GAME 4 RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Bathurst 6

By Lorne Webster | SN Staff

BATHURST - In a do or die game for Acadie-Bathurst, Daniil Miromanov put on a show with four goals to lead the Titan to a 6-3 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs Wednesday evening at the KC Irving Regional Centre. With the loss, the Sea Dogs will return home with a 3-1 lead in the first round playoff series.

Christophe Boivin and Jordan Maher also scored for Bathurst. Jeffrey Truchon-Viel added four assists and Reilly Pickard had 40 saves in the victory. Matt Murphy, Nathan Noel and Samuel Dove-McFalls replied for Saint John. 

1st Period

With their backs solidly against the wall, the Titan played arguably their most complete period of the playoffs thus far. Miromanov got Bathurst off to a fast start when - on the first shot 21 seconds into the game - he took a pass from Guillaume Brisebois and ripped a wrist shot from the bottom of the right faceoff circle which beat Marc-Antoine Turcotte high on the short side. Then at 12:42, Miromanov banged the rebound of a Mark Simpson shot past Turcotte to extend Bathurst's lead to 2-0. The Titan also did an effective job of playing five in the box in front of Pickard to frustrate the Sea Dogs and take their 2-0 lead into the first intermission.

2nd Period

It was lucky 21s (or deja vu all over again) for Bathurst to open the middle frame - as just 21 seconds into the second a Titan point shot was blocked but went directly to Boivin on the left wing who snapped a shot past a screened Turcotte to make it 3-0 for the hosts. A little over two minutes later, the Titan capitalized on a neutral zone turnover. At 2:50, Maher finished off a two-on-one break with Vladimir Kuznetsov with a laser over Turcotte's blocker to give the Titan a four goal lead. After that goal, head coach Danny Flynn called a timeout and replaced Turcotte in goal with Alex Bishop.  The Sea Dogs came on strong after the timeout with 16 straight shots on goal. While skating four-on-four at 5:51, Murphy one-timed a cross ice feed from Thomas Chabot past Pickard to get Saint John on the board. Chabot, who logged a ton of ice-time, went postal at 12:30. On a power play at 14:07, Nathan Noel's cross crease pass deflected off a Titan defender past Pickard to bring the Sea Dogs within two after two. 

   

3rd Period

The Sea Dogs controlled much of the play to start the final period but Pickard came up big early and often. At 8:44, Miromanov took a feed in the slot and unloaded a heavy snap shot over Bishop's glove for his hat trick goal to give the Titan a 5-2 lead. At the start of a power play with over five minutes remaining, Flynn decided to roll the dice and pull Bishop. Despite heavy pressure, the Sea Dogs could not get a puck past Pickard until 17:40 when Dove-McFalls deflected a Chabot point shot into the Titan net. However, Miromanov completed his four-goal night with an empty net goal to quell the Sea Dog's comeback attempt.  

PLAYOFF GAME DAY 4: at Bathurst

It’s do or die for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan tonight. The Saint John Sea Dogs, who lead the first round best-of-seven playoff series 3-0, can eliminate the Titan with a win. Game time is 7 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

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

Series status: Saint John leads the best-of-seven first round series 3-0.

Game 1 (March 25): Bathurst 1, Saint John 4

Game 2 (March 26): Bathurst 2, Saint John 4

Game 3 (March 29): Saint John 7, Bathurst 1

Game 4 (March 30): Saint John at Bathurst

Last game: The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 7-1 at the KC Irving Regional Centre last night. Mathieu Joseph had a hat trick while singles came from Daniel Del Paggio, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Sam Povorozniouk and Joe Veleno. Christophe Boivin scored Bathurst’s only goal. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 31 saves in the win. Reilly Pickard made 27 stops in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 6-1-2-0 against the Titan in the regular season while Bathurst went 3-5-0-1 against Saint John.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Defenseman Jason Bell and forward Dawson Theede

Player to watch: With a hat trick last night, Mathieu Joseph has points in nine straight games dating back to the regular season. Joseph has registered eight goals and seven assists during the stretch.

Three Things to know

1. The Sea Dogs have won three straight playoff games in Bathurst. Their only loss came on April 8, 2008 in game three of the second round of the 2008 post-season.

2. Mathieu Joseph and Sam Povorozniouk are tied with Rouyn-Noranda’s AJ Greer for the league lead in playoff goals with five.

3. Titan rookie Antoine Morand, who had an impressive 14 goals and 36 assists in 48 regular season games, has just one assist in this series and is a -7. The Titan have really struggled to score.

GAME 3 RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 7-1

FINAL: Saint John 7, Bathurst 1

BATHURST – The Acadie-Bathurst Titan are – as they say – on the brink of elimination.

The Saint John Sea Dogs took a 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series with a 7-1 victory over the Titan on Tuesday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre. Saint John’s first goal, which came just 41 seconds into the game, really set the tone for the match. Although the Titan would be within one to enter the second, a three-goal middle frame propelled Saint John to the win.

Mathieu Joseph recorded a hat trick in the win while singles came from Daniel Del Paggio, Samuel Dove-McFalls, Sam Povorozniouk and Joe Veleno. Marc-Antoine Turcotte had a strong night in net, making 31 saves.

Christophe Boivin scored the only goal for the Titan, who have been held to under two goals per game in each match of this series. Reilly Pickard made 27 stops in the loss.

Joseph opened the scoring just 41 seconds in. Del Paggio carried the puck across the line and then sent it cross ice to Joseph where the Tampa Bay Lightning prospect wired a shot past Pickard.

When The Lights Go Out In Bathurst

BATHURST – The Sea Dogs were probably due for a power outage – and that’s just what happened in Bathurst this morning when a spring storm briefly knocked out power at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Power has gone out as @SJSeaDogs began morning skate. AB cancelled theirs due to weather. Game 3 tonight! #DrawALine pic.twitter.com/DoQv6MuiSu

— Tim Roszell (@TimGRoszell) March 29, 2016

PLAYOFF GAME DAY 3: at Bathurst

The Saint John Sea Dogs look to take a commanding 3-0 series lead tonight when they face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for game three of their first round playoff series. Game time is 7 p.m. at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

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

Series status: Saint John leads the best-of-seven first round series 2-0.

Game 1 (March 25): Bathurst 1, Saint John 4

Game 2 (March 26): Bathurst 2, Saint John 4

Game 3 (March 29): Saint John at Bathurst

Game 4 (March 30): Saint John at Bathurst

Last game: The Sea Dogs won game two of the series, 4-2, on Saturday night at Harbour Station. Thomas Chabot, Sam Povorozniouk, Matthew Highmore and Mathieu Joseph all scored for Saint John. Christophe Boivin and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel scored for Bathurst. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 25 saves in the win. Reilly Pickard, who had to leave the game with an injury with 44 seconds left, made 34 stops in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 6-1-2-0 against the Titan in the regular season while Bathurst went 3-5-0-1 against Saint John.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Defenseman Jason Bell and forward Dawson Theede

Player to watch: Jeffrey Truchon-Viel, who scored his first goal of the series on Saturday, scored seven goals and added one assist in nine games against Saint John during the regular season. Overall, 18 of his 33 goals scored this year were netted at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

Three Things to Know

1. The Sea Dogs were 3-1-1-0 at the KC Irving Regional Centre during the regular season.

Saint John 1 @ Acadie-Bathurst 2 (Mar 15 2016) Final OT1
Saint John 5 @ Acadie-Bathurst 3 (Jan 30 2016) Final
Saint John 5 @ Acadie-Bathurst 2 (Jan 9 2016) Final
Saint John 6 @ Acadie-Bathurst 5 (Dec 29 2015) Final SO
Saint John 3 @ Acadie-Bathurst 4 (Sep 27 2015) Final

2. The Sea Dogs have a record of 12-7-2-1 in Bathurst over the past five years.

3. Sam Povorozniouk, who already has four goals in this series, had five goals in nine games against the Titan during the regular season.

Nathan Noel On A Roll

After having his 20-game point streak come to an end on Feb. 17, Nathan Noel went cold.

Between Feb. 19 and March 19 (the final day of the regular season), Noel recorded just two goals and two assists over the 13-game span. He had recorded 35 points during his point streak.

But after two playoff games, Noel has seemingly found his scoring touch again. In Saint John’s opening post-season wins over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan this past weekend, the 18-year-old forward registered five assists, which leads the QMJHL.

Although he has limited QMJHL post-season experience, Noel has proven to be a playoff performer. In Saint John’s five-game series against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last year, the St. John’s native recorded five goals and two assists, giving him a total of 12 points in seven career playoff games.

20-year-old Sam Povorozniouk, who led the Sea Dogs in goals during the regular season with 39, has also gotten off to a strong start this post-season. His four goals place him in a tie him for the league lead. Povorozniouk had just one career CHL playoff goal prior to this season.

Playoffs Off To Entertaining Start

If the first weekend is any indication, this could be a very good QMJHL post-season.

With every series two games in, only Rouy-Noranda, Saint John, Gatineau and Moncton carry 2-0 leads. The rest are all tied at 1-1 (we did the math for you!).

To nobody’s surprise, Rouyn-Noranda smoked Drummondville, outscoring the Volts by a combined 16-0. Saint John has had a tougher challenge with Bathurst but played fairly well after a rough end to the regular season. Gatineau has eked out back-to-back one-goal victories over the rebuilding Remparts – despite outshooting Quebec 51-11 on Saturday.

While Moncton carries a 2-0 series lead over Victoriaville, both games needed overtime. Will Smith was the hero in game one, scoring in double OT.

Vaclav Karabacek was the hero in game two.

The No. 2 seeded Shawinigan Cataractes have a had a tough time with the Sherbrooke Phoenix, losing game one 3-2 before rebounding with a 3-2 win in game two. That series now shifts to Sherbrooke for a huge game three.

GAME 2 RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 4-2

FINAL: Bathurst 2, Saint John 4

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – It was a similar score but a much tighter contest in game two of the first round series between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Thomas Chabot, Sam Povorozniouk, Matthew Highmore and Mathieu Joseph scored in Saint John’s 4-2 victory over the visiting Titan on Saturday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of seven-series. Christophe Boivin and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel scored for Bathurst.

The Sea Dogs controlled much of the play early on in the opening period, at one point outshooting the Titan 9-1. Saint John would strike first with a bomb from the point by Chabot finding its way through a maze of players and past Reilly Pickard at 12:54. The Titan would even the score with a late power play goal from Boivin at 19:46. The shot changed direction on it’s way through, beating Marc-Antoine Turcotte and sending the teams to the dressing room tied at 1-1.

The second period got off to a furious start with Povorozniouk scoring off a one time shot to give the Sea Dogs a 2-1 lead just 33 seconds in. Bathurst would reply just 17 seconds later on a goal from Viel to even things at 2-2 before the period was even a minute old. That would be all the scoring in the middle frame.

The third period was full of drama to say the least. The game remained tied until Highmore scored what turned out to be the game winner with just 2:48 left in the contest. 

The Highmore goal. Clutch. pic.twitter.com/YQE4c7wrxy

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 27, 2016

With 44 seconds left in the period, Bathurst tried to pull Pickard as the Sea Dogs started breaking into the zone. Pickard decided to try and reach the bench anyway but collided with the referee, leaving a wide open net for Mathieu Joseph to finish things off.

Here's a weird one: Pickard injured after running into ref pic.twitter.com/S6LkJ1aIuM

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) March 27, 2016

That made it a 4-2 final.

PLAYOFF GAME DAY 2: vs Titan

The Saint John Sea Dogs look to take a 2-0 series lead over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan tonight at Harbour Station. Game two of the first round series takes place this evening at 7 p.m.

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

Series status: Saint John leads the best-of-seven first round series 1-0.

Game 1 (March 25): Bathurst 1, Saint John 4

Game 2 (March 26): Bathurst at Saint John

Game 3 (March 29): Saint John at Bathurst

Game 4 (March 30): Saint John at Bathurst

Last game: The Sea Dogs had a strong performance in game one, defeating the Titan 4-1. Sam Povorozniouk had a hat trick for Saint John while Mathieu Joseph added a solo marker. Daniil Miromanov had Bathurst’s goal. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 25 saves in the win. Reilly Pickard made 37 in the loss.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 6-1-2-0 against the Titan in the regular season while Bathurst went 3-5-0-1 against Saint John.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Defenseman Jason Bell and forward Dawson Theede

Player to watch: With three assists last night, Nathan Noel now has an impressive five goals and five assists in just six career QMJHL playoff games. Noel recorded just four points after his 20-game point streak ended on Feb. 17, so last night’s performance was a good sign.

Three Things to Know

1. The Sea Dogs ended a three-game losing streak with last night’s victory.

2. After ending the regular season with five straight loses, Marc-Antoine Turcotte had a solid 25-save performance in the game one victory.

3. Matthew Highmore, Mathieu Joseph and Thomas Chabot all returned from injuries last night but it appears Luke Green and Adam Marsh will remain out tonight.

GAME 1 RECAP: Sea Dogs Win 4-1

FINAL: Bathurst 1, Saint John 4

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

SAINT JOHN – The Saint John Sea Dogs did not disappoint in their first game of the 2016 QMJHL playoffs, picking up a 4-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station.

Sam Povorozniouk had a hat trick to lead the Sea Dogs to a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven first round series. The victory ended a three-game losing streak Saint John carried into the post-season.

Both teams exchanged scoring chances for much of the opening period. The Sea Dogs would strike first though with Povorozniouk beating Titan goaltender Reilly Pickard on a redirection. Mathieu Joseph would put the Dogs up 2-0 just 44 seconds later, finishing off a mini two-on-one play that bounced off a Titan skate.

Much like the first period, the second started with scoring chances at both ends of the ice. The Sea Dogs would dent the twine with 4:56 left in the middle stanza when Povorozniouk scored his second of the game, deking around a pair of Titan players and ripping one past Pickard to up Saint John’s lead to 3-0.

The Titan would get on the board at the 3:35 mark of the third period. A quick goal, which the Titan desperately needed to try and get back into the hockey game, scored by Daniil Miromanov closed the gap to 3-1 with plenty of time to play. But that would be as close as Bathurst would come as Povorozniouk completed the hat trick at 19:11 by fighting off a check and depositing the puck into an empty cage.

SN's First Round Playoff Predictions

Here are Station Nation’s picks for the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.

(1) ROU vs. (16) DRU

Lorne: Rouyn-Noranda enters the playoffs on a roll and have arguably the strongest lineup in the QMJHL this season. On the other hand, Drummondville - despite adding pieces at the trade deadline - just fired their GM and will be lucky to keep the scores close. Rouyn-Noranda in 4.

Kevin: Rouyn Noranda is the top ranked team in the CHL for a reason. The Huskies just have too much firepower and the Voltigeurs will be doing well if they don’t get blown out. This should be a warmup for the Huskies. Look for some very lopsided scores in this series. Rouyn-Noranda in 4.

Jamie: The Huskies are ridiculously good and should have no problem at all with the Voltigeurs. As if Rouyn-Noranda’s 54-9-3-2 record wasn’t impressive enough, they enter the playoffs on a 14-game winning streak. Rouyn-Noranda in 4.

(2) SHA vs. (15) SHE

Lorne: Shawinigan added several weapons to a solid line-up over the holidays. But an inability to dominate led to a coaching change. Sherbrooke was expected to challenge for a title but have stumbled through a forgettable season. With star defenceman Jeremy Roy injured, the Phoenix are in trouble. Shawinigan in 5.

Kevin: Shawinigan traded for a lot of pieces to build this team. While I’m not a big fan of making too many trades this should be a pretty easy series. Sherbrooke has had a disappointing season as they appeared to be much stronger going in. A multitude of injuries to their top players has put a damper on their campaign. Shawinigan in 4.

Jamie: Despite some shaky moments in the second half, the Cataractes managed to finish second overall and pull things together a bit down the stretch. Sherbrooke’s season has basically been a disaster and it should be over quickly. Shawinigan in 4.

(3) SNB vs. (14) BAT

Lorne: Despite being one of the top teams in the second half, the Sea Dogs stumbled a bit in the final two weeks and have a few top players injured as they enter the playoffs. Bathurst is full of high-end young talent, especially at forward and in goal. BUT, Saint John has found a way to win close games against the upstart Titan all season. Saint John in 6.

Kevin: Saint John has had their fair share of injuries this season and enter the playoffs with a few unknowns. Both teams are relatively young but the depth of the Sea Dogs coupled with breakout seasons from Mathieu Joseph and Matthew Highmore will prove too much for the Titan. Expect some close games - but the Sea Dogs have been winning close matches most of the season and I’m not looking for that to change in the opening round. Saint John in 5.

Jamie: Saint John is stumbling and limping into the playoffs but should still win this series. The season series was close between these two and featured more offense than defense. The Dogs should pull through – but I think the Titan will give them a scare or two. Saint John in 5.

PLAYOFF GAME DAY 1: vs Titan

It’s playoff time. The Saint John Sea Dogs (42-20-6-0, 90 points, 1^st Maritimes, 3^rd QMJHL) host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (27-35-3-3, 60 points, 5^th Maritimes, 14^th QMJHL) in game one of their first round playoff series tonight at 7 p.m. at Harbour Station.

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

Series status: This is the first game of the best-of-seven first round series.

Last games: The Titan are coming off a 5-4 shootout win in Moncton last Saturday. Vladimir Kuznetsov, Samuel L’Italien, Jeffrey Truchon-Viel and Cole Rafuse scored for Bathurst. Reilly Pickard made 47 saves in the win. The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss in Sydney on Saturday. Matt Murphy scored twice while Daniel Del Paggio added a solo marker. Alex Bishop made 40 saves in the victory.

2015-16 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 6-1-2-0 against the Titan in the regular season while Bathurst went 3-5-0-1 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 15 at the KC Irving Regional Centre where the Titan edged the Sea Dogs 2-1 in overtime. Christophe Boivin and Jeffrey Truchon-Viel scored for Bathurst while Thomas Chabot netted Saint John’s goal. Reilly Pickard made 34 saves in the win. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 29 stops in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Titan: Defenseman Jason Bell and forward Dawson Theede

Player to watch: Matt Murphy will play in his 60^th career QMJHL playoff game tonight – which is a lot (Stephen MacAulay played in 75). According to the Q site, Murphy leads all active players in post-season games played. He has recorded nine goals and 15 assists with Val-d’Or, Halifax and Quebec.

Three Things to Know

1. This is the second all-time meeting between the Sea Dogs and Titan in the playoffs. Saint John defeated Bathurst in six games in the second round of the 2008 post-season.

2. According to the QMJHL website, this will be the 10^th playoff series for Sea Dogs head coach Danny Flynn. He is 5-4 all-time.

3. The Titan are returning to the playoffs after a one-year absence. They have not made it past the first round since 2008.

This Could Be A Good Series

In case you weren't aware, the 2016 President Cup playoffs begin on Friday night.

For a change, the Saint John Sea Dogs, the No. 3 seed, will be involved in what could be an interesting and fun first round series against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan, the No. 14 seed. While the 3-14 matchup is often terrible in terms of entertainment, this has the chance to be attention grabbing. There aren’t many people predicting this series to end in four games, which says a lot.

Here are some things worth noting heading into the series:

The Season Series Was Something

While the Sea Dogs finished the season with a 6-1-2-0 record against the Titan, five of the nine meetings were decided by one goal with three needing extra time. There were also plenty of goals – six of the nine meetings saw five goals or more scored by one or both teams. Could we be in for a wild Pittsburgh/Philadelphia like series here? Please, let this happen. 

The Dogs Are Hurting

We don’t know who will/won’t be available for the Sea Dogs tomorrow, but they ended the regular season in rough shape. Defensemen Thomas Chabot (lower body), Luke Green (upper body), Alex Bernier (upper body) and Bailey Webster (upper body) along with forwards Matthew Highmore (lower body), Mathieu Joseph (upper body) and Adam Marsh (upper body) all missed last Saturday’s game in Sydney. Meanwhile, captain Spencer Smallman dressed but did not play. Of note, Joseph, Highmore and Marsh were Saint John’s leading scorers against Bathurst during the regular season.

The Young Guns

There are some really talented rookies taking part in this series. Along with imports Vladimir Kuznetsov (4^th in rookie scoring) and Daniil Miromanov (11^th in rookie scoring), the top two picks in last year’s QMJHL Entry Draft – Joe Veleno and Antoine Morand – will go head-to-head. Morand finished seventh in rookie scoring with 14 goals and 50 points in 48 games while the underaged Veleno finished 10th with 13 goals and 43 points in 62 contests.

Thursday News & Notes

The Sea Dogs announced today that they’ve called up first round pick Cedric Pare.

Pare, who the Sea Dogs selected with the 10^th overall pick in last year’s QMJHL Entry Draft, has played in five games with Saint John this year, recording one assist.

The 17-year-old forward registered 16 goals and 44 points in 43 games with the Quebec Midget AAA Hockey League’s Levis Commandeurs this year. He was held pointless in three playoff games.

“We're bringing him in now to expose him to playoff hockey at this level and help him prepare for next season,” said Sea Dogs general manager Darrell Young in a press release.

The Sea Dogs said Pare will be available to play tomorrow night when the team begins their first round playoff series against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Game time is 7 p.m. at Harbour Station.

You also have to wonder if the call up is related to the health of Saint John’s forwards. The Sea Dogs were without Mathieu Joseph, Matthew Highmore and Adam Marsh last weekend due to injuries. Captain Spencer Smallman was also hurt in Friday’s game, although he did dress on Saturday.

In other news…

• The Sea Dogs enter the playoffs with a banged up team on a three-game losing streak. As if that wasn’t rough enough, they’ll have to face the CHL goaltender of the week in Reilly Pickard. According to a CHL release, last week Pickard posted “a 2-0-0-0 record with a goals-against-average of 1.80 and save percentage of .953.”
• Luke Green was ranked 57^th in Craig Button’s latest draft rankings.
• The provincial champion Saint John Vito’s feature five Sea Dogs prospects: defenseman Ian Smallwood and Alex Lafreniere along with forwards Will Kelly, Kyle Anderson and Ben Reid.
• There is speculation that former Sea Dogs defenseman Adam Bateman will join the Saint Mary’s Huskies next season.
• The OHL’s Windsor Spitfires will indeed be bidding to host the 2017 Memorial Cup.
• Saturday’s Sea Dogs-Titan game will be broadcast on Rogers TV. Here’s a nice playoff promo Rogers released: 

Joseph, Highmore Big Winners At Banquet

Mathieu Joseph and Matthew Highmore were the big winners at tonight’s annual Saint John Sea Dogs awards banquet, held at the Delta Brunswick.

Joseph and Highmore each took home three awards while goaltender Marc-Antoine Turcotte was named the club’s most valuable player.

The past three MVP awards were won by goaltender Sebastien Auger.

Here is the full list of winners:

MVP – Marc-Antoine Turcotte

Fan Choice – Mathieu Joseph

Most Improved – Mathieu Joseph

Three Stars – Mathieu Joseph

Top Scorer – Matthew Highmore

Community Service – Matthew Highmore

Team Player – Matthew Highmore

Rookie – Joe Veleno

Academic – Daniel Del Paggio

Top Defenseman – Thomas Chabot

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Friday when they begin their first round playoff series against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Photo: Marc Henwood/Station Nation

Sea Dogs Unveil Unreal Playoff Video

The Sea Dogs unveiled a new video today entitled “Draw a Line,” promoting the team’s playoff run. It’s by far the best playoff primer we’ve seen from the Sea Dogs in years.

Goosebumps.

There is also a website to go along with the video – DrawALine2016.com – which features a letter from head coach Danny Flynn.

UNB Wins Gold In AUS Sweep

#WEareUNB 🏆🎉💃🏻 pic.twitter.com/6yDom9JsjX

— UNB Fredericton (@UNBFredericton) March 21, 2016

First Round Schedule Released

The QMJHL announced the schedules for each first round playoff series this evening. Here is Saint John's schedule for their series against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan:

Game 1 - Fri Mar 25 | 7:00 PM | Acadie-Bathurst @ Saint John
Game 2 - Sat Mar 26 | 7:00 PM | Acadie-Bathurst @ Saint John
Game 3 - Tue Mar 29 | 7:00 PM | Saint John @ Acadie-Bathurst
Game 4 - Wed Mar 30 | 7:00 PM | Saint John @ Acadie-Bathurst
Game 5 - Fri Apr 1 | 7:00 PM | * Acadie-Bathurst @ Saint John
Game 6 - Sun Apr 3 | 3:00 PM | * Saint John @ Acadie-Bathurst
Game 7 - Tue Apr 5 | 7:00 PM | * Acadie-Bathurst @ Saint John

No surprises. The series, as expected, will follow the 2-2-1-1-1 format. Note that Saint John's Friday games will start at 7 p.m., not the usual 7:30 p.m.

Each QMJHL playoff series will begin on Friday night.

UNB, StFX Meet In CIS Final Tonight

Two former Saint John Sea Dogs captains will go head-to-head in tonight’s University Cup gold medal game in Halifax.

Mark Tremaine and the StFX X-Men will take on Mike Thomas, Stephen Anderson and the UNB Varsity Reds in the CIS men’s hockey national championship match tonight at 6:30 p.m. The game can be seen on Sportsnet 360.

The X-Men advanced to tonight’s final with a 2-1 triple-overtime victory over the University of Saskatchewan yesterday. They defeated defending champion Alberta, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.

UNB has been fairly dominant at this year’s tournament, defeating Western 5-1 on Friday and Saint Mary’s 4-0 yesterday.

Tonight’s game will be a rematch of the AUS final which saw the X-Men win the best-of-three series 2-0.

Meanwhile, in this afternoon’s bronze medal game, Stephen MacAulay and the Saint Mary’s Huskies take on the Saskatchewan Huskies.

Some other notes…

• StFX’s last and only national championship came in 2004 when they defeated UNB 3-2 in double-overtime in Fredericton.
• UNB lost last year’s gold medal game to Alberta. Their last University Cup title came in 2013.
• Mike Thomas’ epic beard, pictured above, is prominently featured in a UNB commercial that has been airing on Sportsnet this weekend.

We host Women's @CIS_Bball at @UNBFredericton this week, while Men's @UNBHockey fights for the @UCupHFX! #WeAreUNB pic.twitter.com/8ocDou4NwR

— UNB (@UNB) March 17, 2016

Sea Dogs To Face Titan In First Round

It’s official: the Saint John Sea Dogs will face the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the first round of the QMJHL playoffs.

The Titan were locked into the 14^th overall spot today, meaning they’ll face the No. 3 seeded Sea Dogs in the opening round.

Game one of the best-of-seven series will take place on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Harbour Station. Game two will be on Saturday at 7 p.m., also in Saint John. The series should follow 2-2-1-1-1 formula, meaning games three and four would be in Bathurst before the series shifted back to Saint John for game five, if needed.

The two teams had some close games throughout the regular season. The Sea Dogs were 6-1-2-0 against the Titan. Bathurst was 3-5-0-1 against Saint John.

This is the second time the two franchises will face each other in the playoffs. The Sea Dogs defeated the Titan in six games in the second round of the 2008 playoffs.

Here is the full QMJHL playoff picture:

#QMJHL 2016 1st rd playoff matchups
1 ROU-DRU 16
2 SHA-SHE 15
3 SNB-BAT 14
4 VDO-BLB 13
5 GAT-QUE 12
6 MON-VIC 11
7 CAP-CHI 10
8 RIM-CHA 9

— QMJHL (@QMJHL) March 19, 2016

The Halifax Mooseheads and Baie-Comeau Drakkar missed the playoffs.

The league should announce the full playoff schedule shortly.