RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-4 (OT)

FINAL: Gatineau 4, Saint John 5 (OT)

SAINT JOHN – Producing on the power play hasn’t been a problem for the Saint John Sea Dogs this season.

The Sea Dogs’ power play is operating at a league best 37.9% this year. The team came through on the man advantage again on Wednesday, going 4-for-5 in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Gatineau Olympiques at Harbour Station.

Jakub Zboril scored the overtime winner on a power play at 1:50. Mathieu Joseph had a hat trick in regulation time while Alexandre Bernier also scored. Alex D’Orio earned his first QMJHL win, making 10 saves.

Alex Dostie, Vitalii Abramov, Vincent Milot-Ouellet and William Basque all scored for Gatineau. Mark Grametbauer made 45 saves in the loss.

To the notes…

• Joseph opened the scoring just 2:35 into the first period. Highmore fired a shot from the bottom of the circle while Joseph screened the Gatineau goaltender. The goal was originally given to Highmore but was later changed to Joseph.
• Gatineau tied the game at 1-1 at 7:38 on what was essentially a five-on-three power play. The Olympiques won an offensive zone faceoff and quickly got the puck down low to Dostie who beat D’Orio.
• Abramov gave Gatineau their first lead of the game at 5:07 of the second period when Dostie centered the puck to him in front. Abramov made a small deke and beat D’Orio.
• Joseph tied the game during a five-on-three power play 55 seconds into the third. A Zboril point shot created a rebound and, after a few attempts, Joseph was finally able to somehow bang the puck past Grametbauer.
• 26 seconds later, Joseph completed his hat trick, somehow scoring from a very sharp angle.
• Milot-Ouellet tied the game at 9:21, redirecting a Dostie shot past D’Orio.
• At 15:53, Highmore took down Basque coming out of the box. On the penalty shot, Basque beat D’Orio, making it 4-3 Olympiques.
• After the penalty shot goal, Saint John remained on the power play. At 16:20, Samuel Dove-McFalls fed a pinching Bernier, tying the match at 4-4.
• In overtime, Gatineau scored, but it was called no-goal presumably due to goaltender interference.
• Saint John went to the power play at 1:17 of overtime. At 1:50, Zboril fired a shot that beat Grametbauer upstairs to give the Dogs the victory.
• Saint John didn’t get a power play until the third period, but they still went 4/5.
• D’Orio, wearing Sebastien Auger’s old No. 33, made his QMJHL debut in the Sea Dogs net. His numbers won’t look great from this game, but none of the goals he allowed were all that bad.
• Saint John continues to pour on shots this season. The team had 50 tonight – 25 of which came in the third period.
• This was only the second time this season that Gatineau scored two or more goals in a game.
• Joseph’s hat trick was the second of his QMJHL career. His previous hattie (as the kids say) was on Dec. 28, 2015 vs Bathurst.
• Nathan Noel limped off to the Saint John dressing room after blocking a shot in the first period. He did return, though.
• Basque and Bernier both scored the first QMJHL goals.
• Zboril (Boston Bruins) and Luke Green (Winnipeg Jets) each made their season debuts after missing the first couple weeks of the year at NHL camps.
• Zboril had an impressive return, scoring once and adding three assists.
• Daniel Del Paggio made his Gatineau debut. He had one shot on goal.
• This was the first of a six-game road trip through the Maritimes for the Olympiques. They will play every Maritimes Division team during the trek.

LINEUP:

Veleno - Highmore - Joseph

Smallman - Noel - Grzelewski

Imama – Dove-McFalls - Green

Reginato - Pare – Leblanc

Zboril - Webster

Bernier - Green

Felixson – Stewart

D’Orio

Bishop

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Thomas Chabot (Ottawa Senators), John Warren, Gabriel Bettez, Kyle Ward, Vincent Martineau and Bryson Michel.

During tonight’s radio broadcast, Tim Roszell said it is still unclear if Warren (upper body) will make the trip with the team to Quebec this weekend.

TURNING POINT

Mathieu Joseph’s two quick goals early in the third period really set the pace for Saint John’s offence in the frame.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME

1. Jakub Zboril

2. Mathieu Joseph

3. Alex Dostie

TWEET OF THE GAME

Welcome back, Jakub Zboril. Tonight's #SJSeaDogs OT winner: pic.twitter.com/R8sTV3zV89

— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) October 6, 2016

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs make their first Quebec road trip of the year this weekend. They will take on the Remparts in Quebec City on Friday at 8 p.m.