RECAP: Dogs Win 1-0 (SO)

FINAL: Halifax 0, Saint John 1 (SO)

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

Sea Dogs recap  | QMJHL box score

SAINT JOHN, NB - In the third game of the 2014 exhibition season, the Saint John Sea Dogs beat the Halifax Mooseheads 1-0 in a shootout at Harbour Station.

Juraj Siska scored the only goal of the night in a shootout.

With each team dressing roughly six veterans each, the rookies and free agents were given a clear opportunity to prove to their coaches and managers that they are worthy of a roster spot to start the regular season.

The Sea Dogs controlled much of the play in the opening frame, out shooting the Moose 14-5. However, the teams went into the second period scoreless.

Early in the second period, a breakaway by Adam Marsh was stopped by Kevin Resop. Otherwise, the second was fairly even and relatively uneventful (besides several penalties) until a Moosehead shot in the final seconds rang off both posts behind Sebastien Auger but stayed out and the game remained scoreless. Shots were 12-5 for Halifax.

The third period was pretty much back and forth with many good scoring chances and several big body checks. Shots in the final frame were 13-7 Saint John.

The game then went directly to a shootout. Auger stopped all three shots he faced while Siska scored Saint John’s lone goal.

TURNING POINT/BIG MOMENT

During a power play with less than 30 seconds left in the 3rd, a goal by the Mooseheads was disallowed after a Halifax player knocked down the puck with a high stick.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Adam Marsh was one of the most noticeable Sea Dogs with a breakaway and several nice rushes on the wing with Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman.

Juraj Siska again showed he wants to play with the Sea Dogs and scored the lone goal for Saint John.

TWEET OF THE NIGHT

@JonnyHuby11 @iraca @station_nation great to see #11 back on our bench. .. even if he's in a suit pic.twitter.com/10fu6E6yR9
— Marla Deveau (@MarlaDeveau) August 22, 2014

STATS

NOTES

• Jonathan Huberdeau made a return to Harbour Station and served as an assistant coach. Other Memorial Cup champions in the house were; Zack Phillips, Kevin Gagne, Stephen MacAulay and Ryan Tesink.
• Kelly Bent was Kelly Bent in his return to Saint John in Mooseheads gear. He and Spencer Smallman were assessed unsportsmanlike penalties before the opening puck drop. He later tried to sucker Braydon Blight into a penalty but both were sent to the box for delay of game.
• Taylor Fielding had a solid first game in Sea Dogs blue. He had a couple of excellent scoring chances and played well on the PK.
• All three of Saint John’s overagers dressed: forwards Mark Tremaine and Taylor Fielding and goaltender Sebastien Auger.
• This was Auger’s first appearance of the pre-season and looked as though he was in mid-season form. The veteran netminder made 26 saves un regulation time and three more in the shootout. It looked like Blade Mann-Dixon was going to take over midway through the second but he would not.
• Matthew Highmore, Spencer Smallman, and Olivier LeBlanc each wore an ‘A’ on their sweater.
• Matt Green dressed for this game while Luke Green did not.
• Two more game host candidates tried out during the game.
• It was announced that Sea Dogs GM Darrell Young was celebrating a birthday.
• Pretty solid crowd at the game for an exhibition contest. 3,191 was the announced attendance.
• There was a radio broadcast tonight on NewSong FM 96.1 as Tim Roszell and the broadcast team worked out some kinks with the new station.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs are in Truro tomorrow night to take on the Mooseheads at 7:00 p.m.