RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Bathurst 4, Saint John 3 (SO)

By: Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - After losing four consecutive games, the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (9-19-1-1) travelled to Harbour Station on Sunday to face the Saint John Sea Dogs (16-6-1-4). The hard working Titan, aided by eight power plays, were able to defeat the Sea Dogs 4-3 in a shootout to end their recent losing streak.

Egor Popov, Alexandre Gosselin and Andrew Ryan scored for Bathurst while Jakub Zboril and Spencer Smallman - with two goals - replied for Saint John. The extra time point allowed Saint John to continue their season long streak of earning at least one point in every game at Harbour Station as well as maintain a two-point lead over Moncton at the top of the Maritimes Division.

The referees dominated the first period by handing out a dozen penalties. At 6:31, Popov scooped up a turnover at the Titan blue line, broke away all alone and beat Sebastien Auger with a lovely deke to open the scoring. On a two-man advantage at 10:58, Gosselin ripped a wrist shot from the high slot over Auger's shoulder to extend the Titan's lead. Then, on a power play at 14:37, Zboril's laser beam found the top corner over Jacob Brennan's glove to close the gap to one. Bathurst led 7-6 on the shot clock and the period ended with the Titan up 2-1.

Just a minute into the second period, while skating 4-on-4, Smallman one-timed a cross ice feed from Luke Green to tie the game. After that, neither team allowed the other much room to roam. The period ended tied at 2-2 and the shots on goal were 10-8 for the Titan.

At 2:05 of the third, Smallman deflected a backdoor pass from Adam Marsh past Brennan to give the Sea Dogs their first lead of the night. However, just under two minutes later, Ryan corralled the rebound of a Mark Simpson slap shot and slide the puck behind a fallen Auger to tie the game at 3-3. Saint John killed off three straight penalties late in the third to lead to overtime. Shots favoured Bathurst 10-8 in the third and the Titan ended regulation outshooting the Sea Dogs 27-22.

Neither team was able to capitalize on their limited chances to score in the five-minute overtime period. In the fifth round of the shootout, Ryan rifled a wrist shot off the post and past Auger to record the only goal in extra time and lead the Titan to the victory.

GAME DAY 27: vs Titan

A preview of today’s game between the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Today at 3 p.m., Harbour Station

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs sit first in the Maritimes Division, second overall in the QMJHL and are ranked sixth in the CHL Top 10 with a record of 16-6-1-3 for 36 points. The Titan are sixth in the Maritimes and 18^th overall with an 8-19-1-1 record for 18 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 2-1 shootout win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday night at Harbour Station. Adam Marsh scored in regulation time while Matthew Highmore scored the lone shootout goal. Sebastien Auger made 23 saves in the win. The Titan are coming off a 5-0 home loss to the Sherbrooke Phoenix last night. Jacob Brennan and Alexandre Lagace combined to allow five goals on 32 shots.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 5 in Bathurst when the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 4-2. Daniel Del Paggio, Justice Dundas, Jakub Zboril and Samuel Dove-McFalls all scored for Saint John while Bathurst goals came from Aaron Kerr and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel. Sebastien Auger made 33 saves in the win while Jacob Brennan made 24 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: None

Random stat: The Titan are the only team in the league to have not scored a shorthanded goal this season.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 2-1 (SO)

FINAL: Blainville-Boisbriand 1, Saint John 2 (SO)

Lorne Webster | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - In something of a scheduling oddity, the Saint John Sea Dogs (16-6-1-3) faced a QMJHL West Division team for the first time this season (after 25 games) when the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (15-7-1-3) arrived at Harbour Station Friday evening. Following a pair of gut wrenching losses to the Charlottetown Islanders, the Sea Dogs battled back to earn a 2-1 victory in a shootout.

Adam Marsh and Matthew Highmore – who had the the only goal in extra time - scored for Saint John while Daniel Walcott replied for Blainville-Boisbriand. The win allowed the Sea Dogs to remain undefeated in regulation time at Harbour Station and maintain their lead atop the Maritimes Division.

The first period was tight checking with very few quality scoring chances. The period ended tied at 0-0 and the shots on goal were 6-3 for the Armada.

The second period was a continuation of the tight checking displayed in the first. Then, on a power play with less than two minutes remaining, Walcott's point shot found its way past a screened Sebastien Auger to open the scoring. All hell broke lose as the period ended when the Armada’s Nathan Halbert threw a big hit after the buzzer. Somehow, the penalties evened out after the mêlée. Blainville-Boisbriand led 12-7 on the shot clock and the period ended with the Armada up 1-0.

The Sea Dogs finally broke through on a power play at 16:46 of the 3rd. Marsh picked up the puck along the boards, faked a pass and then wired a shot on the short side past Sam Montembeault. Shots favoured Saint John 10-4 in the third but the Armada ended regulation outshooting the Sea Dogs 22-21.

The Sea Dogs were on the power play to end the overtime period but failed to capitalize. 

Both goalies stood tall in the shootout and each made clutch saves until Highmore fired a bullet over Montembeault's catching glove to break the deadlock in the sixth round.

GAME DAY 26: vs Armada

A preview of tonight’s game between the St. John’s Fog Devils Montreal Junior Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and the Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Tonight at Harbour Station, 7:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are first in the Maritimes Division, second overall in the QMJHL and ranked sixth in the CHL Top 10 with a record of 15-6-1-3 for 34 points. The Armada are 15-7-1-2 for 33 points and sit first in the West Division and third overall.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 loss in Charlottetown last night. Thomas Chabot, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Nathan Noel, Matthew Highmore and Mathieu Joseph scored while Sebastien Auger made 32 saves in the loss. The Armada are coming off a 4-1 win in Bathurst last night. Nikita Jevpalovs had a hat trick, Emil Aronsson netted a solo marker and Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 17 saves in the win.

2014-15 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two.

Last meeting: Feb. 9 at Harbour Station where the Armada defeated the Sea Dogs 5-2. Samuel Hodhod and Nikita Jevpalovs each scored twice while Nathanael Halbert added one. Thomas Chabot and Oliver Cooper scored for Saint John. Etienne Marcoux made 16 saves in the win while Sebastien Auger made 35 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Armada: None

Random stat: The Armada’s 79 goals scored this season is the third lowest total in the league.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 6-5

FINAL: Saint John 5, Charlottetown 6

CHARLOTTETOWN, PEI – The Charlottetown Islanders picked a good time to take their first lead of the game on Thursday.

With 2:09 left, some miscommunication by the Saint John Sea Dogs defense allowed Filip Chlapik to feed a wide-open Alex Goulet in front of the net. The Isles forward beat Sebastien Auger and gave Charlottetown a 6-5 lead, a lead they would hang on to and earn the come-from-behind victory.

Saint John led for most of the game, often by two goals. But a big third period by Charlottetown – they scored four goals on 13 shots – propelled the home side to victory.

Filip Chlapik and Alexandre Goulet led the way for Charlottetown with two goals each. Bradley Kennedy and Ross Johnston added singles. Goulet also had an impressive three assists while Mason McDonald made 31 saves in the win.

Thomas Chabot, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Nathan Noel, Matthew Highmore and Mathieu Joseph had goals for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 32 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs had a solid first period, grabbing a 2-0 lead and outshooting the Islanders 14-7. Chabot opened the scoring, putting in an Adam Marsh rebound at 9:35. Four minutes later, a wrist shot from Jack vanBoekel was stopped but Dove-McFalls collected the puck and put it past MacDonald.

Chlapik got the Islanders on the board at 9:55 of the second, putting in a loose puck off of a scramble to make it 2-1. But Noel quickly got Saint John’s two-goal lead back at 11:49 to make it a 3-1 contest.

Charlottetown got back within one at 13:41 on a power play as Chlapik fed Goulet in the slot. Saint John responded with a power play goal of their own at 16:48 as Highmore scored to give the Dogs a 4-2 lead after two.

The Islanders had some pressure on late in the second thanks to a lengthy two-man advantage. But, the Dogs were able to keep the Isles at bay. Shots were 18-15 in favour of Charlottetown in the middle stanza.

3:24 into the third, Kennedy made it a 4-3 game. Then, at 5:33, Johnston was at the side of the net and put in a loose puck to tie things at 4-4.

The Sea Dogs regained momentum and the lead at 11:18. vanBoekel fired a point shot that was stopped but Joseph was at the top of the crease and put the rebound past McDonald to give Saint John a 5-4 advantage.

The Islanders tied things up again at 12:40 when Chlapik jammed the puck in. Then with 2:09 left, Goulet scored what proved to be the game winner to give Charlottetown a 6-5 victory. Shots in the third were 13-7 in favour of the Isles in the third and 38-36 overall.

Zboril Invited To Czech WJC Camp

The Sea Dogs announced this afternoon that defenseman Jakub Zboril has been invited to the Czech Republic’s world junior training camp.

Zboril, 17 and in his first season with Saint John, has four goals and 14 points in 24 games so far this year.

The Czech Republic’s training camp begins Dec. 12. The Czechs are scheduled to play a couple of exhibition games for the tournament that begins on Boxing Day. They will play Finland in Napanee on Dec. 19 and Slovakia in Peterborough on Dec. 23.

The team will play in Group B at this year’s world juniors in Toronto/Montreal, joining Russia, Sweden, Denmark and Switzerland. Their first game is on Dec. 26 against Sweden.

Zboril, a top prospect for the 2015 NHL Draft, has played with the Czech Republic at a number of international events in the past. Most recently, the d-man posted four goals and two assists in five games at the Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

GAME DAY 25: at Charlottetown

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Charlottetown Islanders…

When and where: Tonight at 7 p.m., Eastlink Centre

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are first in the Maritimes Division, second overall in the QMJHL and are ranked sixth in the CHL Top 10 with a 15-5-1-3 record for 38 points. The Islanders are third in the Maritimes Division and 12^th overall with a 13-12-1-1 record for 28 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss to the Islanders on Saturday at Harbour Station. Thomas Chabot and Matthew Highmore scored for the Dogs while Sebastien Auger made 24 saves in the loss. Charlottetown is coming off an 8-2 home loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Sunday. Daniel Sprong had both Charlottetown goals while Mason McDonald and Daryl MacCallum allowed eight goals on 28 shots.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-1-1 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 2-1-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Saturday at Harbour Station where the Islanders edged the Sea Dogs 3-2 in overtime. Thomas Chabot and Matthew Highmore had Saint John goals while Charlottetown markers came from Luc Deschenes, Oliver Cooper and Spenser Cobbold. Mason McDonald made 31 stops in the win. Sebastien Auger made 24 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Islanders: Oliver Cooper and Will Thompson

Random stat: Saint John is 21-12-1-3 against Charlottetown over the last five years.

Sea Dogs Sign OJHL Goaltender

The Hamilton Red Wings of the Ontario Junior A Hockey League have confirmed that goaltender Alex Bishop has signed with the Saint John Sea Dogs.

"It's been decided for about a week and a bit," Bishop said about his decision to sign with Saint John in an article on the team’s website. "The offer's been on the table for about a month, and I've been weighing my options and seeing which is going to be best for me long term."

Bishop, a 17-year-old from Richmond Hill, Ont., has a 4-8 record to go along with a 4.23 goals against average and .890 save percentage in 14 games with the Red Wings this season.

The 6’4”, 203 lbs netminder said the Sea Dogs showed interest in him at the Governor’s Showcase.

“After a while of talking, they put the offer on the table and said they'd like to take me this year,” said Bishop. “I talked to my parents, and we had a couple long discussions and weighed the pros and cons, and I feel this is the right call for me."

Bishop will join Sebastien Auger and Bobby Dugan as goaltenders on the Sea Dogs’ active roster. He’ll replace Blade Mann-Dixon who was reassigned to the Maritime Junior A Hockey League’s Valley Wildcats earlier this week.

"We've added another young goaltender with the potential to be a starter in the QMJHL," said Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young in a release. "We like his size, his battle level in the net, and his calm nature while under pressure. We are excited about bringing another quality goaltender to our organization and increasing our depth."

The move also gives the Sea Dogs eight Ontario players on their roster.

Saint John takes on the Islanders in Charlottetown tonight. Bishop is expected to be available tomorrow when the Dogs host the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada and on Sunday when they take on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station.

Sea Dogs Still Sit At Sixth

The Saint John Sea Dogs sit at No. 6 in the latest edition of the BMO CHL Top 10 rankings.

The Sea Dogs, who were ranked sixth last week as well, defeated the Shawinigan Cataractes 4-2 and fell 3-2 in overtime to the Charlottetown Islanders last week.

Other QMJHL teams in the Top 10 were the Rimouski Oceanic at No. 5 and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar at No. 9.

The weekly rankings of the Canadian Hockey League’s Top 10 teams are selected by a panel of National Hockey League scouts.

Here are this week’s rankings:

This week, the Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown tomorrow, host the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Friday and host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday.

Tuesday News & Notes

Rogers TV might want to use someone other than Oliver Cooper on their promotional ads.

Some Tuesday night news and notes…

• Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young on Blade Mann-Dixon’s reassignment to the MHL: "We want to give Blade a chance to play and develop more. Blade wasn't getting a lot of playing time in a three-goalie system. He'll have a chance to play a lot in Jr. A this season, allowing him to further his development. That will give him a better chance of returning to training camp next year and earning a roster spot."
• Sea Dogs ranked in Future Considerations' November NHL Draft rankings: No. 28 Jakub Zboril, No. 65 Thomas Chabot and No. 96 Nathan Noel.
• Movember is winding down. The Sea Dogs’ page is here.
• The Sea Dogs are back in action on Thursday when they travel to Charlottetown to battle the Islanders. The Dogs are at home on Friday hosting the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada. Saint John also takes on the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday at Harbour Station.
• Sunday’s Sea Dogs/Titan game will be broadcast by Rogers TV across New Brunswick.

Mann-Dixon Sent Down The Valley

Heading back to the Valley for the rest of the year. I'd like to thank the @SeaDogsHockey organization for a great first half #untilnextyeat
— Blade Mann-Dixon (@BladeMannDixon) November 23, 2014

According to Blade Mann-Dixon, Blade Mann-Dixon has been reassigned to the Valley Wildcats of the MHL.

Mann-Dixon, an 11^th-round draft pick of the Sea Dogs in this past summer’s QMJHL Entry Draft, has spent the entire season in Saint John. In two games he went 1-1 with a 4.56 GAA and .852 SV%.

The 17-year old posted a 3.33 GAA and .914 SV% in 34 games with the Wildcats last season. He was named the MHL rookie of the year.

The roster move means the Sea Dogs will now carry two goalies on their roster – 20-year old Sebastien Auger and rookie Bobby Dugan. So what does this move mean about Auger's trade status? We’ll see.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Charlottetown 3, Saint John 2 (OT)

SAINT JOHN – Spenser Cobbold’s goal 3:08 into overtime gave the Charlottetown Islanders a 3-2 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

Charlottetown has now won four straight games and improved their record to 13-11-1-1 on the season. Meanwhile, Saint John fell to 15-5-1-3 on the year. The Sea Dogs are still, however, undefeated in regulation time on home ice.

Fredericton natives Luc Deschenes and Oliver Cooper had regulation time goals for Charlottetown. Mason McDonald made 31 saves in the win.

Thomas Chabot and Matthew Highmore scored for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 24 saves in the loss.

Deschenes opened the scoring at 12:29 of the first period. The Islanders outshot the Sea Dogs 12-11 in the opening frame.

In the second, Cooper gave the Isles a 2-0 lead at 2:49 on the power play. Saint John would storm back though. Less than two minutes after Cooper’s goal, Chabot and Highmore each scored to even things up at 2-2. Shots were 13-9 Sea Dogs in the second stanza.

After a scoreless third period, Cobbold netted the overtime winner to give Charlottetown a 3-2 win. Final shots on goal were 33-27 in favour of the Isles.

GAMEDAY 24: vs Islanders

A preview of tonight’s game between the Charlottetown Islanders and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Tonight at 7 p.m., Harbour Station

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are first in the Maritimes Division, second overall in the QMJHL and are ranked sixth in the CHL Top 10 with a record of 15-5-0-3 for 33 points. The Islanders are third in the Maritimes Division and 12^th overall with a 12-11-1-1 record for 26 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 win over the Shawinigan Cataractes last night at Harbour Station. Samuel Dove-McFalls scored twice while singles came from Justice Dundas and Matthew Highmore. Sebastien Auger made 32 saves in the win. The Islanders are coming off a 5-1 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Sunday at Eastlink Centre. Filip Chlapik had a hat trick while singles came from Daniel Sprong and Alexandre Goulet. Mason McDonald made 23 saves in the win.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-0-0-1 against the Islanders this season while Charlottetown is 1-1-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 12 at Harbour Station when the Sea Dogs defeated the Islanders 4-1. Justice Dundas had two goals with solo markers coming from Adam Marsh and Spencer Smallman. Daniel Sprong had Charlottetown’s only goal. Sebastien Auger made 35 saves in the win while Mason McDonald made 31 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Islanders: Oliver Cooper and Will Thompson

Random stat: Cooper has three goals and seven assists in 22 games with the Islanders this season.

Plenty Of Dogs On Draft Radar

The Sea Dogs are continuing to draw lots of attention for the 2015 NHL Draft.

Five Sea Dogs were listed in NHL Central Scouting’s latest rankings. Defenseman Jakub Zboril was the highest ranked of the five, receiving an ‘A’ rating – otherwise known as a projected first rounder.

‘B’ ratings were given to defenseman Thomas Chabot and forwards Nathan Noel and Adam Marsh. The rating indicates a projected second or third rounder.

Lastly, Samuel Dove-McFalls was given a ‘C’ rating, meaning he is a projected fourth, fifth or sixth rounder.

Meanwhile, Zboril was ranked 17^th in Sportsnet’s latest rankings. He was ranked 25^th earlier in the year. Chabot and Marsh were honourable mentions in those rankings.

Some other news and notes…

• The Sea Dogs are holding a cereal drive before tonight’s game in support of Partners Assisting Local Schools - the PALS program. Fans are asked to bring a new box of cereal or breakfast bars to the game. Donations can be dropped off inside the main doors of the concourse at Harbour Station. The only request is that the cereal be healthy and nutritious. All donations will be distributed to breakfast programs at PALS schools in Saint John.
• Tonight is also Minor Hockey Night. The Sea Dogs are offering special group ticket prices for minor hockey teams in the region. Please contact Shanna Hopkins, Manager of Business Development, at 632-8159.
• Luke Green will not be in Saint John’s lineup again tonight. He received a two game suspension for a cross checking game misconduct and major penalty he received last Saturday in Baie-Comeau.
• With an assist last night, Thomas Chabot ended a four-game pointless streak. It was the longest stretch that he has been held pointless this season.
• CHL teams without a home loss in regulation time: Saint John (9-0-0-2), Ottawa (6-0-1-0) and Kelowna (9-0-1-0).
• The Chicago Tribune – yes, the Chicago Tribune – has a great article on Adam Marsh, his move to Canada and playing junior hockey in general. Really great read.
• HockeyProspect.com has released their rankings of the top 25 Atlantic Canadians available for the 2015 QMJHL Entry Draft. The first five can be viewed for free. Centre Shane Bowers of the Halifax McDonalds was ranked first.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 4-2

FINAL: Shawinigan 2, Saint John 4

SAINT JOHN – Playing their first home game in weeks, the Saint John Sea Dogs picked things up right where they left off.

Samuel Dove-McFalls led the way with a pair of goals in Saint John’s 4-2 victory over the Shawinigan Cataractes on Friday night at Harbour Station. The victory improved the Sea Dogs’ home record to an impressive 9-0-0-2 this season.

Justice Dundas and Matthew Highmore also scored for Saint John. Sebastien Auger made 32 saves in the win.

Shawinigan goals came from Giovanni Fiore and Alexis D’Aoust. Marvin Cupper made 31 saves in the loss.

Shawinigan opened the scoring at 10:14 of the first period as Giovanni connected. The Sea Dogs responded fairly quickly though as Dundas netted his 10^th of the season at 14:35. Shots were 12-9 in favour of the Cataractes.

Fast-forward to the final minute of the second during a Sea Dogs power play, a Thomas Chabot shot went off the post and Dove-McFalls put in the rebound to give Saint John their first lead of the night. Shots were 15-10 in favour of the Dogs in the second.

46 seconds into the third and on another power play, Dove-McFalls put in his own rebound to make it a 3-1 game. Highmore scored just under a minute later to give Saint John a commanding 4-1 advantage.

D’Aoust scored the final goal of the game at 9:13, making it a 4-2 final. Shots were 12-11 in favour of the Cataractes in the third.

Sea Dogs Acquire Armstrong's Rights

.@SeaDogsHockey have acquired the rights to F Jamie Armstrong from the @ABTitan in exchange for a 2016 4th round draft pick. Details coming.
— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SeaDogsHockey) November 21, 2014

Not many details have been released yet, but the Sea Dogs have acquired forward Jamie Armstrong from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in exchange for a 2016 fourth round draft pick.

Armstrong, a 16-year-old from Rhode Island, was a sixth round draft pick of the Titan in this past summer’s QMJHL Entry Draft.

He is committed to Northeastern University for the 2016-17 season. Will he report to Saint John?

@Jerome_Berube just spoke to his father the other night. I don't think Northeastern has too much to worry about.
— Mark Edwards (@MarkEdwardsHP) November 21, 2014

We shall see.

UPDATE: A couple notes from the Sea Dogs’ press release…

Armstrong, 16, is listed at 6'2", 190 lbs. The Warwick, Rhode Island, native is about to begin his season at Avon Old Farms Prep School in Connecticut.

"Jamie is a big, strong, power forward who can score, compete hard for loose pucks, and play a solid, 200-foot game," said Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young. "We see him as one of the top 1998 U.S.-born prospects for the 2016 NHL Draft. He has been well-schooled in the game by his father.

"He has a college commitment, but we wanted his rights in case he changed his mind and focus."