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 Léopold-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 14^th 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.

SJ notes: Matthew Highmore leads Saint John in scoring with six goals and 10 assists for 16 points… Adam Marsh leads the team in goals with nine… Highmore’s 10 assists are a team high… Spencer Smallman is second in the league in shorthanded goals with three… Marc-Antoine Turcotte’s 2.86 GAA is fifth best in the league while his .915 SV% is third best… the Sea Dogs are averaging 15.56 penalty minutes per game, the fifth most in the league… 5-3-1-0 on the road this season… 9-2-0-0 when scoring first… 4-2-0-0 against West Division teams… their 12.5% power play is the worst in the league… their 84.2% penalty kill is third best in the QMJHL.

SHE notes: Guillaume Gauthier leads the Phoenix and is fifth in the league in points with 17 goals and 13 assists for 30 points… Gauthier’s 17 goals ties him for the league lead… Daniel Audette leads the team in assists with 17… Gauthier’s 10 power play goals leads the league… Gauthier is fourth in the league in shots on goal… Evan Fitzpatrick has the third most loses of any goalie with seven. He has also made the second most saves… Jeremy Roy is third in defensemen scoring with five goals and 18 points… 4-3-1-2 on home ice this season… 4-5-1-1 when scoring first… 2-0-0-0 against Maritimes Division teams… the Phoenix have the second best power play in the league with a rating of 24.7%... Sherbrooke has allowed seven shorthanded goals against, the most in the league… Gauthier is on a four-game goal scoring streak… Carl Neill and Kay Schweri have assists in six straight games… Nicolas Poulin has goals in four straight home games… Gauthier has points in eight straight home games… on a 3-0-0-2 stretch.

Out of town:

Chicoutimi at Cape Breton - 7:00 PM AST
Acadie-Bathurst at Shawinigan - 7:00 PM EST

Next game: The Sea Dogs are in Drummondville to battle the Voltigeurs on Friday at 8 p.m.