CHARLOTTETOWN - In a battle for top spot in the Maritimes Division, the Saint John Sea Dogs didn’t disappoint
The Sea Dogs put on a clinic with their power play notching five man advantage goals en route to a 7-3 victory over the Charlottetown Islanders on Friday night at Eastlink Centre.
Picking up the goals for the Sea Dogs were Jakub Zboril (two), Mathieu Joseph, Nathan Noel, Bokondji Imama, Matthew Highmore and Spencer Smallman. Alex Bishop started the game, stopping eight of his 11 chances. Alex D’Orio played the third period and stopped all six shots he faced.
Goal scorers for the Islanders were Saku Vesterinen, Keith Getson and Filip Chlapik. Blade Mann-Dixon stopped 12 of the 15 shots that came his way while Matthew Welsh made 23 saves on 27 shots.
To the notes...
- The Sea Dogs opened the scoring on the power play at 4:21 when Joseph hammered home a one time shot from the top of the circleg.
- Vesterinen would even things up with another power play marker at 15:28, sending a hard shot on goal that managed to find it’s way past Bishop to even things at a goal a piece.
- The Sea Dogs took full advantage of a double minor taken by Jake Barter late in the first period, kickstarting the second period with the go ahead goal just 35 seconds in. The goal came off the stick of Zboril, making it 2-1 Saint John.
- Noel blew a wrist shot by Mann-Dixon at 1:54 of the second period, giving the Sea Dogs two goals on the double minor penalty and giving them a 3-1 lead.
- The Sea Dogs continued to fire at will on the power play when Zboril picked up his second goal of the night, beating Welsh who had come in to relive Mann-Dixon.
- Later in the frame, Thomas Chabot managed to catch a streaking Matthew Grouchy but Keith Getson was there to pounce on the loose puck and put a shot past Bishop at the 13:15 mark.
- The Sea Dogs didn’t wait long to respond as Imama continued his stellar play, lifting a shot short side on Welsh at 15:35 and restoring the three-goal advantage, 5-2.
- The league’s leading scorer, Chlapik, would have the period’s final goal on yet another man advantage at 19:34, closing the gap to 5-3.
- D’Orio came in to relieve Bishop to start the third period.
- Highmore scored on a bit of a weird goal that managed to somehow find its way up and over Welsh at 12:15, giving the Sea Dogs a bit of breathing room at 6-3.
- Then it was the captain Smallman pretty much locking up the win just 40 seconds later, placing a perfect wrist shot into the top corner to secure the 7-3 win.
- The Sea Dogs ended the night scoring five power play markers on nine chances. The Islanders, meanwhile, converted on two of their six chances.
- The five man advantage markers ties a franchise record originally set back on Nov. 14, 2007 against the Quebec Remparts - a game which Saint John actually lost 7-6 despite going 5-for-7 on the power play.
- Chabot picked up four assists, giving him a goal and six helpers in three games since returning from the Ottawa Senators.
- The Joseph brothers had a big night with Mathieu picking up a goal and three assists Pierre-Olivier adding three helpers. It didn’t hurt that Mom and Dad were at the game.
- Joseph and Highmore are now tied for the team lead in points with 28 each.
- D’Orio picked up the third period shutout, stopping all six shots he faced.
LINEUP
Dove-McFalls - Highmore - Joseph
M. Green - Noel - Smallman
Imama - Pare - Reginato
Ward - Quinney - Leblanc
Chabot - Webster
Zboril - Green
Felixson - Stewart
Bishop
D'Orio
SCRATCHES
Joe Veleno (lower body), John Warren (upper body), Alexandre Bernier (illness), Vincent Martineau (healthy) and Bryson Michel (healthy). Michel took the warmup but did not play.
TURNING POINT
The Islanders scored a late second period goal that could have given them some momentum in the third period. However, Matthew Highmore’s marker at 12:15 of the third followed just 40 seconds later by Smallman’s goal locked up the win.
SN THREE STARS
1. Mathieu Joseph
2. Pierre-Olivier Joseph
3. Jakub Zboril
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
The power play was clicking tonight.
NEXT GAMENote to @IslandersHKY, stay out of the penalty box vs the skilled @SJSeaDogs team. pic.twitter.com/DOQ4TZalA3— QMJHL_FanHouse (@QMJHL_FanHouse) November 12, 2016
The Sea Dogs return to Harbour Station tomorrow night to face Anderson MacDonald and the Sherbrooke Phoenix at 7 p.m.
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