Recap: Sea Dogs win 14-2

FINAL: Cape Breton 2, Saint John 14

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs wrapped up the home portion of their regular season schedule with a major bang on Friday night.

The Sea Dogs set a new team record for goals scored in a single game with a huge 14-2 victory over the Cape Breton Eagles at TD Station. The win was Saint John's 14th straight victory as they head to Moncton to play their final match of the regular season on Sunday afternoon.

Peter Reynolds scored a career high four goals to lead the Sea Dogs. Philippe Daoust, Jeremie Poirier and Marshall Lessard each scored a pair while Brady Burns, William Dufour, Vincent Sevigny and Ravivis Ansons added singles. Olivier Picard had five assists and Josh Lawrence three.

Nikolas Hurtubise wasn't tested a whole lot in net, making 18 stops in the win.

Peter Repcik and Cam Squires had Cape Breton goals. Remi Delafontaine allowed six goals on 19 shots before being pulled in the second period. Affiliate netminder Xavier Farrah, in his first career QMJHL appearance, allowed eight goals on 30 shots.

The Sea Dogs dominated most of this game, looking like they were on a power play for much of it. The Dogs scored five goals in both the first and second periods and allowed just four shots in the middle frame. It looked very much like a game between the Memorial Cup hosts and the QMJHL's last-place club.

LINEUP

Burns - Lawrence - Dufour

Trenholm - Daoust - Francis

Ansons - MacDonald - Bezeau

Picard - Reynolds - Lessard

Sevigny - Villeneuve

Kuznetsov - Poirier

Drapeau - DesRoches

Hurtubise

Couture

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Noah Patenaude (injury); defensemen Vincent Despont (healthy) and Hunter Gartley (healthy); and forwards Jacob Chantler (injury) and Nicholas Blagden (injury).

BIG FIRST: Saint John scored three times in the first 6:51 of the opening frame with Peter Reynolds (two goals and an assist) and Marshall Lessard (a goal and two assists) dealing. Saint John scored two more times to lead 5-1 at intermission. The five-goal first is tied for the second most goals scored in an opening frame this season. Only Bathurst has scored more (six first period goals on Nov. 28).

FOURTH LINE: What a night for Saint John's fourth line. Peter Reynolds (four goals and two assists), Olivier Picard (five assists) and Marshall Lessard (two goals and an assist) each had huge nights. Reynolds and Picard both set career highs for points in a game.

BACK IN THE LEAD: With Patrick Guay scoring tonight for Charlottetown, William Dufour picked up a key goal in the third period to push him back into sole possession of the QMJHL's goal scoring lead with 55. Both the Sea Dogs and Islanders have one game remaining. Dufour also moved back into a tie with Joshua Roy for the league scoring lead.

NEW RECORD: The Sea Dogs set a new franchise record for goals in a single game with 14. The previous regular season record was 13 (2007-08 vs PEI) and the playoff record 13 (2012 vs Cape Breton). 14 goals is also the most scored by any time in a single game this season.

THROWBACK NIGHT: It was Throwback Night at TD Station with 80s and 90s music played throughout the game. Saint John resident Maestro Fresh Wes performed during the first intermission (a special 22-minute intermission). Fleaburn rocked an old school Sea Dogs jersey from the Splash era.

Maestro got the place moving pic.twitter.com/cKxW2yHT1h

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) April 29, 2022

BIG CROWD: The final home game of the regular season is typically a full house or close to it - and this year was no exception. The attendance of 5,536 was the biggest crowd at TD Station since March 10, 2019.

Definitely the biggest crowd of the COVID era here tonight. pic.twitter.com/QLpqPUEw6w

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) April 29, 2022

STREAKS: The Sea Dogs extended their winning streak to 14 games. They will end the regular season on a six-game home winning streak. The Eagles, meanwhile, have lost 14 straight road games.

NOTES: Jacob Chantler, who was injured in Thursday's game, missed this match... Riley Bezeau returned from injury... the Sea Dogs wore their black third jerseys for a second straight game... the Eagles were without goaltender Nicolas Ruccia, who started Thursday's game, due to an injury. The team recalled affiliate netminder Xavier Farrah from the Moncton Flyers... Philippe Daoust scored for the first time since April 14... there was a technical issue with 50/50 ticket sales in the building late in the game, forcing fans to purchase online. The winner took home $10,438... Peter Reynolds had eight shots... Saint John won 34/57 faceoffs... Raivis Ansons was given a match penalty for a high stick behind the play late in the third period... Reynolds, Olivier Picard and Yan Kuznetsov were all a +6.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs close out the regular season on Sunday afternoon in Moncton.