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.

TURNING POINT/BIG MOMENT

Saint John’s inability to cash in on two golden chances in the third period – a post hit by Mitchell Dempsey early on and a shorthanded breakaway by Spencer Smallman – proved to be very key.

SN PLAYER OF THE GAME

Alexandre Goulet.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Alex Bishop (did not travel with team); defensemen Braydon Blight (healthy) and Adam Bateman (upper body); and forwards Matt Green (healthy) and Alex Kealey (body soreness).

HE’S BACK: Defenseman Luke Green returned from a two-game suspension.

LINE SWAP: Entering the game, Adam Marsh and Nathan Noel had both been held pointless in their past five games. In an effort to get the team’s leading scorers back to their point producing ways, Marsh was placed on a line with Mark Tremaine and Justice Dundas while Noel played with Mitchell Dempsey and Spencer Smallman. Marsh had an assist while Noel had a goal.

BACK-TO-BACK: Thomas Chabot’s first period goal gives him goals in back-to-back games and six on the season. He is also on a three-game point streak.

SCORING FIRST: This was Saint John’s first regulation time loss of the season when scoring first. They are now 10-1-0-1.

NO GOAL: Five minutes into the second, it appeared as though the Isles had cut Saint John’s lead to 2-1 thanks to a goal from Luc Deschenes. But a backwards pass to Filip Chlapik at the blue line made the goal offside – and therefore not a goal.

STICK SAVE: From the second period (the video sucks but you get the point).

HIGHMORE’S STREAK: Matthew Highmore now has goals in three straight games.

THIRD PERIOD TROUBLES: Saint John’s third period troubles certainly came as a surprise. Entering the game, Saint John had a 9-0-0-2 record when leading after two and had allowed just 18 goals all year in third periods.

FAMILIAR FACES: Oliver Cooper had an assist and three shots in the game while Will Thompson was held pointless.

WEBCAST: Charlottetown has one of the best webcasts in the league at the moment, featuring replays, good camera work and a scoreboard with a functional time clock.

TWEET OF THE NIGHT: Big moment.

Islanders have allowed 100 goals this season.
— IslesLive (@IslesLive) November 28, 2014

NOTES: Olivier LeBlanc and Jack vanBoekle each had two assists… vanBoekel also had seven shots… only three Sea Dogs didn’t have a shot on goal… the Sea Dogs have now lost two straight games – both of which were against the Islanders… Maple Leafs assistant GM Kyle Dubas was in attendance.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at Harbour Station. It’s Bingo Night with funds supporting the Empty Stocking Fund.