Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Rouyn-Noranda 2, Saint John 5

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - Three third period goals lifted the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies past the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon at TD Station.

Mathis Perron, Louis-Philippe Fontaine and Thomas Verdon scored to break a 2-2 tie, pushing the Huskies to a 5-2 win. The victory gives the Huskies a 2-1 record on their three-game Maritime road trip.

Fontaine had a pair of goals in the game while Samuel Rousseau also scored. Former Sea Dogs netminder Thomas Couture, in his return to TD Station, was very good in the Huskies net, making 27 saves in the win.

Cam MacDonald and Charlie DesRoches scored for Saint John. Nikolas Hurtubise made 29 saves in the loss.

The Huskies carried much of the play in the first, outshooting the Sea Dogs 16-5. Despite that, a MacDonald goal late in the period tied the match 1-1 after 20 minutes.

Saint John had a much better second period, generating some solid scoring chances but had a hard time beating Couture. DesRoches put Saint John up 2-1 early in the period but Rouyn-Noranda took advantage of a fortunate bounce later in the period, tying things up at 2-2 after two.

Perron gave the Huskies a 3-2 lead early in the third, scoring on a breakaway. After Saint John couldn't convert on a power play soon after, the Huskies scored two goals late in the frame to secure the victory.

LINEUP

Reynolds - MacDonald - Burns

Thifault - Trenholm - Elie

Simek - Burbidge - Reinhart

Mateiko - Cournoyer

Tivey - DesRoches

Tracey - Akkouche

Bilodeau - Despont

Welsh

Hurtubise

Brideau

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Ventsislav Shingarov (healthy); defensemen Jared Cosman (injury) and Jeremie Richard (injury); and forwards Tomasz Szczerba (injury), Nico Laforge (injury) and Jacob Beaulieu (healthy).

WELSH: Defenseman Zach Welsh, who was with Saint John through the Memorial Cup but never appeared in a game, made his Sea Dogs debut, dressing as a seventh d-man. The 19-year-old has been playing in the Maritime Hockey League this season. He's appeared in 35 previous QMJHL games with the Cape Breton Eagles and Sherbrooke Phoenix.

LADY MO: It was "Lady Mo" night at TD Station and former Sea Dogs head coach Gardiner MacDougall, who guided the team to a Memorial Cup championship in June, was honoured before the game. MacDougall, Sea Dogs captain Charlie DesRoches and Huskies goaltender Thomas Couture took part in the ceremonial faceoff.

📸 @Hawkalicious pic.twitter.com/ov79Llv85E

— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) November 27, 2022

WELCOME BACK: This was Thomas Couture's first game back at TD Station since Saint John traded him to Rouyn-Noranda during the off-season. Couture was honoured briefly before the start of the second period. He was very good in his return, making 27 saves and earning second star honours.

NOTES: The Sea Dogs went with seven defensemen and 11 forwards... former Sea Dogs forward Leighton Carruthers was in the starting lineup for the Huskies... Danny Akkouche, who continues to be used as a defenseman, had a rare breakaway in the second period. He was stopped by the pad of Thomas Couture... a rare clash between two Newfoundland head coaches in this game with Travis Crickard and Brad Yetman leading their respective teams... defenseman Nate Tivey now has assists in three straight games and in six of his past seven games... this was just the second game all season that saw the Sea Dogs enter a third period with a tie... Peter Reynolds had five shots... Connor Trenholm had six hits... the attendance was 2,106... the Sea Dogs return to TD Station on Dec. 7.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs begin a three-in-three Quebec road trip on Friday night in Shawinigan.