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Friday, November 27, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 6-2

FINAL: Sherbrooke 2, Saint John 6
By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – On Friday night at Harbour Station, the Sea Dogs were looking to bounce back from a tough 4-3 overtime loss to the Quebec Remparts. It didn’t get any easier for Saint John as they faced off against a dangerous Sherbrooke Phoenix squad – but in the end, the pulled off a big 6-2 victory.

The Sea Dogs controlled much of the early going in this contest yet it was the Phoenix striking first when Nicolas Poulin banged home a loose puck past Marc-Antoine Turcotte at 6:24. The Sea Dogs dominated the period and were finally rewarded when Sam Povorozniouk scored his team leading 13th goal of the season at 14:31. Later in the opening period, some nice work by Adam Marsh and Joe Veleno ultimately resulted in a goal by Adam Bateman to give the Sea Dogs a 2-1 lead. The lead would be short lived, however, after Povorozniouk took a high sticking penalty at 17:47 and put the Sea Dogs in a four-on-three shorthanded situation. Guillaume Gauthier would knot the game at 2-2 at 17:58.

Dawson Theede came close to getting the second period off to a great start with his first QMJHL goal but clanked it off the post. Nico Blachman would not be denied though, scoring his first goal by tapping a loose puck past a down Alexandre Lagace at 8:23. Moments later, another first QMJHL goal, this time from Oliver Felixson, gave the Sea Dogs a 4-2 lead.

The Sea Dogs would extend their lead at the 4:36 mark of the third when Mathieu Joseph got one by Lagace, giving the Sea Dogs a three goal cushion. Saint John would strike again just 38 seconds later when Nathan Noel added to the onslaught, giving the Sea Dogs a 6-2 lead – and that would be how things would end.

GAME DAY 28: vs Phoenix

A preview of tonight’s game between the Sherbrooke Phoenix and Saint John Sea Dogs…

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

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

Records: The Phoenix are fifth in the West Division and 12th overall in the QMJHL with an 11-11-3-2 record for 27 points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall with a 15-10-2-0 record for 32 points.

Last games: The Phoenix are coming off a 3-2 loss in Charlottetown last night. Julien Pelletier scored both Sherbrooke goals while Evan Fitzpatrick made 28 saves in the loss. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 overtime loss on home ice to the Quebec Remparts last night. Joe Veleno, Mathieu Joseph and Adam Marsh all scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 27 stops in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Phoenix this season while Sherbrooke is 0-0-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 4 in Sherbrooke where the Sea Dogs defeated the Phoenix 3-2 in overtime. Jakub Zboril scored the overtime winner while Daniel Del Paggio and Sam Povorozniouk scored in regulation time for Saint John. Sherbrooke goals came from Julien Pelletier and Kevin Gilbert. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 35 saves in the win while Evan Fitzpatrick made 23 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Phoenix: None

Random fact/stat: Sherbrooke is only 6-6-1-1 when scoring first this season, giving them the third worst winning percentage in the league when netting the opening goal.

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Quebec 4, Saint John 3 (OT)

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs rolled out the welcome mat for the Quebec Remparts on a Thursday night. In their previous meeting, the Sea Dogs scored four goals in the third period en route to a 7-3 win over the Remparts. This time around, Saint John couldn’t score four goals in 60-plus minutes of action in a 4-3 loss.

The Remparts got the start they were looking for early on, controlling much of the play. Quebec would open the scoring on a goal by Yanick Turcotte who beat the other Turcotte – Sea Dogs goaltender Marc-Antoine – and gave the Remparts a 1-0 lead at the 5:50 mark. The Sea Dogs’ struggling power play would get a chance later in the frame and they would capitalize when Jakub Zboril’s wrist shot from the point was tipped in front by Joe Veleno and past Brady Labrecque. The Remparts would later take advantage of a long five on three power play on a goal by Nikolas Brouillard, giving the Remparts a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.

The second period saw a lot of back and forth action but nothing on the scoreboard. Both goaltenders played very well, making some tough saves when called upon.

The Sea Dogs had a great chance early in the third period when Daniel Del Paggio appeared to have a wide open cage to shoot at when the official blew the play down after losing sight of the puck. During a four on four stretch, Turcotte made an unbelievable glove save to keep the Sea Dogs within a goal at that point. Later in the frame, Chabot jumped up into the rush and got spun out by two Remparts, causing a two on one the other way and Timashov would make no mistake and beat Turcotte high blocker side to make it 3-1 Quebec at 11:19. The Sea Dogs would get back within one when Mathieu Joseph ripped one past Labrecque with 6:42 left in the final frame. Saint John would complete the comeback with just 42 seconds left and the net empty as Adam Marsh managed to get one past Labrecque, sending the game to overtime.

The overtime saw lots of wide open hockey but in the end it was Massimo Carroza that would end things at 2:26 and secure the win for the Remparts.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

GAME DAY 27: vs Remparts

A preview of tonight’s game between the Quebec Remparts 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 Remparts are second in the East Division and sixth overall in the QMJHL standings with a 15-11-2-0 record for 32 points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and eighth overall with a 15-10-1-0 record for 31 points.

Last games: Quebec is coming off a 5-4 win in Charlottetown last night. Massimo Carozza scored twice for the Remparts while Bronson Beaton, Dmytro Timashov and Matthew Boucher added singles. Julian Galloway made 20 saves in the win. Saint John is coming off a 4-3 shootout victory in Chicoutimi on Saturday. Thomas Chabot, Kyle Ward and Adam Marsh all scored for the Dogs in regulation time while Alex Bishop made 23 saves in the win.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Remparts this season while Quebec is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 7 in front of 17,249 at the Videotron Centre, the Sea Dogs defeated the Remparts 7-3. Spencer Smallman, Adam Bateman, Kyle Ward, Daniel Del Paggio, Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Highmore and Thomas Chabot all scored for Saint John while Quebec goals came from Matthew Boucher, Charley Graaskamp and Bronson Beaton. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 saves in the win. Julian Galloway made 35 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Remparts: None

Random stat/fact: The Maple Leafs signed Dmytro Timashov to an entry-level contract on Monday. He was a fifth-round pick of Toronto in this year’s NHL Draft.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Sea Dogs Need More Home Cooking

As frustratingly inconsistent as the Sea Dogs have been overall this season, they also haven’t been too hot at home.

Heading into tomorrow’s 7 p.m. tilt against the Quebec Remparts, the Sea Dogs are just 6-5-0-0 on Harbour Station ice this season. While it's still early and the Dogs have played four more games on the road than at home, their .633 road winning percentage is quite higher than their home rate of .545.

Only eight teams in the league have six or fewer wins at home this season.

Typically, good teams can get away with being average on the road but strong at home. The fact that Saint John sits sixth overall in the QMJHL standings while being just one game over the .500 mark at home is, in a way, impressive.

The Dogs still have plenty of time to turn things around at home this season, and could turn things around quite quickly with four of their next five games being played at Harbour Station. While Saint John is sporting a respectable 15-10-1-0 record for a .596 winning percentage, that pace will be hard to maintain if the team can’t improve their home ice performance.

Some other news and notes…
  • Along with hosting the Remparts tomorrow night, the Sea Dogs will take on the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the Station.
  • Tomorrow night is Bingo Night in support of The Empty Stocking Fund. Fans are asked to make a donation to the fund in exchange for a bingo card. The recommended minimum donation is $2.
  • Friday’s game will feature the first ever Star Wars Night at a Sea Dogs game. Space legend Darth Vader will perform the ceremonial puck drop.
  • Three Sea Dogs made NHL Central Scouting’s list of players to watch for the 2016 NHL Draft. Luke Green was given a “B” rating, indicating a second- or third-round pick. Oliver Felixson and Nathan Noel were given “C” ratings, indicating fifth- or sixth-round picks.
  • Last Friday’s Sea Dogs-Drakkar game – which rattled us all - featured only 24 total minutes in penalties, which has to be some kind of historic low for a Sea Dogs-Drakkar game.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Monday, November 23, 2015

Dempsey Traded To Capitals In Big Trade

The St. Stephen County Aces and Summerside Western Capitals have completed a huge MHL trade.

The Aces sent the rights to former Sea Dogs forward and Boston Bruins draft pick Mitchell Dempsey to the Capitals in exchange for the rights to Halifax Mooseheads netminder Kevin Resop, a conditional first-round pick in the 2016 MHL draft, a conditional first-round pick in the 2017 draft and future considerations.

Dempsey has been floating around the ECHL this year on tryout agreements. On Nov. 9, the Manchester Monarchs released him from an amateur tryout agreement.

The 20-year-old forward has roots in St. Stephen, but the Aces sit in the MHL’s basement once again with only four wins in 21 games. Meanwhile, Summerside is stacked and boasts a league leading 17-4-0-0 record.

“Any time you can add some size, and play in your top six, we consider that a huge win,” said Capitals head coach and associate general manager Billy McGuigan in a news release. “We’re very happy to have Mitch, and looking forward to seeing him in the lineup.”

According to the Caps, Dempsey was expected to arrive in Summerside later this evening.

Dempsey was a seventh-round pick of the Bruins in 2013. The Sea Dogs picked up the Cambridge, Ont. native from the OHL last year and he went on to record eight goals and 17 assists in 60 regular season QMJHL games.

Summerside’s next game is on Thursday night against Pictou County.

Saturday, November 21, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 4-3 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Chicoutimi 3 (OT)

CHICOUTIMI – The Saint John Sea Dogs managed to split their mini weekend road trip through Quebec on Saturday.

Following a disappointing 3-2 loss to the league’s worst team in Baie-Comeau last night, the Sea Dogs rebounded with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Chicoutimi Sagueneens.

Thomas Chabot, Kyle Ward and Adam Marsh all scored in regulation time for Saint John while Mathieu Joseph netted the shootout winner. Alex Bishop had another solid outing, making 23 stops in the victory.

Antoine Marcoux, Jonathan Bourcier and Gabryel Paquin-Boudreau all scored for the Sags. Julio Billia made 26 saves in the loss.

Marcoux opened the scoring with a power play goal at 6:59 of the opening frame. Chabot tied it less than a minute later and Ward put Saint John ahead at 13:37. With 3:27 left in the first, Bourcier netted his 15th of the season to send things to intermission tied at 2-2.

At 2:55 of the second, Marsh scored his first goal since Halloween to put Saint John ahead again.

In the third, and with Chicoutimi pressuring, Paquin-Boudreau scored with 3:24 remaining to send the match into overtime.

A couple minutes into the extra frame, Sam Povorozniouk scored but it was immediately called off due to incidental contact with Billia. But Povorozniouk did score in the shootout, along with Joseph, to give Saint John the extra point.

GAME DAY 26: at Chicoutimi

A preview of today’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Chicoutimi Sagueneens…

When and where: Today at 5 p.m., Georges Vezina Centre

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and seventh overall in the QMJHL with a record of 14-10-1-0 for 29 points. The Sagueneens are fifth in the East Division and 14th overall with a 10-12-1-1 record for 22 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 loss to the worst team in the QMJHL last night in Baie-Comeau. Sam Povorozniouk scored both Saint John goals while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 30 saves in the loss. The Sags are coming off a 4-0 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads last night. Julio Billia made 30 stops in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-0-1 against the Sagueneens last season while Chicoutimi went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 14 in Chicoutimi where the Sea Dogs defeated the Sags 2-1. Mark Tremaine and Mathieu Joseph scored for Saint John while Chicoutimi’s lone goal came from Charles Guevremont. Sebastien Auger made 24 saves in the win while Julio Billia made 32 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Sagueneens: None

Random stat/fact: Saint John has scored the second most shorthanded goals in the league with eight while Chicoutimi has scored the second fewest with two.

Friday, November 20, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Baie-Comeau 3
By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

BAIE COMEAU - The Saint John Sea Dogs kicked off a mini two game road trip on Friday night in Baie-Comeau, facing the last place Drakkar. It did not end well.

After killing a first period penalty, the Sea Dogs took advantage of their first power play of the game. Sam Povorozniouk picked up his team leading 11th goal of the season, giving the Sea Dogs a 1-0 lead just past the halfway point of the opening frame. That would be all the scoring in the first period as both goaltenders had solid starts to this contest.

The second period got off to a quick start for the Sea Dogs with Povorozniouk picking up his second goal of the game just 1:20 into the middle stanza. The Drakkar would reply a short time later though when Nicolas Leblond dented the twine, getting Baie-Comeau on the board and right back into the game. That’s how the second period would end.

The third period would see a reversal of fortunes with the Drakkar getting the quick strike just 1:36 into third and tying the game at 2-2. Late in the third period, the Drakkar would seal the win when Raphael Santerre put the Drakkar ahead with just 1:44 remaining in the contest, giving the last place Drakkar a 3-2 win over the Sea Dogs.

GAME DAY 25: at Baie-Comeau

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Baie-Comeau Drakkar…

When and where: Tonight at 8:30 p.m., Henry Leonard Centre

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and sixth overall in the QMJHL with a record of 14-9-1-0 for 29 points. The Drakkar are sixth in the East Division and 18th overall with a 3-17-1-0 record for seven points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 overtime win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday. Sam Povorozniouk, Kyle Ward and Thomas Chabot all scored for Saint John while Alex Bishop made 31 saves in the win. The Drakkar are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Quebec Remparts on Saturday. Vincent Lavoie and Fabrizio Ricci each scored for Baie-Comeau while Evgeny Kiselev made 29 stops in the loss.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Drakkar last season while Baie-Comeau went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: April 4 at Harbour Station where the Drakkar eliminated the Sea Dogs in Game Five of the first round of the playoffs with a 7-4 victory. Maxime St-Cyr had a hat trick for Baie-Comeau, Jeremy Gregoire had two goals and singles came from Luca Ciampini and Vaclav Karabacek. Nathan Noel had a hat trick for Saint John and Mark Tremaine added a solo marker. Philippe Cadorette made 18 saves in the win while Sebastien Auger made 38 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Drakkar: None

Random stat/fact: The Drakkar are officially in rebuild mode after several seasons near the top of the QMJHL standings. Their roster features 10 players classified as rookies.

Thursday, November 19, 2015

Joseph Scores Twice In QMJHL Win

HALIFAX – Team QMJHL split their portion of the CHL Canada Russia Series following a 6-4 win at Scotiabank Centre on Thursday.

Sea Dogs forward Mathieu Joseph, who was named to the team as an injury replacement, scored two goals in the victory. Dogs defenseman Thomas Chabot had an assist while forward Nathan Noel was held off the score sheet.

Joseph was named Team QMJHL's player of the game.

The CHL won five of the six games of the series. Russia’s only win came on Tuesday night in Rouyn-Noranda where they defeated Team QMJHL 3-2.

Sportsnet is sticking around the Maritimes and will broadcast tomorrow’s Islanders-Screaming Eagles game at Centre 200. Meanwhile, the Sea Dogs are in Baie-Comeau to face the Drakkar.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Blachman Suspended One Game

It only took Nico Blachman one game to earn his first QMJHL suspension.

The new Sea Dogs forward has been given a one game suspension for a staged fight against former Dog Kelly Bent. The fight occurred in the second period of Saint John’s 3-2 overtime victory over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday.

Here’s the fight, via John Moore:


Bent was suspended two games.

The 17-year-old Blachman, a Hollywood, Florida native, signed with the Sea Dogs as a free agent last week. A Lake Superior State commit at one time, Blachman appeared in seven USHL games with the Chicago Steel this season.

The Sea Dogs’ next game is on Friday in Baie-Comeau.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Team QMJHL Faces Russia Tonight

The 2015 CHL Canada Russia shifts to the QMJHL tonight.

After losing 2-1 to Team OHL last night in Windsor, Russia will be looking to get their first win of the six-game series tonight in Rouyn-Noranda. The series wraps up in Halifax on Wednesday.

Russia has had some success in recent years but has struggled this season. They’ve been outscored 16-6 and only one of the first four games has been a one-goal match.

Three members of the Sea Dogs – defenseman Thomas Chabot and forwards Nathan Noel and Mathieu Joseph – are on Team QMJHL’s roster. Noel and Joseph were both late additions to the team. Also, former Dogs d-man Olivier LeBlanc of the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles is on the squad.

All-time at this event, the QMJHL is 13-8-3.

Tonight’s game can be seen live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports at 8 p.m.

Saturday, November 14, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 3, Halifax 2 (OT)

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

HALIFAX - In the third game in three nights for both teams, the Saint John Sea Dogs came away with a hard fought 3-2 overtime win over the Halifax Mooseheads on Saturday night at Scotiabank Centre. 

Thomas Chabot would be the hero for Saint John when he snuck behind the Halifax defence and beat Eric Brassard with a lovely deke on a breakaway with a mere 38.9 seconds left in OT. Sam Povorozniouk and Kyle Ward also scored for Saint John. Andrew Shewfelt and Taylor Ford replied for Halifax.   

1st Period
The Sea Dogs got off to a fast start in this game. Adam Bateman's slap shot from outside the blue line, barely nine seconds in, rang off the post but stayed out. At 4:20, Povorozniouk curled into the high slot and wired a wrist shot past Brassard. Both goaltenders made a number of big saves the rest of the way - highlighted by Alex Bishop's stop on Danny Moynihan's breakaway attempt close to the seven minute mark - to keep the score 1-0 for Saint John after one.

2nd Period
Before the six minute mark, Ward stuffed home the rebound of a Luke Green wraparound attempt to give the Sea Dogs a 2-0 lead. At 9:27, rookie Nico Blachman dropped the mitts with former Sea Dog Kelly Bent in a spirited scrap, which resulted in game misconducts for a "staged fight." At 13:46, a turnover by the Sea Dogs found its way to Shewfelt in the high slot and he fired a shot to the top corner over Bishop's glove to make it 2-1. Just over two minutes later, another turnover bounced to Ford in front of Bishop and he swiped the puck just over the Sea Dogs netminder's blocker to tie the game at 2-2.  
   
3rd Period
Early in the third, Brassard made a huge glove save to rob Spencer Smallman on a shorthanded breakaway to keep the game tied. The Mooseheads thought they had scored with under five minutes left, but it was ruled 'no goal' as Ilya Putintsev had bowled over Bishop and then pushed the puck over the line with the Sea Dogs goalie lying in the net.   

Overtime
The Sea Dogs went to the power play just past the one minute mark but didn't get much going until a Nathan Noel shot deflected off the outside of the left post late in the man advantage. Just seconds before Chabot's game winner, Bishop absolutely robbed Timo Meier on a partial breakaway to preserve the tie.

GAME DAY 24: at Halifax

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Halifax Mooseheads…

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

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and sixth overall in the QMJHL standings with a 13-9-1-0 record for 27 points. The Mooseheads are fifth in the Maritimes and 16th overall with a 8-13-2-1 record for 19 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles last night at Harbour Station. Joe Veleno, Thomas Chabot, Daniel Del Paggio, Sam Povorozniouk and Mathieu Joseph all scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 saves in the win. The Mooseheads are coming a 5-4 overtime loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night on the road, a game the Moose led 4-2 with less than two minutes to play. Maxime Fortier, Dominik Blain-Dupuis, Cody Donaghey and Timo Meier all scored for Halifax. Kevin Resop made 34 saves in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-1-0-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 19 in Halifax where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 5-1. Maxime Fortier had a hat trick for Halifax while singles came from Vincent Watt and Arnaud Durandeau. Ryan Chiasson had Saint John’s lone goal. Eric Brassard made 21 saves in the win. Alex Bishop was pulled after allowing two goals on six shots while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 22 stops in relief.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Mooseheads: Kelly Bent

Random stat/fact: Adam Marsh has not scored in his past five games and has just one assist over that span.

Friday, November 13, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 5-1

FINAL: Cape Breton 1, Saint John 5
SAINT JOHN – A night after a disastrous 5-0 loss, the Saint John Sea Dogs rebounded with a fine victory on Friday night at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs scored two shorthanded goals in a 5-1 win over the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Joe Veleno, Thomas Chabot, Daniel Del Paggio, Sam Povorozniouk and Mathieu Joseph all scored for Saint John. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 saves in the win.

It was a rough few minutes that cost the Sea Dogs on Thursday night against the Moncton Wildcats. On Friday, Saint John scored three goals in less than eight minutes in the first period to get off to a booming start. Although Cape Breton got within a couple goals and could have got back into it late, the game never really felt in doubt for the Dogs.

Maxim Lazarev scored Cape Breton’s lone goal. Kyle Jessiman allowed three goals on seven shots and was pulled. Alexandre Belanger allowed two goals on 18 shots in relief.

The Sea Dogs opened the scoring just 3:40 in when Veleno deflected an Adam Bateman shot past Jessiman. The goal was originally credited to Bateman but later changed.

While shorthanded at 8:57, Chabot intercepted a cross ice feed in the neutral zone and went in alone. He slid the puck between the legs of Jessiman to give Saint John a 2-0 advantage. Less than three minutes later, Del Paggio scored to make it 3-0 and end Jessiman’s night in net.

The goalie swap seemed to spark Cape Breton as, on the next shift, an Evgeny Svechnikov shot went off the glove of Turcotte and was put in by Lazarev to make it 3-1 at 11:26.

Saint John retook their three-goal lead at 6:38 of the second. Chabot had the puck along the sideboards and threw it front where Povorozniouk poked it in to make it 4-1.

At 10:30 of the third, Jospeh was called for high sticking. Then at 11:35, Bokondji Imama was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for a check from behind. The Eagles could have gotten back into the game with a goal or two, but instead, Joseph scored on a shorthanded break to make it 5-1 and put the game out of reach.

GAME DAY 23: vs Screaming Eagles

A preview of tonight’s game between the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Saint John Sea Dogs…

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

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

Records: The Screaming Eagles are third in the Maritimes Division and 11th overall in the QMJHL with a 10-10-3-0 record for 23 points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes and eighth overall with a 12-9-1-0 record for 25 points.

Last games: The Screaming Eagles are coming off a wild 10-6 loss in Quebec City on Sunday. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Maxim Lazarev each scored twice while Olivier LeBlanc and Loik Leveille added singles. Alexandre Belanger allowed five goals on 25 shots while Vincent Dubuc allowed four goals on 10 shots. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-0 home loss to the Moncton Wildcats last night. Marc-Antoine Turcotte allowed three goals on 29 shots while Alex Bishop allowed two on three shots.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 0-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Sept. 18 at Centre 200 where the Sea Dogs defeated the Screaming Eagles 3-2. Daniel Del Paggio, Jason Bell and Matthew Highmore had Saint John goals while Pierre-Luc Dubois and Alexandre Gosselin scored for Cape Breton. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 36 saves in the win. Alexandre Belanger made 20 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Screaming Eagles: Olivier LeBlanc

Random stat/fact: Former Sea Dogs defenseman Olivier LeBlanc has one goal in three career games against his old club.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 5-0

FINAL: Moncton 5, Saint John 0
By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs looked to gain their first victory in their fourth attempt against their provincial rival the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday night. It didn’t go so well with the Wildcats earning a 5-0 victory.

The first period saw plenty of scoring chances at both ends of the ice including a breakaway for Manuel Wiederer which was denied by Marc-Antoine Turcotte. Kevin Klima would open the scoring with just 3:35 remaining in the opening period, banging home a rebound past Turcotte. The Wildcats would strike again just 53 seconds later when Lane Cormier found the back of the net, making it 2-0 Wildcats. The scoring spree continued late in the frame when Wiederer scored on the power play with 27 seconds left in the opening period, sending the teams to the dressing room with the Wildcats out front 3-0.

Alex Bishop replaced Marc-Antoine Turcotte to start the second period. Will Bower didn’t waste any time scoring, connecting just 1:04 into the second period to make it 4-0. Kevin Klima would add to the onslaught, scoring Moncton’s fifth goal at the 2:21 mark, which would end Alex Bishop’s night rather abruptly. The Sea Dogs would calm things down after the flurry of goals but the damage had been done. After two periods the Dogs were down 5-0.

The third period got off to a slow start for both teams with the Wildcats clogging up the neutral zone. With a 5-0 lead they were comfortable dropping back into a defensive stance and were successful in doing so, shutting down the Sea Dogs’ offense for the night and securing a shutout for Sebastien Dupre. The loss drops the Sea Dogs’ record to 0-4 against the Wildcats this season.

GAME DAY 22: vs Wildcats

A preview of tonight’s game between the Moncton Wildcats and Saint John Sea Dogs…

When and where: Tonight at 8 p.m., Harbour Station

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

Records: The Wildcats are first in the Maritimes Division and third overall in the QMJHL with a record of 13-6-2-0 for 28 points. The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes and eighth overall with a 12-8-1-0 record for 25 points.

Last games: The Wildcats are coming off a 4-1 win over the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Sunday at the Coliseum. Cameron Askew, Manuel Wiederer, Kevin Klima and William Bower all scored for the ‘Cats while Sebastien Dupre made 30 saves in the victory. The Sea Dogs are coming off a big 7-3 win in Quebec City on Saturday. Spencer Smallman, Adam Bateman, Kyle Ward, Daniel Del Paggio, Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Highmore and Thomas Chabot all scored for Saint John. Nathan Noel chipped in with four assists. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 saves in the win.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-1-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 3-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 25 at the Moncton Coliseum where the Wildcats defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in overtime. Conor Garland had two goals for Moncton while singles came from Jacob Sweeney and Manuel Wiederer. Saint John goals came from Nathan Noel, Sam Povorozniouk and Spencer Smallman. Sebastien Dupre made 33 saves in the win while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 37 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Wildcats: Blade Mann-Dixon

Random stat/fact: In 15 games with the MHL’s Valley Jr. A Wildcats this season, former Sea Dogs netminder Blade Mann-Dixon went 8-6 with a 3.79 GAA and .875 SV%.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Noel Added To Team QMJHL Roster

Sea Dogs forward Nathan Noel has been added to Team QMJHL’s roster for the upcoming CHL Canada Russia Series, according to a tweet from the team today.
Defenseman Thomas Chabot was originally the only Sea Dog named to the team. Mathieu Joseph has since been added to the squad as an injury replacement. The two will now be joined by Noel.

Noel has four goals and nine assists in 15 games with Saint John this year. He was especially good this past weekend, posting a goal on Friday in Drummondville and four assists on Saturday in Quebec City. Surprisingly, Noel has four fights this season to lead the team.

Being added to the QMJHL’s roster for this event is especially good news for Noel after going undrafted at this past summer’s NHL Draft.

The QMJHL portion of the CHL Canada Russia Series takes place on Nov. 17 in Rouyn-Noranda and Nov. 19 in Halifax.

Saturday, November 7, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 7-3

FINAL: Saint John 7, Quebec 3
By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

QUEBEC CITY - In their third game of a three game road trip through Quebec, the Saint John Sea Dogs came away with a convincing 7-3 win over the Remparts on Saturday night. The Sea Dogs’ power play came to life, after what essentially was a season long slumber, with three goals in the third period to seal the victory. The win also allowed the Sea Dogs to move into sole possession of second place in the Maritimes Division - one point behind the rival Moncton Wildcats.

Spencer Smallman, Adam Bateman, Kyle Ward, Daniel Del Paggio, Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Highmore and Thomas Chabot all scored for Saint John. Matthew Boucher, Charley Graaskamp and Bronson Beaton replied for Quebec.   

1st Period
The Sea Dogs got the game off to a good start. At 7:12, Smallman's slap shot, from above the right face-off circle, found its way through a screened Julian Galloway to open the scoring. With a little over a minute left in the first, Nathan Noel pulled the puck out a scramble and fed Bateman in the slot, who fired a wrist shot past Galloway to make it 2-0 for the visitors. Seconds later, Adam Marsh and Zachery Moody dropped the mitts for a spirited tilt. 

2nd Period
At 1:03 of an eventful second period, Noel - in his team leading fourth fight - scored a unanimous decision over Remparts star Dmytro Timashov. At 5:16, while skating four-on-four, Matt Murphy's shot off the post deflected to Boucher who snapped the puck past Marc-Antoine Turcotte to bring the Remparts back to 2-1. A little over five minutes later, Quebec tied the score when Graaskamp took advantage of a turnover and jammed the puck under Turcotte. Saint John’s netminder appeared to be injured on the play but stayed in the game. But at 13:05, Ward - with his first QMJHL goal - tipped the puck just past his former Midget AAA goalie to put Saint John back in front 3-2. The ill will and fisticuffs continued at 16:01, when Boucher took exception to a shot by Noel but ended up receiving a flurry of face shots from Smallman for his trouble. At 19:24, Beaton took a nifty pass, by Massimo Carozza, from behind the net and snapped the puck into the top corner to tie the game at 3-3 after 40 minutes.
   
3rd Period
The Sea Dogs jumped back in front at 3:50 of the third, when Chabot made a few slick moves and fed Del Paggio in the slot who chipped the puck over Galloway's glove. The hosts got themselves into penalty trouble and the Sea Dogs were able to capitalize with three straight man advantage goals. At 7:03, Joseph fired a rocket from the right face-off circle to the top corner on the short side - 5-3. Then, at 10:16, Highmore corralled a rebound off a Chabot point shot and banked the puck past Galloway - 6-3. Finally, 15 seconds later, Chabot unloaded a bullet from the top right side of the umbrella to the top corner on the far side - 7-3. 

GAME DAY 21: at Quebec

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Quebec Remparts…

When and where: Tonight at 8 p.m., Videotron Centre

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and ninth overall in the QMJHL with a record of 11-8-1-0 for 23 points. The Remparts are second in the East Division and sixth overall with an 11-8-2-0 record for 24 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-2 loss in Drummondville last night. Thomas Chabot and Nathan Noel scored while Alex Bishop made 24 saves in the loss. The Remparts are coming off an 8-2 loss in Shawinigan last night. Nikolas Brouillard and Bronson Beaton scored for Quebec. Julian Galloway allowed four goals on 13 shots and Samuel Cardinal allowed four goals on 15 shots.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-1-0-1 against the Remparts last season while Quebec went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 12, 2014 at Colisee Pepsi where the Remparts shutout the Sea Dogs 3-0. Marc-Olivier Roy, Guillaume Gauthier and Kurt Etchegary scored for Quebec. Callum Booth stopped all 26 shots he faced in the win while Sebastien Auger made 31 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Remparts: None

Random fact/stat: You have to appreciate how multicultural Quebec’s roster is.

Friday, November 6, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 3-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Drummondville 3

DRUMMONDVILLE – The Saint John Sea Dogs fought hard but ultimately fell 3-2 to the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday night at the Marcel Dionne Centre.

Saint John went just 1-for-6 on the power play and could only convert on two of their 24 shots in the loss. The Sea Dogs’ offense showed signs of promise at times but sputtered too often.

Michael Carcone’s empty net goal ended up being the game winner while Frederic Aube’s goal midway through the third was the real difference maker. Sergei Boikov also scored for Drummondville while Anthony Dumont-Bouchard made 22 saves in the win.

Thomas Chabot and Nathan Noel had Saint John’s goals – both of which were coast-to-coast markers assisted by Alex Bishop. Bishop made 24 stops in the loss.

It appeared as though Matthew Highmore had opened the scoring while shorthanded early in the first. Despite a review that seemingly showed the puck hitting mesh, it was called no goal.
The Sea Dogs had to kill off four Drummondville power plays in the opening frame and successfully did so. There was no score after one.

At 9:34 of the second, Boikov opened the scoring when he blasted a point shot through some traffic and past Bishop. At 13:18, Saint John was awarded a full two-minute five-on-three power play and then got some additional time when Emanuel Aucoin went to the box at 14:43. Despite some great pressure and a few good chances, Saint John’s season long power play struggles continued and they remained down 1-0.

Soon after Saint John’s power play ended, it appeared as though the Voltigeurs had made it 2-0 but the goal was immediately called off due to goaltender interference.

At 1:28 of the third, Saint John’s power play finally broke through. Chabot got the puck behind the Sea Dogs net and went coast-to-coast with it to tie things at 1-1.

The Sea Dogs were called for too many men at 6:49, sending the Volts to the man advantage. At 7:32, the puck found Aube in front who got control of the bouncing disc and beat Bishop to give Drummondville a 2-1 advantage.

Despite some chances here and there for the Dogs, the Voltigeurs all but iced the game with an empty net goal from Carcone at 18:40 to make it 3-1. Noel scored a beautiful coast-to-coast goal much like Chabot’s with 31 seconds to play but that was as close as Saint John would get.

VIDEO: Chabot Goes Coast-To-Coast

DRUMMONDVILLE - Thomas Chabot scored a beautiful, coast-to-coast goal to tie the Sea Dogs-Voltigeurs game at 1-1 in the third period tonight.
Wow.

Let us all be thankful TVA Sports was broadcasting this game.

GAME DAY 20: at Drummondville

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Drummondville Voltigeurs…

When and where: Tonight at 8 p.m., Marcel Dionne Centre

TV/Radio/Webcast: TVA Sports 2/96.1 NewSong FM/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are third in the Maritimes Division and eighth overall in the QMJHL standings with an 11-7-1-0 record for 23 points. The Voltigeurs are fourth in the West Division and ninth overall with an 11-9-0-0 record for 22 points.

Last games: Saint John is coming off a 3-2 overtime win in Sherbrooke on Wednesday night. Daniel Del Paggio, Sam Povorozniouk and Jakub Zboril all scored for the Dogs while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 35 stops in the win. The Volts are coming off a 5-1 loss in Blainville-Boisbriand on Sunday. Michael Carcone scored Drummondville’s only goal. Anthony Dumont-Bouchard allowed three goals on 16 shots while Nicolas Lachance allowed two on 14.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 2-0-0-0 against the Voltigeurs last season while Drummondville went 0-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 30 in Drummondville where the Sea Dogs defeated the Voltigeurs 6-2. Nathan Noel had two goals while singles came from Adam Marsh, Matthew Highmore, Adam Bateman and Bokondji Imama. Christophe Lalancette and Joey Ratelle scored for Drummondville. Sebastien Auger made 27 saves in the win while Joe Fleschler and Emilien Boily combined to allow six goals on just 22 shots.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Voltigeurs: None

Random stat/fact: Nathan Noel had two goals in two games against the Volts last season.

Friday News & Notes

A goal and an assist from Joe Veleno wasn’t enough as Canada Black fell 3-2 to Canada Red in quarterfinal action at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge on Thursday.

Veleno helped open the scoring in the first period and then tied the game at 2-2 in the third. But a goal from Josh Brooks – which was assisted by Antoine Morand and Maxime Comtois – with 2:03 to play gave Red the victory.

Sea Dogs goaltending prospect Alex D’Orio did not play in the game.

Canada Black will play a placement game against the Czech Republic today at 5:30 AST in Dawson Creek, BC.

Some other news and notes…

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 3-2 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 3, Sherbrooke 2 (OT)
SHERBROOKE, Que. – They blew of a two-goal lead but the Saint John Sea Dogs were still able to earn two points.

Jakub Zboril’s overtime goal lifted the Sea Dogs to a 3-2 victory over the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Wednesday night. Despite blowing a two-goal lead, a win is a win, and this is a positive start to a three-game Quebec road trip.

Zboril, Daniel Del Paggio and Sam Povorozniouk all had goals for the Sea Dogs while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 35 saves in the win. Julien Pelletier and Kevin Gilbert replied for the Phoenix while Evan Fitzpatrick made 23 stops in the loss.

Nathan Noel had a penalty shot 1:26 into the game but was stopped by the glove of Fitzpatrick. That proved to be the most eventful thing to happen in rather uneventful opening frame. Shots were just 8-5 in favour of Saint John.

After a shot from inside the line hit the glove of Thomas Gregoire in the slot, Del Paggio found it and deposited the puck past Fitzpatrick to open the scoring at 3:57. 29 seconds later, Jordan King was behind the net and fired the puck in front to Povorozniouk who scored to give Saint John a quick 2-0 advantage.

The Phoenix got on the board at 8:39 when Guillaume Gauthier sent a perfect pass to Pelletier who tipped the puck past Turcotte. Danny Flynn wasn’t happy about the goal, arguing that Fitzpatrick hadn’t gotten to the bench when the extra attacker touched the puck. The goal would was reviewed for a couple minutes but stood as a good goal.

The Phoenix tied things up at 4:58. Following a offensive zone faceoff win, Gilbert picked up the loose puck and jammed it past Turcotte. Near the final minute of the frame, Mathieu Joseph had a great chance but couldn’t connect, sending the game to overtime.

1:13 into overtime, Spencer Smallman centered the puck to a wide-open Zboril in the slot. The Czech d-man fired a hard wrist shot past Fitzpatrick to give Saint John a 3-2 victory.

Joseph Added To Team QMJHL Roster

SHERBROOKE – Sea Dogs forward Mathieu Joseph has been added to Team QMJHL’s roster for the upcoming 2015 CHL Canada Russia Series.

Joseph replaces Sherbrooke Phoenix forward Daniel Audette who is out with an injury. According to the Sherbrooke newspaper La Tribune, Audette is out four to eight weeks with a shoulder injury.

Joseph, a fourth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning in this year’s NHL Draft, will join Sea Dogs defenseman Thomas Chabot on the QMJHL roster. The 18-year-old is off to a great start this season, recording seven goals and seven assists in 14 games.

The QMJHL portion of the Canada Russia Series will be held on Nov. 17 in Rouyn-Noranda and Nov. 19 in Halifax. All games will air on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.

Some other news and notes…

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

GAME DAY 19: at Sherbrooke

A preview of tonight’s game between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Sherbrooke Phoenix…

When and where: Tonight at 8 p.m., Palais des Sports LĂ©opold-Drolet

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are second in the Maritimes Division and ninth overall in the QMJHL with a record of 10-7-1-0 for 21 points. The Phoenix are sixth in the West Division and 14th overall with a 7-9-1-2 record for 17 points.

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 win over the Val-d’Or Foreurs on Saturday night at Harbour Station. Adam Marsh, Thomas Chabot, Daniel Del Paggio, Matthew Highmore and Jakub Zboril all scored for Saint John while Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 saves in the win. The Phoenix are coming off a 2-1 win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada one week ago. Guillaume Gauthier and Skylar Strumas scored for Sherbrooke while Evan Fitzpatrick made 29 saves in the victory.

2014-15 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-0-0-1 against the Phoenix last season while Sherbrooke went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 6 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Phoenix 5-2. Mathieu Joseph had two goals for Saint John while singles came from Justice Dundas, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Adam Bateman. Raphael Lafontaine and Chase Harwell scored for Sherbrooke. Sebastien Auger made 30 saves in the win while Evan Fitzpatrick made 28 in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Phoenix: None

Random stat/fact: Mathieu Joseph had three goals and five assists in just two games against the Phoenix last season.

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

D'Orio Makes 29 Stops In Canada Win

Alex D’Orio made 29 saves to backstop Canada Black to a come-from-behind 4-3 shootout victory over the Czech Republic yesterday at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

Canada Black was outshot 13-2 in the first period and 32-18 overall. They were down 2-0 midway through the first thanks to Czech goals that came 19 seconds apart. Canada tied the game in the second and again in the third.

Sea Dogs forward Joe Veleno finished the game with an assist – his second in as many games. He was the second Canadian in the shootout but did not score.

The Hockey House has a great recap of the game and D’Orio’s performance in net.

Canada Black returns to action tonight when they face the United States at 10 p.m. AST in Dawson Creek, BC.

Some other news and notes…

Monday, November 2, 2015

Veleno Picks Up Assist In Loss

Joe Veleno and Canada Black opened up the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge with a 5-3 loss to Canada White on Sunday.

Veleno recorded an assist and four penalties in the loss.
Sea Dogs goaltending prospect Alex D’Orio, also on Canada Black, did not appear in this game. He allowed three goals on 12 shots in just over 31 minutes of action in a pre-tournament loss to Sweden on Friday.

Canada Black takes on the Czech Republic on Monday at 10 p.m. AST in Dawson Creek, BC.

Some other news and notes…
  • Sportsnet.ca has a preview of the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, who writes that “Veleno is joined up front by David Levin, the Israeli-born winger who went first overall in the 2015 OHL Draft and who should challenge Veleno for one of the top spots when NHL teams pick in 2018.”
  • The Hockey House has a list of five prospects to watch at the U-17 event. Veleno topped the list.
  • Hockey’s Future has an article on the Boston Bruins prospects system and mentions Jakub Zboril.
  • HockeyProspect.com released their 2016 NHL Draft rankings for October last week. Sea Dogs defenseman Luke Green is ranked 36th. The top 30 rankings can be viewed for free.
  • Willy Palov of the Chronicle Herald looked at the QMJHL’s top 2016 NHL Draft prospects in his column this week. Green was ranked fourth.
  • The Western Star has an article on Jordan King, which discusses his time with the Sea Dogs this season.
  • The Sea Dogs begin a three-in-three road trip through Quebec on Wednesday in Sherbrooke. They’ll be in Drummondville on Friday and Quebec City Saturday.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation