With six games remaining in their season, the Sea Dogs need a miracle to make the playoffs. It's probably for the best that they don't, improving their chances of landing the first overall pick and avoiding a steamrolling by the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in the opening round.
Saint John's season has been bad - historically bad. The Sea Dogs need to win two of their six remaining games just to tie the franchise record for fewest wins in a season. They need three to move ahead of the mark.
Historically, the Sea Dogs have always been solid on home ice. That has not been the case this season as the team is nearing the worst home record in franchise history.
Here's a breakdown of Saint John's overall and home records through the years.
| Season | Overall | Home |
| 2017-18 | 13-38-9-2 (37) | 7-17-5-2 (21) |
| 2016-17^ | 48-14-5-1 (102) | 25-6-3-0 (53) |
| 2015-16 | 42-20-6-0 (90) | 23-9-2-0 (48) |
| 2014-15 | 32-26-4-6 (74) | 20-9-2-3 (45) |
| 2013-14* | 19-44-2-3 (43) | 10-21-1-2 (23) |
| 2012-13 | 23-44-1-0 (47) | 13-21-0-0 (26) |
| 2011-12^ | 50-15-0-3 (103) | 28-5-0-1 (57) |
| 2010-11^ | 58-7-1-2 (119) | 32-0-1-1 (66) |
| 2009-10 | 53-12-1-2 (109) | 26-7-0-1 (53) |
| 2008-09 | 34-30-2-2 (72) | 18-14-2-0 (34) |
| 2007-08 | 44-22-4-3 (89) | 25-5-3-2 (55) |
| 2006-07* | 20-47-1-2 (43) | 14-19-1-1 (30) |
| 2005-06* | 15-47-2-6 (38) | 9-20-1-5 (24) |
^Won championship
The "loser points" the Sea Dogs have earned this year have at least helped the team's point total. Saint John has lost an incredible nine times in overtime, which ties them with the 1985-86 Longueuil Chevaliers and 2015-16 Moncton Wildcats for the second most in league history.
While the Sea Dogs' numbers are bad, they are not overly surprising. This is a team that is essentially in year zero of a rebuild; they traded away their captain; they lost their two top offensive players for a month at the world juniors; and they have been hit by the injury bug more than any other Sea Dogs team in recent memory.
There is really nowhere to go but up from this season.
The "loser points" the Sea Dogs have earned this year have at least helped the team's point total. Saint John has lost an incredible nine times in overtime, which ties them with the 1985-86 Longueuil Chevaliers and 2015-16 Moncton Wildcats for the second most in league history.
While the Sea Dogs' numbers are bad, they are not overly surprising. This is a team that is essentially in year zero of a rebuild; they traded away their captain; they lost their two top offensive players for a month at the world juniors; and they have been hit by the injury bug more than any other Sea Dogs team in recent memory.
There is really nowhere to go but up from this season.
Any manager can rebuild through tanking, a monkey can rebuild this way. A clever manager would find a pay to be at least somewhat competitive and rebuild at the same time, something the Sea Dogs organization doesn't have.
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