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. 

NOTES

• Largely due to a ticket promotion at a grocery chain in Quebec, the Sea Dogs got to play in front of over 17,000 fans in the beautiful new Centre Videotron - the second largest crowd in the history of the QMJHL.
• Word out of Quebec had roughly 55 family and friends of Thomas Chabot in attendance at Centre Videotron.
• With Joe Veleno still away at the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and with Samuel Dove-McFalls, Matt Green and Julien Tessier all out with injuries, the Sea Dogs dressed seven defencemen and 11 forwards. Austin Clapham drew the short straw.
• With star goalie Callum Booth out of the lineup, due to appendicitis, Sackville native Julian Galloway has assumed the starter role for the Remparts. Galloway is a friend, and former Moncton Flyers teammate, of Sea Dog Kyle Ward. Defencemen Matt Murphy (Fredericton) and Ross MacDougall (St. Stephen) are the other New Brunswick natives on the Remparts.
• The Sea Dogs were called for their third 'too many men on the ice' penalty in the past two games. Some may call it ironic that Sherbrooke scored on Wednesday with too many men on the ice but were not penalized - and the goal was allowed to stand. #QRefProblems
• The Sea Dogs’ power play ended the game 3/5, while the penalty kill did not allow a goal on five chances against them.
• Elsewhere in the QMJHL Maritimes Division on Saturday - CHI 4 - MON 5 (SO),  CAP 3 - RIM 6,  BAC 4 - HAL 5 (OT),  CHA 1 - VDO 8  

TURNING POINT

Daniel Del Paggio's goal early in the third allowed the Sea Dogs to forget that they had allowed the Remparts back into the game in the second.

HIT OF THE GAME

Normally for body checks ... but tonight SN gives the hit of the game to Thomas Chabot and the power play with their fantastic three-goal performance.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Thomas Chabot (1-G, 3-A +2)

Nathan Noel (4-A 1-TKO +3)

Massimo Carozza (3-A +2)



NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs host the Moncton Wildcats on Thursday night with an 8 p.m. start time.