The Sea Dogs took a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series with a 4-0 victory over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada on Saturday at Harbour Station. The next two games will be played in Quebec before shifting back to Saint John, if needed.
Julien Gauthier scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Mathieu Joseph and Spencer Smallman. Callum Booth made 27 saves in the shutout victory.
Samuel Montembeault allowed four goals on 37 shots in the loss.
It was another fairly strong performance by the Sea Dogs. Although not as dominant as we've seen them in previous playoff games this year, they were certainly the better team and deserving of a shutout victory.
To the notes…
- With 3:24 remaining in the first, Joseph had a shorthanded break but was stopped by Montembeault, blocker side.
- With 36.3 seconds remaining in the opening frame, Gauthier broke into the zone with a step on the Armada defence and ripped a wrist shot top corner, glove side past Montembeault. That made it 1-0 Saint John.
- Then with 19.6 seconds left in the period, on a similar play, Joseph broke into the zone and ripped a wrister past Montembeault to give the Dogs a 2-0 advantage.
- At 14:24 of the second, Booth misplayed a bouncing puck and the rebound went straight to Miguel Picard. But Booth stretched out and made a terrific pad/arm stop to maintain the two-goal lead.
- Saint John had a five-on-three power play late in the first for over a minute. The team applied some good pressure and nearly had a goal from Gauthier.
- Smallman scored on a power play just 3:53 into the third, giving the Dogs a 3-0 advantage. Joseph collected a rebound at the dot and then fired a cross-ice pass to an open Smallman.
- Gauthier then made it 4-0 shortly after at 5:26. A Joe Veleno shot was stopped but Gauthier was in front of the crease and slid in the rebound.
- At 7:29, Gauthier was given a five-minute major and game misconduct for a hit to the head on Joel Teasdale. The Armada could not score during any of the power play time, though.
- With 5:13 remaining and Saint John on a power play, the Sea Dogs got the puck into the crease and to the goal line only to have Montembeault reach back and grab it with his glove.
- With 3:40 left and an Armada penalty ending, Joseph had a wide open net but couldn’t get good wood on his shot and fired it off the side of the net.
- Booth's third shutout of the playoffs is a Sea Dogs team playoff record.
- The crowd of 5,872 was slightly below Friday's crowd.
- The Armada have yet to score on a power play in this series.
LINEUP
SCRATCHESHere is tonight's lineup for your #SJSeaDogs brought to you by @CantrburyDental #AlwaysWearYourMouthGuard pic.twitter.com/OcAO6x9dnJ— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) May 6, 2017
The Sea Dogs were without forwards Samuel Leblanc and Landon Quinney along with defencemen Oliver Felixson, David Comeau and Ian Smallwood.
TURNING POINT
Saint John’s two quick goals late in the first period changed the game in a hurry.
SN THREE STARS
1. Julien Gauthier
2. Mathieu Joseph
3. Callum Booth
NEXT GAME
Game 3 of the series takes place on Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. in Blainville-Boisbriand.
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