RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Shawinigan 5 (SO)

SHAWINIGAN, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs overcame an ugly first period on Thursday night at Centre Gervais Auto only to come up short in a shootout.

In a game that could prove to be critical in the race for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's final playoff spot, the Sea Dogs came out flat but erased a four-goal deficit in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Shawinigan Cataractes.

Shawinigan was rolling in the third period with a 4-1 lead but seemed to fall asleep at the midway mark. Saint John scored three times in the final 10 minutes of regulation - which included William Poirier tying the game on a scramble in the crease with 49 seconds remaining.

Saint John killed off a penalty in overtime and then Poirier had a glorious chance to win the game on a penalty shot but fired wide. Both goaltenders were strong in the shootout - but Justin Blanchette was one save better to secure the win for the home side.

The Sea Dogs now sit two points back of the Cataractes - who currently own the league's final playoff spot. Both teams have 19 games remaining in their schedules, so there's time for Saint John to climb over Shawinigan - but wins haven't been easy to come by of late. Saint John has now lost six straight - all of which have come against Quebec based teams. The team still has two games to go in this odd stretch of eight straight matches against non-Maritimes teams.

Aiden MacIntosh, Filip Prikryl and Nicholas Deakin-Poot also scored for Saint John. Robbie Burt had three assists. Zachary Bouthillier was pulled in the first period after allowing three goals on six shots - but Saint John's defense also shares some blame for the team's rough start. Mikhail Denisov was strong in relief, making 32 stops.

Xavier Bourgault, Jan Drozg, Valentin Nussbaumer and Vincent Senez scored for Shawinigan. Blanchette made 28 stops in the win.

Game Day 49: at Shawinigan

SHAWINIGAN, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs will play one of the biggest game of their season tonight.

The Sea Dogs, who sit 17th overall in the QMJHL with 25 points, will face the Shawinigan Cataractes, who are 16th with 26 points, tonight at the Gervais Auto Centre. The top 16 teams will make the playoffs, making tonight's match a big one for both clubs.

Game time tonight is 8 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-34-2-1 for 25 points (17th QMJHL, ninth Eastern, fifth Maritimes) while the Cataractes are 11-33-1-3 for 26 points (16th QMJHL, eighth Western, fourth Central).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 3-1 loss to the Chicoutimi Sagueneens on Saturday at Harbour Station. Maxim Cajkovic scored Saint John's lone goal. Zachary Bouthillier made 40 saves in the loss. The Cataractes are coming off a 3-2 loss in Rimouski on Tuesday night. Valentin Nussbaumer and Jeremy Martin scored for Shawinigan. Antoine Coulombe made 26 saves in the loss.

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

Last meeting: Jan. 9 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs edged the Cataractes 5-4 in a shootout. Maxim Cajkovic, Robbie Burt, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Brady Burns all scored for Saint John. Valentin Nussbaumer, Mikael Robidoux, Charles Beaudoin and Jeremy Manseau had Shawinigan goals. Mikhail Denisov was pulled after allowing four goals on 19 shots. Zachary Bouthillier stopped all 23 shots he faced in relief. Antoine Coulombe made 25 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 3-1

FINAL: Chicoutimi 3, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - A shorthanded Saint John Sea Dogs squad dropped their fifth straight game on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

First overall pick Hendrix Lapierre scored twice to lift the Chicoutimi Sagueneens to a 3-1 victory over the Sea Dogs. Liam Murphy also scored for the winners while Alexis Shank made 29 stops in the win.

Maxim Cajkovic scored Saint John's lone goal. Zachary Bouthillier, playing against his old team for the first time, made 40 stops in the loss.

Saint John dressed just 11 forwards and six defenseman due to injuries/illness. Robbie Burt, the team's leading goal scorer, missed his second straight contest. Saint John's fatigue showed at times, being outshot 20-11 in the third period.

Chicoutimi has now won six straight games heading into a tough road contest against the Halifax Mooseheads Sunday afternoon. They are a decent club and would likely have a better record if they weren't playing in a tough East Division.

The Sea Dogs will enter next week's pivotal three-game Quebec road trip on a losing skid. The trip includes a Thursday night matchup with the Shawinigan Cataractes, who sit just one point ahead of the Sea Dogs in the race for the league's final playoff spot.

Game Day 48: vs Sagueneens

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to put an end to a four-game losing streak this evening at Harbour Station.

After a hard fought 5-3 loss to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar on home ice last night, the Sea Dogs host the Chicoutimi Sagueneens tonight. Game time is 7 p.m.

The Sags, on the other hand, enter tonight's contest on a five-game winning streak.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-33-2-1 for 25 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Sagueneens are 24-16-3-4 for 55 points (third East, seventh Eastern, ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 home loss to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar last night. Jeremie Poirier, Maxim Cajkovic and Josh Lawrence scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 40 stops in the loss. The Sagueneens are coming off a 4-0 win in Bathurst last night. Hendrix Lapierre, William Dufour, Felix-Antoine Marcotty and Justin Ducharme scored. Alexis Shank made 18 saves for the shutout.

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

Last meeting: Nov. 4 in Chicoutimi where the Sagueneens defeated the Sea Dogs 6-3. Vladislav Kotkov scored a hat trick for the Sags while singles came from Artemi Kniazev, Félix-Antoine Marcotty and Zachary Lavigne. Robbie Burt, Michael Campoli and Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored for Saint John. Current Sea Dogs goaltender Zachary Bouthillier made 19 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 39 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-3

FINAL: Baie-Comeau 5, Saint John 3

SAINT JOHN - Alex D'Orio had to be sharp in his return to Harbour Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs gave D'Orio's Baie-Comeau Drakkar - who are one of the top teams in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League right now - a good run, falling 5-3 on Friday night at Harbour Station.

D'Orio made 17 saves against his old club in his first appearance at Harbour Station since being dealt to the Drakkar at the trade deadline. He is now 6-0 with his new team.

The Drakkar are the hottest team in the league right now, winning their 11th straight game. Like the strong Baie-Comeau teams in years past, they are built around a strong offence. They showed that off on Friday, firing 45 shots on Sea Dogs goaltender Mikhail Denisov.

Ethan Crossman, Gabriel Fortier, Jordan Martel, Sacha Roy and Xavier Bouchard all scored for the Drakkar. Ivan Chekhovich, the league's leading scorer, was held pointless for just the ninth time all season.

Saint John goals came from Jeremie Poirier, Maxim Cajkovic and Josh Lawrence. Denisov made 40 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full recap.

Game Day 47: vs Drakkar

SAINT JOHN - Alex D'Orio makes his return to Harbour Station tonight.

The long-time Saint John Sea Dogs goaltender will presumably get the nod between the pipes this evening when his Baie-Comeau Drakkar kick off a three-game Maritime road trip. Game time is 7 p.m.

D'Orio is 5-0 with a 1.40 goals against average and a .936 save percentage in five games with the Drakkar.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-32-2-1 for 25 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Drakkar are 33-9-2-1 for 69 points (first East, first Eastern, third QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off an 8-4 loss in Rouyn-Noranda on Sunday. Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Maxim Cajkovic, Jeremie Jacob and Filip Prikryl scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 52 saves in the loss. The Drakkar are coming off a 5-1 home win over the Shawinigan Cataractes on Saturday. Nathan Legare and Ethan Crossman both scored twice for Baie-Comeau while Xavier Bouchard also scored. Alex D'Orio made 14 saves in the victory.

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

Last meeting: Nov. 3 at Harbour Station where the Drakkar defeated the Sea Dogs 8-1. Ivan Chekhovich scored four goals for Baie-Comeau; Yaroslav Alexeyev had two goals; and singles came from Christopher Benoit and Tyler Hylland. William Poirier scored Saint John's lone goal. Justin Blanchette made 29 saves in the win. Stewart Bagnell allowed six goals on 31 shots. Tommy DaSilva allowed two on 10 shots.

Cajkovic heads into Top Prospects Game hot

SAINT JOHN - Maxim Cajkovic has looked like a different player of late.

The import forward has posted an impressive five goals and five assists in his past six games. He has only been held without a point in three of his past 13 contests.

The hot play of late has pushed Cajkovic into sixth overall in QMJHL rookie scoring with 32 points. Victoriaville's Egor Serdyuk, the current rookie scoring leader, is just seven points ahead and has appeared in two more games.

This type of consistency is surely what the Sea Dogs expected when they picked Cajkovic first overall in the CHL Import Draft. Things had been going south for the Slovak following a strong pre-season. His frustration was clearly visible on the ice at times and the Dogs made him a healthy scratch on a few occasions. Not making the Slovakian world junior team would put a damper on most players' seasons - but it seems to have lit a fire under Cajkovic.

The Slovak is still expected to be picked in this year's NHL Draft. He has slid down the rankings over the past few months, but another few weeks of consistent, solid play will no doubt give him a boost.

Cajkovic will have a chance to play in front of a plethora of NHL scouts tonight in Red Deer when he suits up for Team Cherry at the CHL/NHL Top Prospects. Game time is 11 p.m. on Sportsnet.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 8-4

FINAL: Saint John 4, Rouyn-Noranda 8

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. - It wasn't pretty, but it could have been a whole lot worse.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are heading home winless on their three-game Quebec road trip following an 8-4 loss to the league leading Rouyn-Noranda Huskies on Sunday night at Iamgold Arena.

This game, much like this road trip, could have been a lot worse though. Things were looking ugly midway through the match with the Huskies up 6-1, but Saint John at least didn't throw in the towel, scoring three times in the third.

It was a battle of first versus second worst and it certainly looked like it at times. Goaltender Zachary Bouthillier was excellent in net despite allowing eight goals, making 52 stops in the loss. Bouthillier faced an astonishing 122 total shots in the two games he appeared in on this trip.

Nicholas Deakin-Poot, Maxim Cajkovic, Jeremie Jacob and Filip Prikryl all scored for Saint John.

While the Sea Dogs head home with a 0-3 record on this trip, even a great team would have struggled against the likes of Drummondville and Rouyn-Noranda. The team's 4-2 loss on Saturday in Val-d'Or was close until the third period. Despite this rough stretch, the Dogs continue to play noticeably better than they did just a couple months ago.

Justin Bergeron and Joel Teasdale each scored a pair for the Huskies while singles came from Samuel Naud, Jacob Neveu, Alex Beaucage and Rafael Harvey-Pinard. Zachary Emond made 18 saves in the win.

Game Day 46: at Rouyn-Noranda

ROUYN-NORANDA, Que. - A three-game Quebec road trip ends today for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs have dropped the first two games of this trip and things don't get any easier. Saint John will face the league leading Rouyn-Noranda Huskies today at 5 p.m. in one of junior hockey's most intimidating rinks.

The Huskies are 20-2-0-0 at Iamgold Arena this season and have won seven straight overall.

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

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-2 loss in Val-d'Or last night. Aiden MacIntosh and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 41 saves in the loss. The Huskies are coming off an 8-1 home win over the Charlottetown Islanders last night. Rafael Harvey-Pinard and Alex Beaucage each scored twice while singles came from Felix Bibeau, Samuel Naud, Tyler Hinam and Justin Bergeron. Samuel Harvey made 24 saves in the win.

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

Last meeting: Dec. 1 at Harbour Station where the Huskies defeated the Sea Dogs 7-1. Alex Beaucage had a hat trick for Rouyn-Noranda while singles came from Patrik Hrehorcak, Mathieu Gagnon, Vincent Marleau and Peter Abbandonato. Charlie DesRoches scored for Saint John. Zachary Emond made 25 saves in the win. Mikhail Denisov allowed six goals on 43 shots. Tommy DaSilva allowed a goal on seven shots.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Val-d'Or 4

VAL-D'OR, Que. - A three-goal third period pushed the Val-d'Or Foreurs past the Saint John Sea Dogs on Saturday night.

Nicolas Ouellet scored twice while Jeremy Michel and Felix Boivin added singles in Val-d'Or's 4-2 victory over the Sea Dogs at the Air Creebec Centre. Jonathan Lemieux made 30 stops in the win.

It was a 1-1 game heading into the third period but the Foreurs scored three times in under four minutes early in the final frame to secure the victory. The Dogs netted a goal with just over four minutes remaining but the game was too far out of reach.

Aiden MacIntosh and Maxim Cajkovic scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 41 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs have dropped the first two games of this three-game Quebec road trip. The toughest matchup takes place on Sunday when the Dogs visit the league leading Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.

Game Day 45: at Val-d'Or

VAL-D'OR, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue their three-game road trip through Quebec tonight at the Air Creebec Centre.

The Sea Dogs face the Val-d'Or Foreurs at 7 p.m. in what should be the "easiest" game of this road trip. The team fell 9-2 to the high flying Drummondville Voltigeurs on Thursday and visit the league leading Rouyn-Noranda Huskies tomorrow.

The Sea Dogs and Foreurs are separated by just eight points in the overall standings.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-30-2-1 for 25 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Foreurs are 14-24-4-1 for 33 points (fourth West, seventh Western, 15th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 9-2 loss in Drummondville on Thursday night. William Poirier and Luke Wilson scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 53 stops in the loss. The Foreurs are coming off a 4-0 road loss in Rouyn-Noranda on Thursday. Mathieu Marquis made 53 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-0-0-0 against the Foreurs this season while Val-d'Or is 0-0-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Nov. 30 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Foreurs 4-3 in overtime. Robbie Burt scored a hat trick for Saint John and Charlie DesRoches notched a solo marker. Nicolas Ouellet, Jacob Gaucher and Jeremy Michel scored for Val-d'Or. Alex D'Orio made 36 saves in the win. Jonathan Lemieux made 41 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 9-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Drummondville 9

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - One of junior hockey's best teams looked very much like one of junior hockey's best teams on Thursday night.

The Drummondville Voltigeurs smoked the Saint John Sea Dogs by a final score of 9-2 at the Marcel Dionne Centre. The loss ended Saint John's modest three-game winning streak and keeps the team one point back of playoff position.

The Voltigeurs dominated the Sea Dogs, outshooting the squad 62-19. Saint John's two goals came in the third period when the score was already 9-0. There isn't much to say about this game other than the fact that Drummondville is simply a significantly better team than Saint John right now. These things happen.

Nicholas Girouard, Nicolas Guay, Joe Veleno and Gregor MacLeod all scored twice for Drummondville while Marc-Olivier Duquette added a solo marker. Anthony Morrone made 17 stops in the win.

William Poirier and Luke Wilson scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier was left in for all nine goals against, facing 62 shots - which is tied for the third most allowed in a game in team history.

Game Day 44: at Drummondville

DRUMMONDVILLE, Que. - A tough Quebec road trip begins tonight for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs will face two of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's elite during this three-game, four day stretch. It begins tonight with an 8 p.m. matchup against Joe Veleno and the Drummondville Voltigeurs at the Marcel Dionne Centre.

Saint John will then travel to Val-d'Or to face the Foreurs on Saturday at 7 p.m. and end the trip with a Sunday contest in Rouyn-Noranda against the league leading Huskies.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 11-29-2-1 for 25 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Voltigeurs are 33-9-1-0 for 67 points (first Central, second Western, second QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win in Bathurst on Saturday night. Maxim Cajkovic had a pair of goals for Saint John while singles came from Charles DesRoches, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and William Poirier. Mikhail Denisov made 37 saves in the win. The Voltigeurs are coming off a 7-1 home win over the Victoriaville Tigres on Tuesday. Dawson Mercer had a hat trick; Gregor MacLeod two goals; and singles came from Jarrett Baker and Joe Veleno. Olivier Rodrigue made 15 stops in the win.

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

Last meeting: Nov. 23 at Harbour Station where the Voltigeurs defeated the Sea Dogs 7-2. Cédric Desruisseaux and Xavier Simoneau each scored twice for the Volts while singles came from Joe Veleno, Dawson Mercer and Marc-Olivier Duquette. Nathan Larose and Brady Burns scored for Saint John. Daniel Moody made 25 stops in the win. Mikhail Denisov made 40 saves in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Saint John 5, Bathurst 1

BATHURST - A four-point night by Maxim Cajkovic guided the Saint John Sea Dogs to a third straight win.

The rookie import recorded two goals and two assists in Saint John's 5-1 road victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday night. The four point night was a career best for Cajkovic, who now has points in seven of his past 10 games.

Charlie DesRoches, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and William Poirier also scored in the victory. Mikhail Denisov made 37 saves in the win.

The Sea Dogs win combined with a Shawinigan Cataractes loss pushes Saint John into the league's final playoff spot by one point. Shawinigan, however, has played one fewer game.

Mathieu Desgagnes scored Bathurst's lone goal - which was the game's opening marker midway through the first period. Mark Grametbauer was pulled after allowing four goals on 22 shots through 40 minutes of action. Tyriq Outen allowed a goal on eight shots in relief.

The Titan, who sit last overall, have now lost 18 straight games at the KC Irving Regional Centre.

The Sea Dogs website has a full game recap.

Game Day 43: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The Saint John Sea Dogs could move into a playoff spot with a win tonight.

A Sea Dogs win and a Shawinigan Cataractes loss would push Saint John into the league's final playoff position. The Cataractes would still have a game in hand, though.

Game time tonight for the Sea Dogs' road match against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 10-29-2-1 for 23 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 7-32-1-1 for 16 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs and Titan met last night at the KC Irving Regional Centre with Saint John winning 4-3 in overtime. Benjamin Gagne, William Poirier, James White and Filip Prikryl scored for Saint John. Jesse Sutton, Liam Leonard and Mathieu Desgagnes scored for the Titan. Zachary Bouthiller made 18 stops in the win. Mark Grametbauer made 28 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-4-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 4-1-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last night. See above.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Bathurst 3 (OT)

BATHURST - Filip Prikryl was the hero again in a Saint John Sea Dogs extra time victory.

After scoring the shootout winner in Wednesday's game at Harbour Station, Prikryl netted the overtime winner on Friday night at the KC Irving Regional Centre, giving the Sea Dogs a 4-3 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

Prikyl has been playing quite well after a quiet first half. Seemingly riding a wave of confidence, the rookie import has four goals and three assists in his past nine games.

Benjamin Gagne, William Poirier and James White also scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthiller, who made his first Sea Dogs start after a solid relief appearance on Wednesday, made 18 stops in the win.

Jesse Sutton, Liam Leonard and Mathieu Desgagnes scored for the Titan. Mark Grametbauer made 28 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs website has a full recap.

Saint John is now 6-4 in their past 10 games and have moved to within one point of the league's final playoff spot.

Game Day 42: at Bathurst

BATHURST - The big games continue for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

While the Sea Dogs sit ahead of the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in the overall standings by six points, this weekend's back-to-back matches at the KC Irving Regional Centre offer the Dogs a chance to gain some ground in the playoff race. They trail the Shawinigan Cataractes, who own the final playoff spot, by three points. Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

The Titan sit last in the QMJHL with just 15 points in 40 games - but have been successful against Saint John so far this year, going 4-1-0-0.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 9-29-2-1 for 21 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 7-32-0-1 for 15 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 shootout win over the Shawinigan Cataractes on Wednesday at Harbour Station. Maxim Cajkovic, Robbie Burt, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Brady Burns all scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 15 saves and Zachary Bouthillier made 23. The Titan are coming off a 5-4 loss in Halifax on Tuesday. Anderson MacDonald, Mathieu Samson, Cole Rafuse and William Champagne scored for the Titan. Mark Grametbauer made 40 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-4-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 4-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 28 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs hammered the Titan 6-1. James White had a hat trick for Saint John while singles came from William Poirier, Alex Drover and Nicholas Deakin-Poot. Mathieu Desgagnes scored for Bathurst. Alex D'Orio had 18 saves in the win. Mark Grametbauer allowed four goals on 12 shots. Tyriq Outen allowed two on 29 shots.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-4 (SO)

FINAL: Shawinigan 4, Saint John 5 (SO)

SAINT JOHN - In an entertaining, back-and-forth contest, the Saint John Sea Dogs picked up a big extra point.

Filip Prikryl scored the shootout winner in a 5-4 Sea Dogs victory over the Shawinigan Cataractes on Wednesday night at Harbour Station. While a regulation time win would have been ideal, the victory puts Saint John within three points of Shawinigan for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's final playoff spot.

Maxim Cajkovic had a goal and two assists to lead the Sea Dogs to the win. Robbie Burt, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Brady Burns also scored. William Poirier added two assists.

Mikhail Denisov was pulled in the second period after allowing four goals on 19 shots. Things looked dire at the time with the Dogs down 4-2, but the "new" Sea Dogs that we have seen over the past few weeks showed up again, climbing back to tie the game and take it in a shootout.

The newly acquired Zachary Bouthillier played a big role in the win, making 23 stops and denying two of the three shooters in the breakaway contest.

Valentin Nussbaumer, Mikael Robidoux, Charles Beaudoin and Jeremy Manseau scored for Shawinigan. Antoine Coulombe made 25 stops in the in the loss.

Game Day 41: vs Cataractes

SAINT JOHN - A big stretch begins for the Saint John Sea Dogs tonight at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs, who sit 17th overall in the QMJHL standings with 19 points, host the Shawinigan Cataractes, who sit 16th with 23 points. The Cataractes own the league's final playoff spot. A win by the Sea Dogs tonight would put them just two points out with two months of regular season left.

Tonight's game begins at 7 p.m.

After this evening's contest, the Sea Dogs play back-to-back games in Bathurst on Friday and Saturday. The Titan sit 18th overall with 15 points.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-29-2-1 for 19 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th overall) while the Cataractes are 10-26-1-2 for 23 points (fourth Central, eighth Western, 16th overall).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday night at Harbour Station. Filip Prikryl, Jeremie Jacob and Brady Burns all scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 34 stops in the loss. The Cataractes are coming off a 6-2 loss in Boisbriand on Sunday. Zackary Daneau and Jeremy Manseau scored for Shawinigan. Antoine Coulombe allowed two goals on 18 shots. Justin Blanchette allowed four goals on 20 shots.

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 Cataractes last season while Shawinigan went 2-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 10, 2018 at Harbour Station where the Cataractes defeated the Sea Dogs 8-5. Alex Plamondon and Anthony Imbeault each scored twice for Shawinigan while singles came from Gabriel Denis, Simon Dubois-Tiberghen, Jason Horvath and Frederick Theoret. Ostap Safin, Radim Salda, Anthony Boucher, Robbie Burt and Kevin Gursoy all scored for Saint John. Mathieu Bellemare made 20 stops in the win. Tommy DaSilva made 32 stops in the loss.

Deadline day news and notes

It was a busy trading period for the Saint John Sea Dogs, which ended with an even busier deadline day on Sunday.

The Sea Dogs made a total of eight trades during the transaction period - five of which were finalized on Sunday. Here are some news and notes from this past weekend's activities.

• With Saint John picking up a first round pick from the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in the Alex D'Orio trade, the Sea Dogs now have six first round picks over the next three drafts - one in 2019 (BLB), three in 2020 (SJ, DRU and BAC) and two in 2021 (SJ and HAL).
• D'Orio has a legitimate shot at another QMJHL title. The Drakkar currently sit third overall in the QMJHL standings - just six points back of the first-place Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
• The Drakkar visit Harbour Station on Jan. 25.
• The acquisition of Zachary Bouthillier really solidifies Saint John's goaltending for the rest of the season. A Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, Bouthillier will likely be back next season to be Saint John's No. 1.
• As noted by the team in a news release, Mikhail Denisov and Bouthillier played together with the Shawinigan Cataractes in 2016-17.
• The team hasn't released information on Tommy DaSilva's future. He has struggled this season and has not played in a game since Dec. 7 - although he has dressed as backup since then.
• It's unlikely any of the players acquired from Drummondville in the Shane Bowers trade will report to Saint John. The deal will presumably be finalized and tidied up at the QMJHL Entry Draft in June. "There will be more transactions to come," said Sea Dogs president and general manager Trevor Georgie.
• It doesn't look like Bowers will be reporting to the Voltigeurs, which is too bad.
• What was with Saint John swapping second round picks with the Titan? Saint John wanted another pick in this year's draft. Saint John currently owns three first round picks in 2020.
• Overager Anthony Boucher was not traded. We'll see where he ends up - and unfortunately it may not be in the Q.
• If you haven't heard, 16-year-old Alex Drover will play the remainder of the season with the MHL's Valley Wildcats.
• Former Sea Dogs defenseman Ian Smallwood was traded to the Acadie-Bathurst Titan by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

The Sea Dogs are back in action on Wednesday, hosting the Shawinigan Cataractes at 7 p.m.

Drover to join MHL's Wildcats

SAINT JOHN - In an expected but perhaps not preferred move, the Saint John Sea Dogs will be assigning 16-year-old forward Alex Drover to the Valley Wildcats of the Maritime Hockey League.

Drover was acquired in the Nathan Larose trade with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles a couple weeks ago and has recorded a goal and an assist in six games. Overall this season, the 10th overall pick in last June's QMJHL Entry Draft has four goals and nine assists in 32 games.

Unfortunately for Drover and the Sea Dogs, there is a limit on the number of 16-year-olds a team can carry - and Saint John has been over that limit all season with Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns, William Villeneuve and Jeremie Poirier. Drover, like Dawson Stairs, will play the remainder of the season in the MHL where he'll get plenty of ice time.

According to a Wildcats release, Drover is expected to join the Berwick, NS based junior 'A' club this week.

“We’re very happy to work out a deal with Saint John to acquire Alex’s Maritime league rights and provide him the ice time he needs to develop,” said Wildcats general manager and head coach Nick Greenough in a release. “It’s not every day you’re able to add a first-rounder from the Q and we expect Alex will provide some much-needed scoring punch.”

The Wildcats sit last overall in the MHL with a 5-23-3-0 record and have scored a league low 63 goals.

The Sea Dogs recently assigned defenseman Carson Gallant to the Wildcats as well.

Sea Dogs have a busy deadline day

Embed from Getty Images
SAINT JOHN - Sunday proved to be one of the busiest Quebec Major Junior Hockey League trade deadline days in Saint John Sea Dogs history.

The Sea Dogs made a total of five deals on Sunday in what was the final day of trading for the 2018-19 season. Two of the trades were expected - the Shane Bowers deal and the Alex D'Orio transaction.

Here's what the Sea Dogs did on deadline day:

To Bathurst: 2020 second round pick (Drummondville)
To Saint John: 2019 second round pick (Halifax)

To Drummondville: Shane Bowers
To Saint John: Ryan Leonard and Max Sauve

To Baie-Comeau: Alex D'Orio
To Saint John: 2019 12th round pick and a 2020 first round pick

To Chicoutimi: 2020 second round pick (Sherbrooke) and a 2021 fourth round pick
To Saint John: Zachary Bouthillier

To Rimouski: 2021 fifth and sixth round picks
To Saint John: Alexis Belisle

The Bowers deal presumably has conditional pieces attached to it - which will be settled up at the QMJHL Entry Draft in June. At this time, it doesn't seem likely that Bowers will report to the Voltigeurs, meaning the return will likely be less than hoped. Leonard and Sauve are both Americans who have never played in the league.

Bouthillier, a 19-year-old veteran goaltender who is a Toronto Maple Leafs prospect, might mean the end of Tommy DaSilva's time with the Sea Dogs for this season - but we will see. Bouthillier is 9-10 this season with the Sagueneens with a 3.36 GAA and .889 SV%.

Belisle, meanwhile, is a 16-year-old forward playing with the QMAAA's Saint-Eustache Vikings. He was a third-round pick of the Oceanic in the 2018 Draft.

More info to come...

Sea Dogs trade D'Orio to the Drakkar

SAINT JOHN - The Alex D'Orio era is over in Saint John.

While the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League still hadn't made the deal official at the time of this writing, all indications are that D'Orio will be/has been traded to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick.

Un choix de premier tour 2020 ira aux Sea Dogs dans la transaction qui envoie D’Orio à Baie-Comeau. #tvasports

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MLalancetteTVA) January 5, 2019

D'Orio spoke with Sea Dogs broadcaster John Moore about the deal that will see him join one of the league's top contenders.

Alex D’Orio excited to join #Drakkar just before trade deadline.@SJSeaDogs pic.twitter.com/yiBfIr30dm

— John Moore (@rinkrant) January 6, 2019

While D'Orio has had a rough season, he's no doubt still considered one of the best goaltenders in the league - and has been considered one of the top goalies available on the trade market for some time.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-3

FINAL: Rimouski 4, Saint John 3

SAINT JOHN - In a close battle, the Saint John Sea Dogs fell 4-3 to the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday night at Harbour Station.

While the buzz was around goaltender Alex D'Orio being traded to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar, the Sea Dogs played a fairly solid game against one of the league's better clubs.

Saint John has shown of late that they are able to handle some adversity and battle back from it. They showed that again on Saturday, climbing back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits. Despite ultimately losing, the Sea Dogs have shown a lot of improvement in their game over the past couple weeks.

Filip Prikryl, Jeremie Jacob and Brady Burns - all of whom have been putting up points at a steady pace of late - scored for Saint John. Burns also had a an assist in a first star performance. Mikhail Denisov, in his first game as the team's official No. 1 netminder, made 34 stops in the loss.

Anthony D'Amours, Charle-Edouard D'Astous, Cedric Pare and Jimmy Huntington scored for Rimouski. Tristan Berube made 27 stops in the win.

Game Day 40: vs Oceanic

SAINT JOHN - The Rimouski Oceanic make their only visit of the season to Harbour Station tonight.

Canadian world junior forward Alexis Lafreniere, who is projected to be the first overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, has rejoined the club and should be in the lineup this evening.

Game time between the Saint John Sea Dogs and Oceanic is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-28-2-1 for 19 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Oceanic are 22-13-3-0 for 47 points (second East, sixth Eastern, eighth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles last night at Harbour Station. Aiden MacIntosh scored Saint John's lone goal while Alex D'Orio made 36 stops in the loss. The Oceanic are coming off a 6-3 loss in Halifax last night. Olivier Garneau, Nathan Ouellet and Zachary Massicotte scored for Rimouski. Tristan Berube allowed three goals on 13 shots. Colten Ellis allowed three goals on 14 shots.

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

Last meeting: Nov. 1 in Rimouski where the Oceanic hammered the Sea Dogs 9-1. Charles-Edouard D'Astous and Alexis Lafreniere each scored twice while singles came from Dmitry Zavgorodniy, Radim Salda, Cedric Pare, Olivier Garneau and Anthony Gagnon. William Poirier scored for Saint John. Colten Ellis made 20 saves in the win. Tommy DaSilva allowed five goals on 25 shots. Stewart Bagnell allowed four goals on 20 shots.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-1

FINAL: Cape Breton 5, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles had little trouble with the Saint John Sea Dogs on Friday night at Harbour Station.

Derek Gentile scored twice to lead the Screaming Eagles to a 5-1 win over the Sea Dogs. Egor Sokolov, Ian Smallwood and Shaun Miller also scored. William Grimard made 22 stops in the win.

Aiden MacIntosh scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio allowed five goals on 41 shots in the loss.

The Screaming Eagles scored two goals less than three minutes apart midway through the first period to grab a 2-0 advantage. MacIntosh scored late in the frame to get Saint John within one, but two Cape Breton goals late in the second period secured the victory.

This was the second game of a three-in-three for the Sea Dogs, who were coming off a big 6-5 win in Moncton on Thursday night. The team hosts the Rimouski Oceanic on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Game Day 39: vs Screaming Eagles

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to keep rolling tonight at Harbour Station when they host the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles.

The Sea Dogs defeated the Moncton Wildcats 6-5 on the road last night, giving the club five wins in their past 10 games. The team has eight wins all season.

Game time tonight is 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 8-27-2-1 for 19 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 22-13-1-2 for 47 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, eighth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-5 win in Moncton last night. Robbie Burt scored two goals while singles came from Josh Lawrence, Brady Burns, James White and Benjamin Gagne. Mikhail Denisov made 38 stops in the win. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a rough 7-1 loss in Halifax on New Year's Eve. Leon Gawanke scored Cape Breton's lone goal. William Grimard made 23 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-4-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 4-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Dec. 15 at Harbour Station where the Screaming Eagles edged the Sea Dogs 3-2. Ian Smallwood, Brooklyn Kalmikov and Mitchell Balmas scored for Cape Breton. Filip Prikryl and Jeremie Poirier scored for Cape Breton. William Grimard made 17 stops in the win. Alex D'Orio made 32 stops in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 6-5

FINAL: Saint John 6, Moncton 5

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs continue to play like a different team of late.

After a dreadful first half, the Sea Dogs have found some jump over the past few weeks. They continued to roll on Thursday night, winning an offensive duel over the Moncton Wildcats by a final score of 6-5 at the Avenir Centre.

The Sea Dogs had a strong first period again - something they struggled with throughout the first half - taking a 4-2 lead to the dressing room. Moncton stormed back in the second, scoring three times and outshooting Saint John 16-6. The Dogs wouldn't go away though. Robbie Burt tied the game at 5-5 early in the third and then, exactly one-minute later, Benjamin Gagne recorded his first goal as a Sea Dog to make it 6-5 - a goal that proved to be the game-winner.

Burt had two goals in the game while singles came from Gagne, Josh Lawrence, James White and Brady Burns. Mikhail Denisov, who was in net for Saint John's 1-0 victory over the Wildcats on Sunday, made 38 stops in the win.

Charles-Antoine Giguere, Jordan Spence, Jeremy McKenna, Brady Pataki and Dylan Seitz scored for Moncton. Charles-Antoine Lavallee allowed four goals on 13 shots. Francis Leclerc allowed two goals on 17 shots.

Saint John has now won three of the six head-to-head meetings between the two clubs this season. The Sea Dogs are the only team to have beaten the Wildcats three times in regulation this year.

The Sea Dogs, who have just eight wins all season, are now 5-5 in their last 10 games. The Wildcats, meanwhile, continue to slid, now falling to 3-5-0-2 in their last 10.

Game Day 38: at Moncton

MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back in action tonight at the Avenir Centre.

The Sea Dogs, 4-6 in their last 10 games, take on the Moncton Wildcats, 3-5-0-2 in their last 10 matches, this evening at 7 p.m.

Saint John defeated Moncton 1-0 this past Sunday at Harbour Station.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 7-27-2-1 for 17 points (fifth Maritimes, 17th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 24-11-2-2 for 52 points (second Maritimes, fifth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Monday. Filip Prikryl scored Saint John's lone goal. Alex D'Orio made 32 stops in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 6-3 home win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Monday. Adam Capannelli, Jacob Hudson, Jonathan Aspirot, Alexander Khovanov, Jakob Pelletier and Mika Cyr all scored for Moncton. Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 29 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 2-3-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 3-2-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: This past Sunday at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs defeated the Wildcats 1-0. Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored the game's only goal. Mikhail Denisov made 34 saves in the shutout win. Francis Leclerc made 10 saves in the loss.

Saint John's 1-0 win was very rare

The Saint John Sea Dogs' 1-0 shutout win over the Moncton Wildcats on Sunday afternoon was more historic than originally thought.

The Sea Dogs recorded just 11 shots in the game but still managed to hang on for the win thanks to a strong 34-save shutout performance by goaltender Mikhail Denisov. Turns out, the 11 shots is a new franchise record for fewest shots in a game. The previous team record was 12, set a couple times - including once last season.

Going deeper into the numbers, the Sea Dogs set a league record by winning the contest. From CHL stat guru Geoffrey Brandow:

The 11 shots on goal matches the League record for the least amount of shots in a victory joining Hull on October 24, 1986 in a 4-3 at Shawinigan. https://t.co/gAIHtYhnbg

— Geoffrey Brandow (@GeoffreyBrandow) December 31, 2018

So that's... something.

The Sea Dogs are averaging 28.17 shots per game this season, which is 13th most in the league.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 4-1

FINAL: Charlottetown 4, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - Coming off back-to-back wins, the Saint John Sea Dogs were brought back down to earth by the Charlottetown Islanders on New Year's Eve.

Nikita Alexandrov scored two goals to lead the Islanders to a 4-1 victory over the Dogs at Harbour Station. Thomas Casey and William Sirman also scored for Charlottetown while Matthew Welsh made 26 saves in the win.

Filip Prikryl scored Saint John's lone goal, connecting with a slick move on a penalty shot. Alex D'Orio was back in the lineup and made 32 stops in the loss.

Keep the change. @spittinchiclets CC: @prikryl_filip pic.twitter.com/f6JB1XMIw4

— Anthony Stella (@AnthonyStella_) December 31, 2018

The Sea Dogs entered the game having won three of their past four games - which included a win over the Islanders.