RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Charlottetown 6

CHARLOTTETOWN – Missing several regulars due to NHL camps, the Saint John Sea Dogs dropped their first game of the 2016-17 season, 6-2, to the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday night.

Mitchell Balmas and Jake Coughler each scored twice while singles came from Chris Chaddock and Kameron Kielly. Blade Mann-Dixon made 42 saves.

Saint John goals came from Matthew Highmore and Samuel Leblanc. Alex Bishop made 19 stops in the loss

The notes…

• Balmas opened the scoring 12:23 into the first, putting a rebound past the pad of Bishop. Charlottetown had a couple of good chances on a power play later in the period but could not beat the Dogs ‘tender.
• Saint John had 14 shots in the opening period, none better than John Warren’s, who was denied on a breakaway.
• Coughler and Balmas put Charlottetown up 3-0 in the second. The Sea Dogs finally got on the board at 15:53 when Daniel Del Paggio fed Highmore on a two-on-one.
• Chaddock scored just 19 seconds into the third to basically put the game out of reach. Coughler scored at 13:38 and Kielly added an empty netter with 1:24 to play.
• Saint John’s third period goal came from after Olivier Mathieu was stopped on a wrap around. Leblanc picked up the puck and beat Mann-Dixon. It was the first QMJHL points for Mathieu, Leblanc and Alexandre Lafreniere.
• The Sea Dogs had 44 shots, which was good to see.
• Only two penalties were called the entire game.
• Matthew Highmore wore the ‘C’ with Spencer Smallman away at NHL camp.
• Charlottetown’s Pierre-Olivier Joseph, the brother of Mathieu Joseph, wore an ‘A’ for the Islanders.
• Highmore had a goal and an assist in Saint John’s season opener last year.
• Mann-Dixon, a former Sea Dog, against Saint John last season: 4 GPI, 1-2, 10 GA, 100 shots
• Massive CIBC – now the official bank of the CHL – ad on the boards in Charlottetown.
• Shout out to Greco pizza for the ads on the goal posts.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Nathan Noel (Chicago Blackhawks), Samuel Dove-McFalls (Philadelphia Flyers), Spencer Smallman (Carolina Hurricanes), Luke Green (Winnipeg Jets), Mathieu Joseph (Tampa Bay Lightning), Bokondji Imama (Tampa Bay Lightning), Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators), Jakub Zboril (Boston Bruins), Bryson Michel and Alexander Vdovenko.

TURNING POINT

Chris Chaddock’s goal 19 seconds into the third period, which made it 4-1, all but ended any hopes of a Sea Dogs comeback.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Blade Mann-Dixon – because he’s a former Dog

Mitchell Balmas – because he scored two goals

Samuel Leblanc – because we wanted to pick a Sea Dog

TWEET OF THE GAME

Good luck to D and the boys ! #portcityrise https://t.co/JS7t1x8z6Q

— Nathan Beaulieu (@natebeaulieu) September 23, 2016

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs take on the Mooseheads in Halifax tomorrow night at 7 p.m.