of the power play but was denied by Jacob Brennan. Gosselin had a break coming out of the box but was stopped by Landry.

Shots were 11-10 Saint John in the middle stanza.

THIRD PERIOD

Nothing happened in the first few minutes of the third period.

Bathurst took the lead at 4:02. A Mark Trickett shot was tipped under Landry by Lucas Grundy to make it a 2-1 Bathurst lead.

After a Saint John scoring chance, the Dogs headed to the power play at 6:39 but couldn’t get anything going.

The Titan made it 3-1 at 8:48. Nicholas Blanchard came out of the box and went around the net with the puck. He then sent it to Simon Fortier who scored to extend the Titan’s lead.

Saint John didn’t have much of a chance to get back in the game due to penalties. They were shorthanded at 14:25 due to a Highmore high stick and again at 16:44 due to a McQuaid roughing penalty.

Shots in the third were 10-9 Saint John.

The Sea Dogs went 1-for-7 on the power play while the Titan went 0-for-7.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday night at Harbour Station.