Friday, November 30, 2018

Game Day 27: vs Foreurs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back home tonight to kick off a three-game homestand.

The Sea Dogs host the Val-d'Or Foreurs this evening at 7 p.m. It's the teams annual Teddy Bear Toss game.

Saint John will look to end a 17-game losing streak. Val-d'Or is kicking off a three-in-three road trip that also includes stops in Cape Breton and Charlottetown.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/Sea Dogs Radio/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-21-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 10-14-2-1 for 23 points (fourth West, 15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 loss to the Screaming Eagles in Sydney on Wednesday night. Charlie DesRoches and Anthony Boucher scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio allowed six goals on 35 shots before being pulled in the third period. Mikhail Denisov made seven stops in relief. The Foreurs are coming off a 6-4 loss in Shawinigan last Saturday. Julien Tessier, Ivan Kozlov, Alexandre Couture and Nicolas Ouellet scored for Val-d'Or. Mathieu Marquis made 35 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-1-1-0 against the Foreurs last season while Val-d'Or went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 16 at the Air Creebec Centre where the Sea Dogs fell 3-2 in overtime to the Foreurs. Adam Cheezo, Nathan Hudgin and Ivan Kozlov scored for Val-d'Or. Ostap Safin scored both Saint John goals. Mathieu Marquis made 35 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 33 stops in the loss.

Thursday, November 29, 2018

2018 has not been good for road Dogs

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs are experiencing major road woes.

Saint John's 6-2 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Wednesday night was the team's 13th straight road loss. The Sea Dogs are now 0-12-0-1 away from Harbour Station this season.

Saint John ended last season with a 16-game road winless streak. Their last win on the road came on Dec. 15, 2017 - a 4-3 overtime victory in Moncton.

All of this is to say: the Sea Dogs have lost a combined 29 straight road games and have not won a single game away from Harbour Station in the 2018 calendar year. That is quite remarkable (and not great).

A few other notes on this stretch:

  • Saint John's streak of 16 straight road losses last season is tied for the 13th longest in league history. The team's franchise record is 17 which was set during the 2006-07 season (which is tied for eighth all-time).
  • The league record for consecutive road losses is 25 set by the 1997-98 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. The 2013-14 Sherbrooke Phoenix have the second longest at 22.
  • On the road this season, Saint John has been outscored 80-27 (-53 goal differential). In 2017-18, the Dogs were outscored 152-82 (-70 goal differential).

The Sea Dogs, who have now lost 17 straight games overall, will play their next three games on home ice. Here's a look at the team's remaining road games as the club looks to get an away win before the calendar turns.
Dec. 7 at Halifax
Dec. 9 at Moncton
Dec. 28 at Bathurst
The Dec. 28 game in Bathurst will probably be Saint John's best chance (and perhaps last shot) at earning a road victory in 2018.

Photo: Screaming Eagles Facebook

Wednesday, November 28, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Cape Breton 6
SYDNEY, NS - Make it 17 straight losses for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs fell 6-2 to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Wednesday night at Centre 200, extending their franchise high losing skid. The team also remains winless on the road, dropping all 13 of the away games they have played this season.

Saint John outshot Cape Breton 12-11 in the first period but found themselves down 3-0. They got back within two goals early in the third, but the hole they had dug themselves into was simply too big.

The Sea Dogs have really struggled in the second half of hockey games the past few weeks, and that stretch continued. After outshooting the Eagles in the first, Saint John was outshot a combined 31-10 through the final 40 minutes.

Adding some pain to to this loss was the fact that former Sea Dogs Isiah Campbell and Ian Smallwood both scored. Shaun Miller, Gabriel Proulx, Adam McCormick and Olivier Bourret had goals for the homeside. Cape Breton backup William Grimard made 20 saves in the win.

Charlie DesRoches and Anthony Boucher scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio was pulled after allowing six goals on 35 shots. Mikhail Denisov made seven stops in relief.

Game Day 26: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs have won just two games all season - and tonight they'll be facing one of the teams they have defeated this year.

The Sea Dogs have not won a game since Oct. 9 at Harbour Station when they beat the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 5-3. Saint John has lost a franchise high 16 straight games since then.

The Sea Dogs and Screaming Eagles will meet this evening at 7 p.m. at Centre 200 as Saint John looks to end their skid once again.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-20-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 13-11-1-1 for 28 points (fourth Maritimes, ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-2 home loss to the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Saturday night. William Villeneuve and Anthony Boucher scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 49 stops in the loss. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 3-2 overtime loss in Charlottetown on Saturday. Gabriel Proulx and Mathias Laferriere scored for the Screaming Eagles. Kevin Mandolese made 35 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-2-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 2-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 21 at Harbour Station where the Screaming Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 9-2. Nine different skaters scored for Cape Breton: Leon Gawanke, Mitchell Balmas, Mathias Laferriere, Felix Lafrance, Egor Sokolov, Gabriel Proulx, Brooklyn Kalmikov, Declan Smith and Alex Drover. Yohan Plamondon and Charlie DesRoches scored for Saint John. Kevin Mandolese made 30 saves in the win. Tommy DaSilva made 24 stops in the loss.

Monday, November 26, 2018

Veleno rips through Maritimes

MONCTON - It seems Joe Veleno let his former club off lightly on Friday night.

Veleno went into beast mode on the Drummondville Voltigeurs' three-in-three road trip through the Maritimes this past weekend, recording six goals and five assists. That included a career high six-point game (three goals and three assists) on Saturday night in Moncton.

The Detroit Red Wings prospect concluded the road trip with a goal and two assists against the Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads. His least productive game was on Friday against his old team, registering two goals on what most would consider a fairly quiet night on the ice.

Before hitting the road, Veleno put up four assists in a game against the Sherbrooke Phoenix. He now has 17 goals and 21 assists in just 23 games.

Veleno was named the QMJHL's Player of the Week on Monday.

The Volts are now 8-2 in their last 10 games and have won four straight. On Friday they'll welcome back Maxime Comtois who was returned to junior by the Anaheim Ducks on the weekend. This team is very good and about to get even better.

Some other news and notes...
  • The Volts won all three games of their Maritime road trip; the Sherbrooke Phoenix did the same; and the Baie-Comeau Drakkar picked up five of a possible six points.
  • Saw Stewart Bagnell put up a strong 36-save performance on Sunday afternoon for the Miramichi Timberwolves. In seven games, Bagnell has a 3.00 GAA and .926 SV%.
  • Also on the Timberwolves is 19-year-old defenseman Jack DesRoches, the older brother of Sea Dogs rookie d-man Charlie DesRoches.
  • Watching from the stands on Sunday: former Sea Dogs assistant coach Greg Leland. The current head coach and general manager of the MHL's Campbellton Tigers will serve as a "guest coach" for Team Canada East tryouts for the World Junior 'A' Hockey Challenge.

Sunday, November 25, 2018

How bad is this losing streak?

MIRAMICHI - Will the streak ever end?

If it feels like it's been forever since the Saint John Sea Dogs won a game, that's because it pretty much has been. Saturday's loss to the Sherbrooke Phoenix was the club's 16th straight loss. Their last win was on Oct. 9 - which is nearly two months ago now.

The Sea Dogs are now tied with the 1971-72 Laval National and the 1989-90 Drummondville Voltigeurs for the ninth longest losing streak in QMJHL history. They still have a ways to go to reach the longest losing skid - that belongs to the 1975-76 Shawinigan Dynamos club that won nine games all season - which is 27 games.
Of course, we all remember the Moncton Wildcats' 25-game mark a couple years ago. The major difference between that streak and Saint John's is that Moncton was tanking that season for Alexis Lafreniere which, as well know, didn't work out as planned.

The Sea Dogs, unfortunately, do not have their own first round pick in the 2019 QMJHL Entry Draft, which is no doubt making this losing skid harder to swallow. Saint John traded that pick to the Val-d'Or Foreurs in the Julien Gauthier trade.

The good news: Saint John still has a realistic chance of being in the draft lottery. They own the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada's top pick, who currently sit just a couple spots out of lottery position at the moment.

Saint John will try and end their streak on Wednesday night in Sydney. The team will also be looking for their first road win of the season.

Saturday, November 24, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Sherbrooke 5, Saint John 2
SAINT JOHN - A 49-save performance by Alex D'Orio wasn't enough for the Saint John Sea Dogs to end their losing streak.

The Sea Dogs were outshot 54-23 by the Sherbrooke Phoenix on Saturday night at Harbour Station but managed to stay in the game thanks to the play of their goaltender. Saint John ultimately fell 5-2 - their franchise record high 16th straight loss.

Much like Friday's loss to the Drummondville Voltigeurs, the Dogs had a respectable opening frame but then let things slip away. On Friday the team was outshot 26-7 in the second period; on Saturday it was 25-6.

William Villeneuve and Anthony Boucher scored for Saint John, who sported some different line combinations with the scratching of first line winger Maxim Cajkovic. Villeneuve was named second star with a goal and an assist.

The Phoenix, who were coming off a huge 9-2 win in Moncton on Friday night, had goals from Patrick Guay, Bailey Peach, Taro Jentzsch, Alexandre Joncas and Benjamin Tardif. Brendan Cregan made 21 stops in the win.

Game Day 25: vs Phoenix

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action this evening at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs lost their 15th straight game on Friday night, falling 7-2 to the Drummondville Voltigeurs. The first half of the game was fairly close, but the Volts out powered the Dogs in the second half of the match.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-19-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 13-9-1-1 for 28 points (second Central, eighth overall).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 loss to the Drummondville Voltiguers on home ice last night. Nathan Larose and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 40 stops in the loss. The Phoenix are coming off a huge 9-2 win in Moncton last night. Olivier Okuliar had a hat trick while singles came from Bobby Dow, Bailey Peach, Nathael Roy, Patrick Guay, Taro Jentzsch and Alex-Olivier Voyer. Thommy Monette made 25 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-1-0-0 against the Phoenix this season while Sherbrooke is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 9 in Sherbrooke where the Phoenix defeated the Sea Dogs 6-2. Alex-Olivier Voyer, Felix Robert, Taro Jentzsch, Patrick Guay, Edouard St-Laurent and Bobby Dow scored for Sherbrooke. Robbie Burt and Jeremie Jacob had Saint John goals. Thommy Monette made 18 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 32 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 7-2

FINAL: Drummondville 7, Saint John 2
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs were able to keep the score somewhat close but could not defeat Joe Veleno and the powerful Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday night at Harbour Station.

The Voltigeurs scored three times in both the the second and third periods en route to a 7-2 victory over the Sea Dogs. Saint John's franchise record losing streak has now hit 15 games.

The Sea Dogs managed to keep the score close for until the Volts belw it open in the third. Even though the score was close at times, the Voltigeurs controlled the play for much of the game. The Volts outshot the Dogs 25-7 in the second period alone and 47-25 overall.

Veleno, the former Sea Dogs captain, made his first appearance at Harbour Station since last year's blockbuster trade. The Detroit Red Wings prospect had two goals (he was credited with the second one after the game) but was fairly quiet otherwise.

Cedric Desruisseaux and Xavier Simoneau both scored twice for the Volts while Dawson Mercer added a single. Daniel Moody made 23 saves in the win.

Nathan Larose and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov was pretty good (other than the sixth goal), making 40 saves in his Sea Dogs debut.

Friday, November 23, 2018

Game Day 24: vs Voltigeurs

SAINT JOHN - Joe Veleno makes his return to Harbour Station tonight.

Veleno has not played in his old home since last December's blockbuster trade that saw the Saint John Sea Dogs captain traded to the Drummondville Voltigeurs in exchange for a pile of draft picks. The first player granted exceptional player status in QMJHL history, Veleno spent two-and-a-half seasons with the Dogs, helping Saint John win the President Cup in 2017.

Game time between the Sea Dogs - who will look to snap a 14-game losing streak - and Voltigeurs is 7 p.m. tonight.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/Sea Dogs Radio/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-18-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 15-6-1-0 for 31 points (first Central, fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Wednesday. Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 21 stops in the loss. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 6-1 win in Sherbrooke on Sunday. Brandon Skubel, Felix Lauzon, Gregor MacLeod, Cedric Desruisseaux, Marc-Olivier Duquette and Jarrett Baker scored for Drummondville. Olivier Rodrigue made 28 saves in the win.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Voltigeurs last season while Drummondville went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 6, 2017 at Harbour Station where the Voltigeurs defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3. Connor Bramwell, Cedric Desruisseaux, Robert Lynch and Nicolas Guay scored for Drummondville. Joe Veleno scored two goals for Saint John while Ostap Safin added a solo marker. Olivier Rodrigue made 26 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 23 stops in the loss.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

Higgins odd overager out

Embed from Getty Images
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs officially announced on Thursday the acquisition of overage goaltender Mikhail Denisov.

The Sea Dogs traded for the netminder on Wednesday, sending a "conditional" 10th-round draft pick in the 2020 QMJHL Entry Draft to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

With Denisov being a 20-year-old, the Sea Dogs needed to part ways with one of their three existing overage players. The odd man out, as expected, is defenseman Tyler Higgins.

“We are sad to see Tyler go,” said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie in a news release. “He is a good person and has been in this league a long time. The overage rule can be cruel. We will work closely with Tyler over the coming days to help him find the next best fit. We want nothing but the best for him. Our young defensemen will continue to be counted on to step up in all situations.”

The Sea Dogs acquired the veteran d-man in the off-season from the Gatineau Olympiques in exchange for a 12th-round pick in the 2021 Draft. Higgins recorded two assists in 18 games with Saint John.

This past week's moves indicate there are more to come. The acquisition of Denisov obviously means there is another move to happen in net over the next month or so. Alex D'Orio will presumably be traded to a contender and it's hard to say what the future may hold for Tommy DaSilva, who has struggled mightily since joining the club.

16-year-old forward Dawson Stairs is with the team for the next few games, but league rules indicate that it's unlikely he'll play in many more matches this season due to his age. Forward Kevin Mason, meanwhile, has rejoined the Pictou County Weeks Crushers of the Maritimes Junior Hockey League and recorded two goals in his return on Thursday.

This season's QMJHL trading period takes place Dec. 16 to Jan. 6.

The Sea Dogs, losers of 14 straight games, host Joe Veleno and the Drummondville Voltigeurs on Friday night at 7 p.m.

Wednesday, November 21, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-1

FINAL: Bathurst 4, Saint John 1
SAINT JOHN - The losing streak has now hit 14.

The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped their franchise high 14th consecutive game on Wednesday night at Harbour Station, falling 4-1 to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Sea Dogs were well rested. They were playing at home for the first time in weeks. Their opponent had lost six straight games and sat just two points ahead of them in the league's basement. Saint John got half of their defence core returned. All of those factors still weren't enough to earn a win.

In what was a fairly uneventful and at times sloppy contest, the Sea Dogs couldn't find the back of the net. Saint John outshot Bathurst 42-25 overall but still came out on the losing end. That kind of bad luck seems to be the norm for this club in recent months.

Charles-Andre Cypihot, Liam Leonard, Noah Dobson and Marc-Andre LeCouffe scored for Bathurst. Mark Grametbauer made 41 stops in the win.

Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 21 stops in the loss.

Sea Dogs recall Stairs; make trade

Embed from Getty Images
SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs made a couple of roster moves on Wednesday.

The team announced that 16-year-old forward Dawson Stairs has been recalled from South Kent Selects Academy in Connecticut. According to the team, Stairs will be in the lineup for tonight's game against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan and both weekend contests.

Stairs has been lighting it up this season with his prep school squad, recording 21 goals and 24 assists in 30 games.

“I have been waiting for this moment since the summer,” said Stairs in a press release. “It’s amazing that it’s finally here. This is where I want to be. I have been working out and skating with the team and the coaching staff this week. Everyone has been great to me. It’s a big jump to play major junior for sure, but it’s exciting to be part of this young group and I want to win here.”

Stairs, a Fredericton native, was a seventh-round pick in this year's QMJHL Entry Draft. He slid down the draft due to his NCAA intentions, but ended up signing with the Sea Dogs at training camp.

It's unclear what's going to happen with the Sea Dogs lineup with the team already over the 16-year-old limit. Stairs likely would have stuck with the team full-time if not for the limit.

In another roster move, the Sea Dogs have acquired 20-year-old goaltender Mikhail Denisov from the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada in exchange for a 2020 10th-round draft pick.

Denisov is in his fourth QMJHL season having spent the first two-and-a-half years with the Shawinigan Cataractes. Denisov is 2-4 this season with the Armada with a goals against average of 3.24 and a save percentage of .886.

The Denisov move is obviously an interesting one given that he is an overager, which would signal another move coming. It also would indicate a move coming in goal - which most believe is coming anyways once the trading period opens.

The Sea Dogs have not made an announcement about the move, but the transaction is posted on the league website.

Game Day 23: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to snap a 13-game losing streak tonight at Harbour Station.

The franchise high losing skid reached 13 after the Sea Dogs dropped all six games of a two week Quebec road trip. Tonight's 7 p.m. matchup against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan will be Saint John's first home game since Oct. 28 - and first game of any kind since Nov. 9.

The Titan haven't been too hot lately either. Bathurst sits just two points ahead of Saint John in the QMJHL's basement and have lost six straight.

TV/Radio/Webcast: Rogers TV/Sea Dogs Radio/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-17-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th overall) while the Titan are 4-18-0-1 for nine points (fifth Maritimes, 17th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-2 loss in Sherbrooke on Nov. 9. Robbie Burt and Jeremie Jacob scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 32 stops in the loss. The Titan are coming off an 8-3 home loss to Charlottetown Islanders last Saturday. Daniil Vertiy, Noah Dobson and Marc-Andre LeCouffe scored for Bathurst. Tyriq Outen made 27 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-2-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 5 at Harbour Station where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 7-1. Noah Dobson and Cole Rafuse both scored twice for Bathurst while singles came from Alexandre David, Charles-Andre Cypihot and Brandon Cianflone. Yohan Plamondon scored for Saint John. Mark Grametbauer made 31 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 23 stops in the loss.

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Needed help returning for Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs should look much more like the Saint John Sea Dogs when they hit the ice on Wednesday night at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs (2-17-2-1) will look to snap a franchise high 13-game losing streak on Wednesday when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan (4-18-0-1) at 7 p.m. They'll be doing so with four key players back in their lineup - forward Josh Lawrence and defensemen Jeremie Poirier, William Villeneuve and Charlie DesRoches, all of whom have missed the last seven games due to the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge.

While Saint John has been in a major slump for a while, that slump intensified with those four rookies out of the lineup. Over the course of those seven games, the Sea Dogs were outscored 53-16, allowing six or more goals in every game.

On paper the major issue seems simple: Saint John's defense has been so depleted that it has been unable to move the puck forward, which means an increase in defensive zone time and a decrease in scoring opportunities. The Sea Dogs' problems are obviously more complicated than that, but having three of their top six defensemen back - even if they are 16-year-olds - should be a major help in both stopping goals and scoring them.

Saint John will have a prime opportunity to end their skid on Wednesday (again, on paper, at least). The Titan sit are just two points ahead of the Sea Dogs in the overall standings and have lost six straight. However... the Dogs are 0-2 against the Titan this season and have been outscored 17-2, meaning they should not take this game lightly.

Saint John will also be battling rust versus freshness. With last Friday's road game in Halifax postponed, the Dogs have not played since Nov. 9 in Sherbrooke. Wednesday's contest will also be the club's first home game since Oct. 28.

Following Wednesday's match, the Sea Dogs host the Drummondville Voltigeurs (15-6-1-0) on Friday and Sherbrooke Phoenix (12-9-1-1) on Saturday.

Saturday, November 17, 2018

Mason returning to Crushers

HALIFAX - Saint John Sea Dogs forward Kevin Mason is apparently heading back to the Maritime Hockey League.

The Pictou County Weeks Crushers posted on Twitter yesterday that Mason will be rejoining the club and playing this Thursday against the Truro Bearcats - which is the Crushers' next game.
Mason, a Pictou native, split last season with the Crushers and Sea Dogs. In 27 MHL games he recorded eight goals and five assists. In 25 QMJHL games he had two goals and three assists.

The 18-year-old has spent most of this season on Saint John's fourth line and has struggled to produce offensively, registering just one assist in 13 games. He has been a healthy scratch on occasion.

The Crushers aren't having a much better season than the Sea Dogs are. Pictou is 3-12-3-2, placing them last overall in the 12-team league.

Friday, November 16, 2018

Sea Dogs game in Halifax postponed

HALIFAX - Tonight's Saint John Sea Dogs road game against the Halifax Mooseheads has been postponed due to travel issues.

While the weather in Halifax is quite terrible, the rescheduling is being blamed on travel delays for the six Mooseheads that took part in this week's CIBC Canada/Russia Series games in Sherbroooke and Drummondville. The final game of the series took place last night in Drummondville.
The Sea Dogs/Mooseheads tilt will now be played on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at Scotiabank Centre.

The rescheduling is a tough break for the Sea Dogs. The team has had almost a week off and would have been playing against a Mooseheads team with a handful of players who had played two of the previous three nights. Now Saint John will have to play a second half Mooseheads squad that will have loaded up at the trade deadline - on top of playing on a Tuesday after playing both Saturday and Sunday.

The Sea Dogs will now look to snap their franchise high 13-game losing streak on Wednesday night at Harbour Station when they host the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. It will be Saint John's first home game since Oct. 28.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Sherbrooke 6
SHERBROOKE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs are returning home without a win on their six-game Quebec road trip.

The Sea Dogs lost the sixth and final game of their two week trek on Friday night in Sherbrooke, falling 6-2 to the Phoenix. The loss extended Saint John's franchise high losing streak to 13 games.

While this road trip has come to an end, Saint John will play one more road match before returning to Harbour Station ice on Wednesday, Nov. 21 (that road game will be next Friday against the Memorial Cup hosts in Halifax). The Dogs still have not won a road game this year, falling to 0-11-0-1.

It was more of the same for the Dogs on Friday. Saint John was dominated in the first period and could never quite dig themselves out of the hole they got into. The final 40 minutes were closer, but Saint John's power play woes and defense did them in.

Alex-Olivier Voyer, Felix Robert, Taro Jentzsch, Patrick Guay, Edouard St-Laurent and Bobby Dow all scored for Sherbrooke. Thommy Monette made 18 saves in the win.

Robbie Burt and Jeremie Jacob scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 32 stops in the loss.

Friday, November 9, 2018

Game Day 22: at Sherbrooke

SHERBROOKE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' six-game road trip mercifully comes to an end tonight.

The Sea Dogs have lost all five games of this trip so far and are on a franchise high 12-game losing skid. Saint John will look to turn things around this evening when they face the Sherbrooke Phoenix at 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-16-2-1 for seven points (sixth QMJHL, 18th QMJHL) while the Phoenix are 9-8-1-1 for 20 points (second Central, 11th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an ugly 8-1 loss in Victoriaville last night. William Poirier scored Saint John's lone goal. Tommy DaSilva allowed four goals on 18 shots while Stewart Bagnell allowed four on 18 shots as well. The Phoenix are coming off a 5-3 loss in Blainville-Boisbriand on Wednesday. Ryan DaSilva and Alex-Olivier Voyer both scored two goals for Sherbrooke while Felix Robert added a solo marker. Brendan Cregan made 27 stops in the win.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Phoenix last season while Sherbrooke went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 14 in Sherbrooke where the Phoenix defeated the Sea Dogs 6-1. Yaroslav Alexeyev scored a hat trick while singles came from Hugo Roy, Nicolas Roy and Thomas Gregoire. Ostap Safin scored Saint John's lone goal. Thommy Monette made 15 saves in the win. Alex D'Orio made 41 stops in the loss.

Thursday, November 8, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 8-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Victoriaville 8
VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - It was a historic night for the Saint John Sea Dogs - but not in a good way.

The Sea Dogs lost their 12th consecutive Quebec Major Junior Hockey League contest on Thursday night at Colisee Desjardins, setting a franchise record. The team has lost 11 straight games two other times in the past but never reached the dozen mark until tonight.

The Sea Dogs fell 8-1 to the Victoriaville Tigres in the fifth game of this monstrous six-game Quebec road trip. Saint John remains winless on the road, falling to 0-10-0-1.

Egor Serdyuk and Jeremy Cote both scored twice for Victoriaville while singles came from Conor Frenette, Jerome Gravel, Feliks Morozov and Mathieu Sevigny. Fabio Iacobo made 27 stops in the win.

William Poirier scored his third goal of this road trip. Tommy DaSilva got the start in net and had a fairly good first period before being pulled midway through the second, allowing four goals on 18 shots. Stewart Bagnell allowed four goals on 18 shots in relief.

Game Day 21: at Victoriaville

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to end an 11-game losing streak tonight in Victoriaville.

The Sea Dogs lost their 11th straight last night in Gatineau, falling 6-4 to the Olympiques. Saint John remains winless on this six-game trip and have yet to win a road contest this year.

Game time tonight is 8 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-15-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Tigres are 8-8-1-1 for 18 points (third Maritimes, 14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-4 loss in Gatineau last night. Robbie Burt had two goals while singles came from Maxim Cajkovic and Aiden MacIntosh. Alex D'Orio made 22 stops in the loss. The Tigres are coming off a 5-2 loss in Drummondville on Sunday. Nicolas Guay scored twice while singles came from Felix Lauzon, Joe Veleno and Cedric Desruisseaux. Olivier Rodrigue made 13 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Tigres last season while Victoriaville went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 3 at Harbour Station where the Tigres defeated the Sea Dogs 7-3. Maxime Comtois scored two goals for Victoriaville while singles came from Dominic Cormier, Chase Harwell, Simon Lafrance, Vitalii Abramov and Jimmy Huntington. Saint John had goals from Nathan Larose, Cole Reginato and Aiden MacIntosh. Tristan Côté-Cazenave made 24 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 42 saves in the loss.

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-4

FINAL: Saint John 4, Gatineau 6
GATINEAU, Que. - It was close, but the Saint John Sea Dogs found themselves on the losing end of yet another road game.

The Sea Dogs dropped their 11th straight Quebec Major Junior Hockey League contest on Wednesday night in Gatineau, falling 6-4 to the Olympiques. Saint John is now 0-9-0-1 on the road this season.

Saint John has dropped all four games they have played so far on this six-game Quebec road trip. Wednesday's match was definitely the closest - both in play and in score.

Connor LePage scored twice for Gatineau and singles came from Giordano Finoro, Shawn Boudrias, Darien Kielb and Gabriel Bilodeau. Creed Jones made 27 stops in the win.

Robbie Burt scored twice for Saint John while Maxim Cajkovic and Aiden MacIntosh added solo markers. Alex D'Orio made 22 stops in the loss.

Game Day 20: at Gatineau

GATINEAU, Que. - The second half of the Saint John Sea Dogs' massive six-game Quebec road trip begins tonight.

The Sea Dogs have dropped the first three games, falling to Rimouski, Baie-Comeau and Chicoutimi by a combined score of 23-5. The team begins a three-in-three tonight, visiting Gatineau, Victoriaville and Sherbrooke.

Game time tonight at the Robert Guertin Centre is 8:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-14-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Olympiques are 7-9-2-1 for 17 points (third West, 14th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-3 loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Sunday. Robbie Burt, Michael Campoli and Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio made 39 stops in the loss. The Olympiques are coming off a 4-3 home loss to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Saturday. Giordano Finoro, Charles-Antoine Roy and Pier-Olivier Lacombe scored for Gatineau. Tristan Berube made 32 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-0-1-0 against the Olympiques this season while Gatineau is 1-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Oct. 4 at Harbour Station where the Olympiques defeated the Sea Dogs 2-1 in overtime. Pier-Olivier Lacombe and Maxim Trepanier scored for Gatineau. Charlie DesRoches scored for Saint John. Creed Jones made 14 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 27 stops in the loss.

Sunday, November 4, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Chicoutimi 6
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CHICOUTIMI, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' losing streak has hit double digits.

The Sea Dogs dropped their 10th straight game on Sunday in Chicoutimi, falling 6-3 to the Sagueneens. The 10-game streak ties Saint John with the Acadie-Bathurst Titan for the longest losing skid in the league so far this season.

The Sea Dogs, who are still winless on the road this season, have dropped the first three games of this six-game Quebec road trip by a combined score of 23-5.

The Sea Dogs were able to keep this game relatively close at least. Alex D'Orio returned to action after missing the first two games of this trip due to injury and made 39 saves in the loss. Robbie Burt, Micheal Campoli and Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored for Saint John.

Vladislav Kotkov scored three times for Chicoutimi while singles came from Artemi Kniazev, Felix-Antoine Marcotty and Zachary Lavigne. Zachary Bouthillier made 19 saves in the win.

Game Day 19: at Chicoutimi

CHICOUTMI, Que. - The road trip keeps on trucking for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will faceoff against the Chicoutimi Sagueneens today at 5 p.m. at the Georges Vezina Centre. Saint John will look to pick up their first road win of the season and end a nine-game losing skid.

The road trip has been a rough one for the Dogs so far, having been outscored 17-2 in two games.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-13-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Sagueneens are 9-4-1-3 for 22 points (second East, seventh QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-1 loss in Baie-Comeau last night. William Poirier scored Saint John's lone goal. Stewart Bagnell allowed six goals on 31 shots while Tommy DaSilva allowed two goals on 10 shots. The Sags are coming off a 3-1 home win over the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada last night. Zachary Lavigne, Xavier Labrecque and Vladislav Kotkov scored for Chicoutimi. Alexis Shank made 33 stops in the win.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-1-0-1 against the Sagueneens last season while Chicoutimi went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 3, 2017 in Chicoutimi when the Sagueneens defeated the Sea Dogs 6-0. Zachary Lavigne and Kevin Klima both scored twice in that game while solo markers came from Liam Stevens and Vincent Milot-Ouellet. Alexis Shank made 28 saves in the shutout win. Stewart Bagnell made 30 stops in the loss.

Saturday, November 3, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 8-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Baie-Comeau 8
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BAIE-COMEAU, Que. - In a game seen by very few people, the Saint John Sea Dogs were blown out for a third straight match.

With the QMJHL webcast unavailable, only the 1,742 in attendance at the Henry Leonard Centre saw the Sea Dogs drop their ninth straight game, this one by score of 8-1 to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar.

Saint John has now given up eight or more goals in each of their past three games. They have been without rookie defensemen Charlie DesRoches, William Villeneuve and Jeremie Poirier for each of those games due to the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge and goaltender Alex D'Orio for the past two due to injury.

William Poirier scored Saint John's lone goal in what was the second game of a six-game road trip through Quebec. Stewart Bagnell made his first start of the season and allowed six goals on 31 shots before being pulled in the third period. Tommy DaSilva allowed two goals on 10 shots in relief.

Ivan Chekhovich scored four goals to lead the Drakkar to victory. Yaroslav Alexeyev added two goals while singles came from Christopher Benoit and Tyler Hylland. Justin Blanchette made 29 stops in the win.

The Drakkar led just 1-0 after one but exploded from there. They added three goals in the second and four in the third in the win.

Game Day 18: at Baie-Comeau

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs' six-game road trip continues with stop two this evening in Baie-Comeau.

The Sea Dogs were hammered 9-1 by the Rimouski Oceanic on Thursday night. Things don't get any easier as Saint John will face the league's No. 3 seeded team today in Baie-Comeau. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Henry Leonard Centre.

The Drakkar are typically one the best teams on home ice - and that has been the case this season. The team is 8-1 at home and have won four straight games overall.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-12-2-1 for seven points (sixth Maritimes, 18th overall) while the Drakkar are 13-3-0-1 for 27 points (first East, third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 9-1 loss in Rimouski on Thursday. William Poirier scored Saint John's lone goal. Tommy DaSilva allowed five goals on 25 shots in the loss. Stewart Bagnell allowed four goals on 20 shots. The Drakkar are coming off a 5-2 home win over the Gatineau Olympiques on Halloween night. Samuel L'Italien scored twice while singles came from Jordan Martel, Ivan Chekhovich and D'Artagnan Joly. Kyle Jessiman made 29 stops in the win.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-1-0-1 against the Drakkar last season while Baie-Comeau went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 10, 2017 at Harbour Station where the Drakkar defeated the Sea Dogs 4-3 in a shootout. Jordan Martel scored two goals for Baie-Comeau and Gabriel Fortier added a solo marker. Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Robbie Burt and Daniel Hardie scored for Saint John. Justin Blanchette made 49 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 29 saves in the loss.

Thursday, November 1, 2018

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 9-1

FINAL: Saint John 1, Rimouski 9
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RIMOUSKI, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs are going to be really tested over the next couple weeks - and things didn't get off to a good start.

Missing their No. 1 goaltender to injury and four regulars due to the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, the Sea Dogs began a six-game road trip with a 9-1 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Thursday night.

The Sea Dogs have now lost eight straight games and remain winless on the road this season. They've given up nine of more goals in back-to-back games - both of which featured three of their top six defensemen missing from the lineup.

Rimouski's high powered offence was on full display on Thursday with seven different players scoring. Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Alexis Lafreniere led the way with two goals each while singles came from Dmitry Zavgorodniy, Radim Salda, Cedric Pare, Olivier Garneau and Anthony Gagnon. Colten Ellis made 19 stops in the win.

William Poirier scored Saint John's lone goal. Tommy DaSilva was pulled in the first period after allowing four goals on 11 shots. Stewart Bagnell allowed four goals on 20 shots in relief. DaSilva was put back in midway through the third, allowing a goal on 14 shots.

Game Day 17: at Rimouski

RIMOUSKI, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin a massive road trip tonight in Rimouski.

The Sea Dogs will play their next seven games on the road due to the World Under-17 Hockey Challenge taking over Harbour Station. This first six of those road games will take place in Quebec, a trip that will see the team visit Rimouski, Baie-Comeau, Chicoutimi, Gatineau, Victoriaville and Sherbrooke.

Game time tonight in Rimouski is 8:30 p.m.

TV/Radio/Webcast: None/None/QMJHL Live

Records: The Sea Dogs are 2-11-2-1 for 11 points (sixth Maritimes, 18th QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 8-8-1-0 for 17 points (fourth East, 10th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an ugly 10-4 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Sunday. Anthony Boucher, Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Yohan Plamondon and Brady Burns all scored for Saint John. Alex D'Orio allowed 10 goals on 39 shots in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 5-2 loss in Quebec City on Sunday. Charle-Edouard D'Astous and Alexis Lafreniere scored for Rimouski. Colten Ellis made 25 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

2017-18 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 0-2-0-0 against the Oceanic last season while Rimouski went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 14 in Rimouski where the Oceanic hammered the Sea Dogs 8-1. Samuel Dove-McFalls and Denis Mikhnin each scored a hat trick while singles came from Alexis Lafreniere and Mathieu Bizier for the Oceanic. Radim Salda scored Saint John's lone goal. Colten Ellis made 22 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio allowed four goals on 25 shots while Matthew Williams allowed four goals on 15 shots.