GAME DAY 33: at Val-d'Or

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Val-d’Or Foreurs…

When and where: Tonight at 5 p.m., Air Creebec 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 ranked seventh in the CHL Top 10 with a record of 20-7-1-4 for 45 points. The Foreurs are last in the West Division and 15^th overall with a 13-15-2-3 record for 31 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss in Rouyn-Noranda last night. Samuel Dove-McFalls scored Saint John’s only goal while Alex Bishop made 23 saves in the loss. Val-d’Or’s last game was this past Sunday when they fell 5-4 in overtime at Harbour Station. Anthony Richard had a hat trick, Anthony Beauregard a solo marker and Keven Bouchard made 33 saves in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Foreurs this season while Val-d’Or is 0-0-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 7 at Harbour Station when the Sea Dogs edged the Foreurs 5-4 in overtime. Mathieu Joseph, Adam Marsh, Adam Bateman, Daniel Del Paggio and Jakub Zboril scored for Saint John while Alex Bishop made 27 saves in his QMJHL debut. Anthony Richard scored three times for Val-d’Or and Anthony Beauregard added a single. Keven Bouchard made 33 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Foreurs: Stephen Anderson

Random stat: Saint John’s last visit to Val-d’Or – Jan. 31 – featured a 53-save performance from Sebastien Auger in a 2-0 Sea Dogs win.

SJ notes: Adam Marsh leads the Sea Dogs in scoring with 29 points in 30 games… Marsh has a team high 15 goals… Spencer Smallman leads the team in assists with 17… 8-7-0-1 on the road this season… had a four-game winning streak snapped last night… Samuel Dove-McFalls is second in the league in shorthanded points with four… Sebastien Auger has the league’s best GAA (2.44) and save percentage (.920)… Marsh is seventh in rookie scoring… Thomas Chabot is 14^th in defensemen scoring with 21 points… 3-1-0-0 against the West Division… Saint John has the league’s second worst power play with a rating of 14.8%... owners of the QMJHL’s second best penalty kill with a rating of 84.8%... their six shorthanded goals scored are the second most in the league… if the playoffs started today, Saint John would play Val-d’Or in the first round.

V-D notes: Anthony Richard leads the Foreurs in scoring with 43 points in 33 games… Richard leads the team in goals with 22… Anthony Beauregard has a team high 25 assists… 8-6-0-1 on home ice this season… 1-0-1-0 in their past two games… Jeremie Fraser is fourth in the league in penalty minutes with 82 in 27 games… Richard is fifth in the league in power play points with 21… Fraser is second in defensemen scoring with 28 points… 6-2-1-1 against Maritimes Division teams… the Foreurs have the fourth best power play in the league with a rating of 24.6%... Val-d’Or has the second worst penalty kill in the league with a rating of 75.5%... Fraser has penalty minutes in five straight games.

Out of town:

Victoriaville at Chicoutimi - 4:00 PM EST
Sherbrooke at Shawinigan - 4:00 PM EST
Halifax at Acadie-Bathurst - 7:00 PM AST
Québec at Cape Breton - 7:00 PM AST
Blainville-Boisbriand at Rouyn-Noranda - 7:00 PM EST

Next game: The Sea Dogs end the first half of their schedule on Thursday night with a 7 p.m. game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station.