RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 5-2

FINAL: Shawinigan 2, Saint John 5

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Shawinigan Cataractes stopped by the Station to take on the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night. Both teams were coming off victories the night before and for the second straight night the Sea Dogs would face a team with just one loss to their credit. And for the second straight night, Saint John came out on top, this time by score of 5-2.

1st Period

Shawinigan got on the board first 7:04 into the first period when Alexis D’Aoust broke in shorthanded and beat goaltender Marc-Antoine Turcotte. Adam Marsh tied the game at 9:19 after going bar down on Antoine Samuel, picking the corner. It was the Cataractes getting the final goal of the first period though after the Sea Dogs had taken their second too many men penalty. Dennis Yan jumped on a juicy rebound to lift a shot over a fallen Turcotte at 16:39.

2nd Period

After the Sea Dogs took an early penalty, Spencer Smallman tipped away a Samuel Girard pass attempt and beat Samuel to tie the game at 2-2 at 2:15. Later in the middle frame, Sam Povorozniouk capitalized on a Shawinigan turnover and backhanded a goal past Samuel, sending the Sea Dogs to the second intermission with a 3-2 lead.

3rd Period

The third period got off to a great start for Saint John when Matt Green tipped a shot past Samuel to give the Sea Dogs a 4-2 lead at 5:51. Saint John would extend their lead to 5-2 at 8:39 on a man advantage on a nice play by Nathan Noel. The centre split the Cataractes’ defenders before sliding a pass to Joe Veleno, who found a wide-open Bokondji Imama, who had an open net to finish off the play and secure the win for the Sea Dogs.

STATS

NOTES

• Scratches for Saint John were Samuel Dove-McFalls, Austin Clapham, Jason Bell and Kyle Ward. Dove McFalls missed the game with what appeared to be a lower body injury.
• Mathieu Joseph played the point on the power play.
  The Sea Dogs were called for too many men twice in the first period.
• When asked during a first period interview how he felt about being back in Saint John, Tampa Bay Lightning prospect Mathieu Joseph responded with “cold, actually.”
• Adam Marsh was benched after taking back to back penalties and did not play in the second or third periods.
• Joe Veleno took a five-minute major in the third period for hitting Samuel Girard from behind.
• Attendance was 3,555.

TURNING POINT

Spencer Smallman tipping away a second period Samuel Girard pass attempt and then beating Antoine Samuel on a shorthanded breakaway to tie the game. It seemed to really energize the team.

HIT OF THE GAME

Jakub Zboril lowering the boom on Dennis Yan. Full marks to Yan for getting right up after that bone-crunching hit.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

1. Spencer Smallman

2. Sam Povorozniouk

3. Matthew Highmore



TWEET OF THE GAME

From the sad but true file…

Sea Dogs are now on a two-game SH breakaway goals allowed streak. D'Aoust five-hole on Turcotte

— Greg Hickman (@Gregory_Hickman) October 3, 2015

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown to take on the Islanders on Friday at 7 p.m.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation