For a third straight pre-season game, the Sea Dogs had a difficult time keeping the puck out of their own net, falling 7-3 to the Moncton Wildcats at Bouctouche's JK Irving Centre.
The loss comes after a 7-0 loss to the Charlottetown Islanders last weekend and a 7-6 shootout loss on home ice to the Wildcats on Thursday. Saint John ends the pre-season on a three-game losing skid.
The Dogs are still missing their best defender - goaltender Alex D'Orio - due to Pittsburgh Penguins rookie camp. He'll be a difference maker this season - and he'll have to be at many times.
Stewart Bagnell allowed seven goals on 39 shots in the loss. Maxim Cajkovic scored all three of Saint John's goals - and could have easily had two more if not for some fine saves by the Wildcats netminder.
Moncton had a pair of goals from both Elliot Desnoyers and Nicolas Kingsbury-Fournier. Solo markers came from Brady Pataki, Dylan Seitz and Jeremy McKenna. Francis Leclerc made 25 saves in the win.
Cajkovic opened the scoring at 1:15 of the first, firing a low point shot past Leclerc. Mika Cyr then nearly tied the game moments later on a breakaway but was robbed by the pad of Bagnell.
The Wildcats tied the game at 7:00 on a power play. A rebound in close was put in by Desnoyers, making it a 1-1 game. Then on another man advantage at 9:47, a low shot by Desnoyers got through the Saint John goaltender to give Moncton their first lead of the game.
On a power play at 13:36, Cajkovic scored his second of the day to tie things once again. But the lead was short-lived as Kingsbury-Fournier scored on a scramble at 14:14 and then McKenna scored on his own rebound at 14:49, giving Moncton a 4-2 lead after 20 minutes.
The Wildcats wasted little time getting on the board in the second. Just 42 seconds in, Seitz cut in front and put the puck between his legs and over Bagnell, making it 5-2
Saint John had a couple good chances to cut their deficit midway through the second. The first came when Cajvokic had an open net but was robbed by Leclerc. Later on, Josh Lawrence was sprung on a breakaway at the blue line was he was stopped by the pad of the ‘Cats ‘tender.
Moncton made it a 6-2 games with 40.6 seconds remaining in the middle frame. A cross crease feed was tapped in by Kingsbury-Fournier, giving Moncton a commanding advantage heading into the third.
Pataki scored at 7:23 of the final frame to give the Wildcats a 7-2 lead. Cajkovic completed his hat trick at 9:48, nicely redirecting a shot into the top corner to make it a 7-3 final.
LINEUP
NOTES: Maxim Cajkovic ends the pre-season with back-to-back games of two goals or more. He finished recorded six goals in five games total… William Poirier had three assists... there was a low key and minor line "brawl" in the third period which resulted in the officials just tossing nine players from the game... there were a few big hits in the match. This could be a fun year for the Moncton/Saint John rivalry... unreal food at this rink... this was the second time the Sea Dogs have played a game in Bouctouche... Saint John finishes pre-season play with a 4-2-0-1 record and a +1 goal differential.Your lineup for today's game vs. @monctonwildcats in Bouctouche. Puck drops at 4PM for our final pre-season game. pic.twitter.com/co3CPql0Sf— Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) September 16, 2018
NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs begin the regular season on Friday night at Harbour Station, hosting the Halifax Mooseheads.
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