Playoffs remain a possibility for Sea Dogs

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

Only five regular season games remain for the Saint John Sea Dogs - and they could all be important.

The Sea Dogs remain two points back of the Val-d'Or Foreurs, the team that currently owns the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League's 16th and final playoff spot. Val-d'Or has 51 points with four games left while Saint John has 49 points with five games remaining.

Here is Saint John's remaining schedule:

March 14 at Charlottetown (13th overall)

March 17 vs Halifax (second overall)

March 19 vs Charlottetown (13th overall)

March 24 at Charlottetown (13th overall)

March 25 vs Bathurst (18th overall)

And here is Val-d'Or's schedule:

March 17 vs Drummondville (14th overall)

March 18 vs Sherbrooke (fourth overall)

March 21 at Rouyn-Noranda (sixth overall)

March 25 vs Rouyn-Noranda (sixth overall)

The Sea Dogs are 2-0-3-0 in their last five games. They've lost three overtime matches over their past five contests - a win in each of those would have them in a playoff spot right now. But that's the way it goes.

Saint John is 3-3-0-0 against Charlottetown this season and picking up as many points as they can in the remaining three meetings will be pivotal for the team's playoff chances. The Sea Dogs take on the Islanders Tuesday night at Eastlink Centre.

Not helping Val-d'Or are injuries to a few of their goaltenders. They'll also have to face their rivals from Rouyn-Noranda a couple times, who they are just 2-6-0-0 against this season.

Pas chanceux, les gardiens des Foreurs!

Saison terminée pour William Blackburn (genou), mononucléose pour Mathys Fernandez et entorse à la cheville pour Frédéric Cousineau (absence indéterminée). #LHJMQ pic.twitter.com/hPnMl80TUg

— Mikaël Lalancette (@MikLalancette) March 13, 2023

If the Sea Dogs and Foreurs finish the regular season with the same amount of points, the first tie-breaker is total wins excluding shootout wins. Saint John currently has 21 while Val-d'Or has 23.