RECAP: Sea Dogs defeat Titan

FINAL: Bathurst 3, Saint John 7

SAINT JOHN – Zach Grzelewski scored twice and added an assist in the Saint John Sea Dogs’ 7-3 pre-season win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Sunday afternoon.

Grzelewski, who signed with Saint John earlier this week, now has three goals and an assist in two QMJHL exhibition contests. John Warren also had three points on Sunday (a goal and two assists) to keep his impressive pre-season going.

Samuel Dove-McFalls, Matthew Highmore, Joe Veleno and Oliver Felixson also scored for the Sea Dogs. Alex Bishop made 16 saves through two periods. Matthew Williams made eight in the third period.

Bathurst had two goals from Daniil Miromanov and a single from Vladimir Kuznetsov. Tanner Somers made 27 saves in the loss.

The win gives Saint John back-to-back pre-season victories and moves their record to 2-4. They now have nearly two weeks off from game play, not returning to action until Sept. 9.

 The Titan opened the scoring just 1:29 in when Miromanov slid the puck past Bishop.

After Bathurst was unable to cash in on a couple power play opportunities, Saint John went to the man advantage at 12:27. At 13:49, Warren was at the bottom of the circle and fed Grzelewski through the crease, tying the game up at 1-1.

On another power play at 16:17, Dove-McFalls fired a shot from the circle through a screen and past Somers to give Saint John a 2-1 advantage.

Two minutes into the second period, Bokondji Imama threaded a pass through a Titan defender’s skates to Dove-McFalls. The Philadelphia Flyers prospect beat Somers over his shoulder but could not beat the crossbar.

Warren put the Sea Dogs up 3-1 at 6:02, going in along on Somers and sliding the puck five-hole.

The Titan would get back within one at 8:49 when Miromanov put a rebound past Bishop, making it 3-2. Bathurst then tied the game up on a power play at 14:31. Dumulong fired a slap pass from the point to the side of crease where Kuznetsov tapped it in.

39 seconds into the third, Highmore scored to put Saint John up 4-3 - a goal that proved to be the game-winner.

At 6:21, Veleno accepted a pass from Olivier Mathieu and went upstairs on Somers, giving the Sea Dogs some insurance. Just over a minute later at 7:46, Grzelewski scored his second of the match to put Saint John up 6-3.

Felixson rounded out the scoring at 15:57 with a power play marker, beating Somers with a point shot.

NOTES: Defenceman Bryson Michel made his Sea Dogs pre-season debut. The club announced his signing before the game… John Warren just keeps putting up points. He scored his fourth goal of the pre-season in the second period… Cole Reginato and Nicolas Dumulong had one of the more “impactful” fights of the Sea Dogs’ pre-season in the second… the 50/50 winner took home $741… Saint John went a solid 3/5 on the power play… Matthew Highmore won 23 of 29 faceoffs.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs don’t play again until Friday, Sept. 9 at Harbour Station against the Charlottetown Islanders. Tickets to that game can be purchased free of charge.