Recap: Sea Dogs lose 3-1

FINAL: Rimouski 3, Saint John 1

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The President Cup playoffs are off to a rough start for the Saint John Sea Dogs.

The Sea Dogs struggled to generate quality scoring chances and were a bit sloppy defensively at times in a what proved to be a fairly low event game, falling 3-1 to the underdog Rimouski Oceanic. Rimouski now leads the best-of-five first round series 1-0.

Saint John opened the scoring just 5:29 in when Riley Bezeau scored from a sharp angle. The Sea Dogs weren't able to continue that positive momentum though as scoring chances seem to dry up as the game moved along.

Rimouski did what they had to do, limiting Saint John chances and taking advantage of their opportunities. Shots in the game ended 32-26 in favour of the Sea Dogs but dangerous shots were 14-12 in favour of the Oceanic.

Rimouski's Louis Robin tied the game early in the second period after Saint John was unable to clear the puck.

In the third, Julien Beland scored on an odd-man rush, ripping a wrist shot top corner on Thomas Couture to give Rimouski their first lead at 13:08. Xavier Cormier scored into an empty net at 18:54 to make it a 3-1 final.

The Sea Dogs were generating some offensive zone pressure prior to Cormier's empty net goal but could not connect.

Gabriel Robert made 31 saves in the win. Couture made several key stops when the game was tied, finishing with 23 saves.

LINEUP

Burns - Lawrence - Dufour

Trenholm - Daoust - Francis

Ansons - MacDonald - Bezeau

Picard - Reynolds - Lessard

Sevigny - Villeneuve

Poirier - DesRoches

Drapeau - Despont

Couture

Hurtubise

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Noah Patenaude (injury); defensemen Yan Kuznetsov (sick) and Hunter Gartley (healthy); and forwards Jacob Chantler (injury), Nicholas Blagden (healthy) and Nico Laforge (healthy). The team listed seven defensemen in their lineup with Gartley the final scratch.

PRE-GAME: The Sea Dogs were presented with the Luc Robitaille Trophy before the game for finishing the regular season with the best goals for average. It's the third time the Sea Dogs have won the trophy and first since 2011. Vincent Sevigny accepted the trophy (and touched it as well).

BEZEAU: Not sure why so many goals have been scored from a near impossible angle lately, but we got another one in the first period on Thursday.

Riley Bezeau opens the scoring from the goal line! 🚨#CityofChampions pic.twitter.com/lC4YHuViq0

— x - Saint John Sea Dogs (@SJSeaDogs) May 5, 2022

STREAK OVER: The Sea Dogs entered this game having won 15 straight regular season games. This was the team's first loss since March 27.

MEMORIES: This was the fourth time in franchise history that the Sea Dogs played a game on May 5. The previous three times were all President Cup final games. The Sea Dogs are now 3-1 all-time on this date.

May, 5, 2011: Olympiques 1, Sea Dogs 2

May 5, 2012: Oceanic 2, Sea Dogs 3

May 5, 2017: Armada 3, Sea Dogs 6

May 5, 2022: Oceanic 3, Sea Dogs 1

NOTES: Raivis Ansons returned from a one-game suspension... Scott McCain was in attendance... the Sea Dogs wore their black third jerseys... the game didn't have a shot on goal until the Sea Dogs shovelled the puck on net 3:11 in... Jeremie Poirier had seven shots... hits were 19-19... attendance was 2,005, the smallest playoff crowd in team history (not including last season's provincial tournament, which has COVID capacity restrictions)... hopefully there's more energy on and off the ice on Friday night. 

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Oceanic for Game 2 of this playoff series on Friday night at 7 p.m.