The Sea Dogs were the much sharper team through the first two periods, perhaps taking advantage of a Titan team that played the night before in Caraquet. But Bathurst flipped the switch in the third, scoring four goals and outshooting Saint John 17-7, getting within a goal twice.
It was a chippy game at times and featured two fights. This was the first of four straight meetings between the New Brunswick rivals.
Brady Burns and Charlie DesRoches each scored a pair of goals from Saint John while singles came from Cole Burbidge, Marshall Lessard, Nicolas Bilodeau and Vince Elie. Olivier Brideau mad 26 saves in the win.
Ben Allison and Matthew McRae scored twice for Bathurst while Riley Kidney and Markas Samenas also converted. Sergei Litvinov allowed four goals on 24 shots in the first half of the game. Jack Howatt allowed three goals on 13 shots in the second half.
With the exception of the Titan hitting two posts, it was a dominant opening period by the Sea Dogs, outshooting their opponent 19-6.
Burbidge put Saint John up 1-0 at 3:07 of the first, intercepting a Titan pass at the blue line, walking in and wiring a wrist shot glove side on Litvinov.
Saint John went up 2-0 at 13:28 of the first. On a power play, Burns found Alexis Cournoyer in the slot who tapped the puck over to a wide open Lessard. The overage forward had an open cage to double Saint John's lead.
DesRoches scored on a power play at 4:49 of the second and Burns followed that up with a man advantage goal at 6:25, making it 4-0 Saint John.
The Titan got on the board at 11:20 on a power play when Kidney walked in and ripped a perfectly placed shot top corner on Brideau. Then at 14:52 on another power play, Allison beat Brideau with a low one-timer from the circle, making it a 4-2 game.
Saint John responded at 16:46 when a Lessard pass from the corner found Bilodeau in the slot, beating Howatt upstairs to make it 5-2. Then with just five seconds remaining in the period and Saint John on another power play, Burns fired a soft point shot through some traffic that went in, giving the Dogs a 6-2 advantage through two periods.
Bathurst outshot Saint John 17-7 in the third. Allison, McRae and Samenas all scored to get the Titan within one. But Elie's goal at 11:50 restored some insurance for Saint John, making it 7-5.
Bathurst wouldn't go away. On a power play at 14:56, McRae scored to once again get the Titan within one. Despite some offensive zone pressure, the Titan could not net an equalizer. DesRoches iced the game with an empty net goal at 19:44 to make it an 8-6 final.
LINEUP
Burns - Cournoyer - Lessard
Simek - Trenholm - Barry
Akkouche - Burbidge - Elie
Szczerba - Laforge - Beaulieu
Tivey - DesRoches
Tracey - Cosman
Bilodeau - Despont
Dickie
Brideau
Shingarov
FIGHTS: Near the midway point of the second period, Matthew McRae put a big open ice hit on Jacob Beaulieu. McRae then fought Vincent Despont at centre ice with Despont ending the tilt with a big punch. The Sea Dogs defenseman was given an instigating penalty. There was another fight late in the second between Beaulieu and Dylan Andrews, which took place after a big Beaulieu hit along the boards. Andrews was given an instigator.
NOTES: The newly acquired Sam-Luca Thifault served the second game of a two-game suspension he received for a high stick on Aug. 27 when he was a member of the Sherbrooke Phoenix... according to the lineup sheet, Titan forward Jacob Melanson served a one-game suspension, presumably for a slew-foot late in Saturday's game against the Moncton Wildcats. Jospeh Henneberry also served the first game of a two-game suspension... Connor Trenholm and Charlie DesRoches each wore an 'A' on their jerseys... overage forward Marshall Lessard scored his second goal in as many games... Cole Burbidge scored his third goal of the pre-season - but it was his first since scoring twice in Saint John's pre-season opener on Aug. 18. He's had plenty of quality chances in other games... Titan defenseman Drew Maddigan was injured in the second period, leaving the game favouring his arm... both teams had quite the day on the power play. Saint John went 4/7 and Bathurst 3/4... the Sea Dogs went 2-2-0-0 in their four "home" games at the Aitken Centre this season... attendance was 973.
NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs play their final game of the pre-season next Sunday afternoon against the Titan in Lameque, NB.
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