RECAP: Sea Dogs lose again

BATHURST – A three-goal second period pushed the Acadie-Bathurst Titan past the Saint John Sea Dogs on Wednesday night in QMJHL pre-season action.

The Sea Dogs dropped their fourth straight game of the pre-season in Bathurst, falling 6-2. This was Saint John’s first “real” exhibition game with veteran players – all three of their previous matches were rookie games.

Samuel L’Italien had two goals for Bathurst while singles came from Kynan Berger, Olivier Desjardins, Dawson Theede and Christophe Boivin. Reilly Pickard made 23 saves in the win.

Olivier Mathieu and John Warren scored for Saint John. Matthew Williams made 14 saves while Alex D’Orio made 17. The two netminders each played half the game.

The Titan opened the scoring with 9:54 remaining in the first period. Aaron Brisebois threaded a pass ahead to Berger who slid the puck past Williams, making it 1-0 for the home side.

With about four minutes remaining, William Lemay-Champagne had a wide open net but was robbed by a diving Williams.

Mathieu got Saint John on the board with a power play marker at 7:14 of the second, sliding a cross crease pass under Pickard to make it a 1-1 game.

Bathurst quickly retook the lead at 11:35 when Desjardins fired a bullet over the shoulder of Williams. Then at 13:41, Theede put the Titan up 3-1 when he beat D’Orio. The home side then took a three-goal advantage at 16:53 when L’Italien wound up at the faceoff circle and beat the Dogs netminder.

Warren’s goal at 18:07 got Saint John back within two heading into the final frame.

Saint John killed off a lengthy five-on-three Titan power play late in the third, giving the Dogs a chance at a comeback. But Boivin put the game away at 18:24, beating D’Orio five-hole with a wrist shot. L’Italien added an empty netter with six seconds left to make it a 6-2 final.

NOTES: Sea Dogs forward Cedric Pare went to the dressing room in the final minute of the second period after taking a shoulder to the head on a hard hit along the side boards… Danny Flynn and Jeff Cowan ran the Sea Dogs bench… Nico Blachman and Nicholas Romero fought in the second period… the Titan went 0/6 on the power play… decent crowd of 1,205 on hand – the game was free to attend… former Sea Dog Dawson Theede had a goal and two assists… Olivier Mathieu, Saint John’s top pick in the 2016 QMJHL Entry Draft, scored his third goal of the pre-season.

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday at 7 p.m. at Harbour Station.