RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-4

FINAL: Moncton 6, Saint John 4

MONCTON - As fate would have it, the Shawinigan Cataractes put an end to the Saint John Sea Dogs' season yet again.

The long-time Quebec rival of the Sea Dogs managed to get a point in their final regular season contest on Saturday, falling 5-4 in overtime to the Victoriaville Tigres. Shawinigan needed Saint John to lose - which they did, falling 6-4 to the Moncton Wildcats - and earn a point to take the final playoff spot.

The "reward" for the Cataractes is a first-round meeting with the top ranked Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Keeping one of those games close should be considered a success for Shawinigan.

The Sea Dogs are no doubt disappointed, especially knowing they controlled their own fate on Saturday - if they had won, the Sea Dogs would have taken the final playoff spot no matter what happened in the Shawinigan game.

Saint John trailed 5-1 entering the third period at Avenir Centre but rallied for three unanswered goals to make a game of it. But unlike Friday in Halifax, the Dogs were unable to tie the match late.

Josh Lawrence, Nicholas Deakin-Poot, James White and William Poirier all scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov, playing in what proved to be his final game of junior, made 27 saves in the loss.

Mika Cyr, Tristan DeJong, Gabriel Sylvestre, Dylan Seitz, Jakob Pelletier and Brady Pataki all scored for Moncton. The rarely used Charles-Antoine Lavallee made 24 saves in the win.

Saint John finishes the regular season with a record of 13-49-2-4.  This was the worst season in club history for wins, regulation time losses and points. The team misses the playoffs for a second straight season and for a fifth time in club history.

Game Day 68: at Moncton

MONCTON - On the final day of the regular season, the Saint John Sea Dogs are in control of their own destiny.

Win this afternoon's 4 p.m. match against the Moncton Wildcats at the Avenir Centre, and they'll make the 2019 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs. If the team loses, they'll need the Shawinigan Cataractes to also lose their afternoon match against the Victoriaville Tigres. The Cataractes are on a 14-game losing streak - but the game means nothing to the Tigres, so it could be interesting.

No matter what happens, it's pretty awesome that the final day of the regular season has so much meaning.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 13-48-2-4 for 32 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 16th QMJHL) while the Wildcats are 37-21-4-5 for 83 points (fourth Maritimes, seventh Eastern, ninth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-4 shootout loss in Halifax last night. Benjamin Gagne, William Poirier, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and Brady Burns all scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 45 saves in the loss. The Wildcats are coming off a 3-2 loss in Charlottetown last night. Elliot Desnoyers, Alexander Khovanov and Jeremy McKenna all scored for Moncton. Francis Leclerc made 33 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-5-0-0 against the Wildcats this season while Moncton is 5-3-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 15 at Harbour Station where the Sea Dogs fell 8-1 to the Wildcats. Brady Pataki and Jakob Pelletier each scored twice while singles came from Jeremy McKenna, Dylan Seitz, Mika Cyr and Alexander Khovanov. Francis Leclerc made 23 saves in the win. Mikhail Denisov allowed eight goals on 35 shots.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-4 (SO)

FINAL: Saint John 4, Halifax 5 (SO)

HALIFAX - The Saint John Sea Dogs moved into playoff position on Friday night.

After weeks of struggling to gain any kind of ground on the 16th-place Shawinigan Cataractes, the Sea Dogs earned a point in one of the most unlikeliest of games - a Friday night matchup against the Memorial Cup hosting Halifax Mooseheads in front of a sold out Scotiabank Centre.

Brady Burns tied the game with 2:14 remaining in the third period, sending the match into a shootout which ended with the Mooseheads taking the contest 5-4. The single point is all the Sea Dogs needed to leapfrog the Cataractes.

Both Saint John and Shawinigan will enter the final day of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's regular season with 32 points - with Saint John holding the first tiebreaker. The Sea Dogs will visit the Moncton Wildcats tomorrow while the Cataractes will face the Victoriaville Tigres on home ice.

Benjamin Gagne, William Poirier and Nicholas Deakin-Poot also scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier made 45 saves in the loss.

Arnaud Durandeau scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Benoit-Olivier Groulx and Keith Getson. Cole McLaren made 23 stops in the win.

Game Day 67: at Halifax

HALIFAX - A tough test awaits the Saint John Sea Dogs tonight at Scotiabank Centre.

Even with a couple of key players injured, the Halifax Mooseheads are a deep and dangerous team - as they showed last Sunday at Harbour Station when they defeated the Sea Dogs 6-1 in a bit of a dull contest. The two meet one more time this season tonight at Scotiabank Centre. Game time is 7 p.m.

This game has meaning for both clubs. With two games remaining, the Sea Dogs sit one point back of the Shawinigan Cataractes for the final playoff spot while the Mooseheads are one point back of the Baie-Comeau Drakkar for top spot in the Eastern Conference.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 13-48-2-3 for 31 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern. 17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 48-15-2-1 for 99 points (first Maritimes, second Eastern, fourth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-3 loss in Cape Breton on Wednesday night. Filip Prikryl scored twice while Maxim Cajkovic added a solo marker. Mikhail Denisov made 34 stops in the loss. The Mooseheads are coming off a 5-3 home win over the Moncton Wildcats on Wednesday. Benoit-Olivier Groulx had a pair of goals while Arnaud Durandeau, Keith Getson and Brock McLeod added solo markers. Alexis Gravel made 26 stops in the win.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-6-1-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 7-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last Sunday at Harbour Station where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 6-1. Arnaud Durandeau had a pair of goals in that game while singles came from Ben Higgins, Jared McIsaac, Ostap Safin and Xavier Parent. Benjamin Gagne scored for Saint John. Alexis Gravel made 14 saves in the win. Mikhail Denisov made 41 stops in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 5-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Cape Breton 5

SYDNEY, NS - It was a painful night for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs never trailed until 17:32 of the third period when Mathias Laferriere scored what proved to be the game-winner in a 5-3 Cape Breton Screaming Eagles win on Wednesday night at Centre 200.

Much of the contest was fairly even with Saint John opening the scoring and leading for a lot of the game. Just when it looked like the Sea Dogs were on their way to earning, at the very least, a crucial point - a point that could have put them into the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's final playoff spot - Laferriere beat a stunned Mikhail Denisov to put Cape Breton in front.

The Sea Dogs remain one point back of the Shawinigan Cataractes, who currently hold the league's final playoff spot. Saint John has two games remaining: Friday in Halifax and Saturday in Moncton. It would be a minor miracle if the Dogs got a point on Friday, which means Saturday is basically the team's only shot - and that's assuming Shawinigan losses.

Filip Prikryl scored twice for Saint John while Maxim Cajkovic added a solo marker. Denisov was very good in net, making 34 stops in the loss.

Along with Laferriere, Mitchell Balmas, Gabriel Proulx, Leon Gawanke and Wilson Forest scored. Kevin Mandolese made 22 stops in the win.

Game Day 66: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs begin their final stretch of the 2018-19 season tonight at Centre 200.

The Sea Dogs, who remain one point back of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's final playoff spot, take on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles this evening at 7 p.m. The team has two more games remaining - both on the road - following this match.

The Screaming Eagles, meanwhile, are still in the race for home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs with three games remaining in their schedule. They sit three points back of the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 13-47-2-3 for 31 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 37-22-1-5 for 80 points (fourth Maritimes, sixth Eastern, eighth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 home loss to the Halifax Mooseheads on Sunday afternoon. Benjamin Gagne scored Saint John's lone goal. Mikhail Denisov made 41 stops in the loss. The Screaming Eagles are coming off a 3-1 home loss to the Charlottetown Islanders on Saturday. Derek Gentile scored Cape Breton's lone goal. Kevin Mandolese made 23 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-7-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 7-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: March 1 at Centre 200 where the Screaming Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 7-2. Brooklyn Kalmikov scored two goals while singles came from Adam McCormick, Ryan Francis, Nathan Larose, Olivier Bourret and Shaun Miller. Josh Lawrence and Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored for Saint John. William Grimard made 14 saves in the win. Tommy DaSilva made 47 saves in the loss against his former club.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 6-1

FINAL: Halifax 6, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - Even without two of their top forwards, the Halifax Mooseheads proved to be too much for the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station.

The Mooseheads scored four times in the second period en route to a 6-1 victory over the Sea Dogs. The game was Saint John's final home contest of the regular season.

The two teams played an uneventful first period and the early goings of the middle frame were the same. Arnaud Durandeau's goal at 11:27 of the second seemed to open the floodgates as the Moose went on to score three goals in just over three minutes of action.

Saint John struggled to get steady offensive chances going, firing just 15 shots on goal in the game - which included just two in the third period.

Durandeau scored a pair of goals for Halifax while singles came from Ben Higgins, Jared McIsaac, Xavier Parent and former Sea Dog Ostap Safin. Alexis Gravel made 14 saves in the win.

Benjamin Gagne scored for Saint John. Mikhail Denisov made 41 stops in the loss.

The Sea Dogs remain one point back of the Shawinigan Cataractes for the final playoff spot. The team's three remaining games will take place on the road this week.

Game Day 65: vs Mooseheads

SAINT JOHN - The final home game of the regular season takes place this afternoon for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs find themselves just one point back of the final playoff spot with four games to play. Wins won't be easy the rest of the way with two matchups against the Halifax Mooseheads and single games against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and Moncton Wildcats. The first of those two meetings with the Mooseheads takes place today at 2 p.m. at Harbour Station.

Saint John ended an 11-game losing streak on Friday night, defeating the last-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan 5-1. The Moose, meanwhile, have lost three of their past four games.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 13-46-2-1 for 31 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Mooseheads are 46-15-2-1 for 95 points (first Maritimes, second Eastern, fourth QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 5-1 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday at Harbour Station. Josh Lawrence scored twice while singles came from Charlie DesRoches, Filip Prikryl and Jeremie Poirier. Mikhail Denisov made 32 saves in the win. The Mooseheads are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Wildcats in Moncton last night. Samuel Asselin and Arnaud Durandeau scored for Halifax.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 0-5-1-0 against the Mooseheads this season while Halifax is 6-0-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Feb. 23 at Scotiabank Centre where the Mooseheads defeated the Sea Dogs 11-1. Keith Getson and Raphael Lavoie both scored twice for Halifax while singles came from Marcel Barinka, Xavier Parent, Ben Higgins, Jake Ryczek, Benoit-Olivier Groulx, Antoine Morand and Arnaud Durandeau. Filip Prikryl scored Saint John's only goal. Cole McLaren made 25 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier allowed six goals on 32 shots through 40 minutes. Mathias Savoie allowed five goals on 15 shots in the third.

RECAP: Sea Dogs win 5-1

FINAL: Bathurst 1, Saint John 5

SAINT JOHN - The playoff hopes are still alive for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs moved to within one point of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's final playoff spot with a 5-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday night at Harbour Station. While the Sea Dogs would not have been eliminated from playoff contention if they had lost, the game was essentially a must-win given that it was the team's "easiest" matchup the rest of the way.

The Sea Dogs have five regular season games remaining. The Shawinigan Cataractes, who currently hold the final spot, also have five games left.

Saint John was led by its youngsters on Friday with two goals coming from Josh Lawrence and singles from Charlie DesRoches, Filip Prikryl and Jeremie Poirier. Mikhail Denisov earned his first win since Jan. 12, making 32 stops.

Liam Leonard scored Bathurst's lone goal. Mark Grametbauer made 28 saves in the win.

The victory ended an 11-game losing streak for the Sea Dogs and erases some of the memories of Thursday's ugly loss to the Titan. They'll look to use some of the confidence gained on Friday in the final stretch of the season.

The Sea Dogs website has a full recap.

Game Day 64: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - If the Saint John Sea Dogs have any chance of making the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League playoffs, tonight's game is basically a must-win.

The Sea Dogs are three points out with five games remaining. If they want to make up ground, winning tonight's match against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan is a must. Game time is 7 p.m. at Harbour Station.

After last night's performance, the Sea Dogs will certainly look to make some improvements to their game.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-46-2-3 for 29 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 8-50-4-1 for 21 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: Last night at Harbour Station where the Titan defeated the Sea Dogs 3-1. Liam Leonard scored twice for Bathurst while Cole Rafuse added a solo marker. Jeremie Jacob added scored for Saint John. Mark Grametbauer made 29 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 41 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-5-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 5-2-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last night. See above.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 3-1

FINAL: Bathurst 3, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN - The great losing streak is over for the Acadie-Bathurst Titan.

The Titan put an end to their 23-game losing skid on Thursday night at Harbour Station defeating the Saint John Sea Dogs 3-1. The streak will remain the fifth longest in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League history.

It was a battle of the league's worst teams on Thursday - and it definitely looked like it. The game was sloppy, slow and unorganized for most of the night - which was expected. Entering the game, the two teams had a combined 19 wins.

Liam Leonard opened the scoring at 11:44 of the first period and then Cole Rafuse, the Sea Dogs killer, put the Titan up by two with a goal in the final minute of the middle frame. Leonard added an empty netter with 1:23 remaining in regulation time to secure the win.

Goaltender Mark Grametbauer, who has collected five of his eight wins against Saint John this season, made 29 saves in the victory.

Jeremie Jacob scored Saint John's lone goal - which came in the final minute of the third with the game already out of reach. Zachary Bouthillier made 41 stops in the loss.

The Titan's last win came on Jan. 5 in Gatineau.

The loss was a major blow to Saint John's playoff chances. The team remains three points back of the final playoff spot with five games remaining - a tall task for a team that has won 12 of 63 games all year.

The Sea Dogs, who have now lost 11 straight games, host the Titan again tomorrow night.

Game Day 63: vs Titan

SAINT JOHN - The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's basement residents meet for an oddly important two-game set today and tomorrow at Harbour Station.

The Saint John Sea Dogs are just three points back of the Shawinigan Cataractes for the league's final playoff spot - and picking up some points by defeating the last-place Acadie-Bathurst Titan could prove crucial. The two meet tonight and tomorrow in Saint John. Game times are 7 p.m.

The Titan, meanwhile, just want a win. They have just seven victories in 62 games and have lost 23 straight - and with six games remaining, they could surpass the league record of 27 consecutive losses set by the 1975-76 Shawinigan Dynamos. These two games against Saint John may be their best chance of a win the rest of the way.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-45-2-3 for 29 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Titan are 7-50-4-1 for 19 points (sixth Maritimes, 10th Eastern, 18th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 home loss to the Victoriaville Tigres on Sunday afternoon. Maxim Cajkovic and Aiden MacIntosh scored for Saint John. Zachary Bouthillier allowed seven goals on 39 shots before being pulled in the third period. Tommy DaSilva stopped all six shots he faced in relief. The Titan are coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Tigres on Saturday. Cole Rafuse scored Bathurst's lone goal. Mark Grametbauer made 26 saves in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 3-4-0-0 against the Titan this season while Bathurst is 4-2-1-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 12 in Bathurst where the Sea Dogs defeated the Titan 5-1. Maxim Cajkovic scored twice for Saint John while singles came from Charlie DesRoches, Nicholas Deakin-Poot and William Poirier. Mathieu Desgagnes scored Bathurst's goal. Mikhail Denisov made 37 saves in the win. Mark Grametbauer allowed four goals on 22 shots in 40 minutes of action. Tyriq Outen allowed a goal on eight shots in the third.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 7-2

FINAL: Victoriaville 7, Saint John 2

SAINT JOHN - It was another rough day at the office for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

A five-goal second period lifted the Victoriaville Tigres to a 7-2 win over the Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon at Harbour Station. The result extended Saint John's losing streak to 10 games.

The first period was scoreless despite the Tigres outshooting the Sea Dogs 16-4. Maxim Cajkovic scored just 19 seconds into the middle frame - but that would be one of the few highlights. The Tigres went on to score five times in the period and led 5-2 through two.

Mikhail Abramov scored twice for Victoriaville while singles came from Zackary Riel, Sean Larochelle, Mathieu Sevigny, Tyler Boivin and Conor Frenette. Tristan Cote-Cazenave made 25 stops in the win.

Cajkovic and Aiden MacIntosh scored for the shorthanded Sea Dogs. Zachary Bouthillier was pulled in the third period after allowing seven goals on 39 shots. Tommy DaSilva stopped all six shots he faced in relief.

Saint John continues to struggle both offensively and defensively. The team has allowed six or more goals in eight of their past 11 games.

Game Day 62: vs Tigres

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs are back home this afternoon, hosting the Victoriaville Tigres at Harbour Station.

The Sea Dogs have played their last four games on the road and have not played on Saint John ice since Feb. 18. The Dogs have just four home game remaining.

Game time today is 3 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-44-2-3 for 29 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Tigres are 27-30-4-1 for 59 points (third Central, fourth Western, 12th QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 7-2 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday in Sydney. Josh Lawrence and Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored for Saint John. Tommy DaSilva made 47 saves in the loss. The Tigres are coming off a 4-1 win in Bathurst last night. Vincent Sevigny, Isaiah Gallo-Demetris, Simon Lafrance and Olivier Mathieu scored for Victoriaville. Fabio Iacobo made 12 stops in the win.

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

Last meeting: Nov. 8 at Colisee Desjardins where the Tigres hammered the Sea Dogs 8-1. Egor Serdyuk and Jeremy Cote scored twice for Victoriaville while singles came from Conor Frenette, Jérôme Gravel, Feliks Morozov and Mathieu Sévigny. William Porier scored for Saint John. Fabio Iacobo made 27 saves in the win. Tommy DaSilva and Stewart Bagnell each allowed four goals on 18 shots in the loss.

RECAP: Sea Dogs lose 7-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Cape Breton 7

SYDNEY, NS - It was another ugly night for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs were outshot 54-16 in a 7-2 loss to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday at Centre 200. Saint John has now lost nine straight games overall and 12 straight on the road.

Goaltender Tommy DaSilva, making his first appearance since Dec. 7, managed to keep it close through two periods with the Dogs trailing just 3-2 despite being outshot 38-9. Like Thursday, the Eagles blew it open in the third period, scoring four times en route to a blowout win.

Brooklyn Kalmikov scored twice for Cape Breton while singles came from Adam McCormick, Ryan Francis, Nathan Larose, Olivier Bourret and Shaun Miller. William Grimard only had to make 14 saves to earn the win.

Josh Lawrence and Nicholas Deakin-Poot scored for Saint John. DaSilva made 47 stops in the loss.

Making matters worse for the Sea Dogs is the fact that they continue to be hit by the injury bug. The team played three players short on Friday, dressing just 15 skaters. Saint John is literally limping towards the finish line.

Game Day 61: at Cape Breton

SYDNEY, NS - The Saint John Sea Dogs will look to put last night's loss behind them this evening.

The Sea Dogs were hammered 10-3 by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles last night at Centre 200. Former Saint John forward Isiah Campbell led the way with four goals and two assists while ex-Dogs d-man Nathan Larose added a solo marker.

The two teams meet again tonight at 7 p.m.

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

Records: The Sea Dogs are 12-43-2-3 for 29 points (fifth Maritimes, ninth Eastern, 17th QMJHL) while the Screaming Eagles are 35-20-1-4 for 75 points (second Maritimes, fourth Eastern, sixth QMJHL).

Last meeting: Last night at Centre 200 where the Screaming Eagles defeated the Sea Dogs 10-3. Isiah Campbell scored four goals; Shaun Miller had two; and singles came from Egor Sokolov, Gabriel Proulx, Mitchell Balmas and Nathan Larose. Maxim Cajkovic had three goals for Saint John. Kevin Mandolese made 17 saves in the win. Zachary Bouthillier made 38 stops in the loss.

2018-19 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs are 1-6-0-0 against the Screaming Eagles this season while Cape Breton is 6-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Last night. See above.