Game Day 21: at Baie-Comeau

BAIE-COMEAU, Que. - Playing at the Henry Leonard Centre is challenging any year. Playing at the Henry Leonard Centre against the QMJHL's top team is even more difficult.

That's the task the Saint John Sea Dogs face tonight, visiting the league-leading Drakkar to begin a three-game Quebec road trip.

Baie-Comeau has been hot all year and has a 17-3-2-0 record. They are 7-0-2-0 on home ice. The Drakkar have scored 99 goals already this season, nearly 40 more than the Sea Dogs have.

Saint John will be put to the test tonight beginning at 8 p.m. Atlantic.

TV/Radio/Stream: None/None/CHL TV

2023-24 regular season records: The Sea Dogs are 6-11-1-2 for 15 points (sixth Maritimes/10th Eastern/16th QMJHL) while the Drakkar are 17-3-2-0 for 36 points (first East/first Eastern/first QMJHL).

Last games: The Sea Dogs are coming off a 6-1 home loss to the Cape Breton Eagles on Monday. Vince Elie scored Saint John's lone goal. Justin Robinson made 26 saves in the loss. The Drakkar are coming off a 6-3 home win over the Val-d'Or Foreurs on Sunday. Raoul Boilard scored a pair for Baie-Comeau while singles came from Jules Boilard, Justin Poirier, Julien Paille and Justin Gill. Philippe Bourdages made 13 saves in the win.

2023-24 head-to-head: This is the first meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Drakkar.

2022-23 head-to-head: The Sea Dogs were 1-1-0-0 against the Drakkar last season while Baie-Comeau went 1-1-0-0 against Saint John.

Last meeting: Jan. 12 in Baie-Comeau where the Drakkar defeated the Sea Dogs 5-3. Charles-Antoine Dumont scored twice for the Drakkar while singles came from Charles-Thomas Larochelle, Marc-Antoine Seguin and Justin Poirier. Saint John goals came from Peter Reynolds, Danny Akkouche and Alexis Cournoyer. Olivier Ciarlo made 20 stops in the win. Ventsislav Shingarov made 36 saves in the loss.

Ex-Sea Dogs on the Drakkar: None.

Drakkar to watch: Justin Poirier, the younger brother of former Sea Dogs defenseman Jeremie Poirier, leads the league in goals with 20.

Random stat: Saint John's next five games are all against teams from outside the Maritimes Division.

Notes: Peter Reynolds leads Saint John in points with 23, goals with 10 and assists with 13... Justin Gill leads the Drakkar (and the league) in scoring with 35 points and assists with 25... Justin Poirier leads the Drakkar (and the league) in goals with 20... Saint John is 3-4-0-1 on the road... Baie-Comeau is 7-0-2-0 at home... Raoul Boilard leads all rookies in points with 21... Saint John is 0-1-0-0 against East Division teams... Baie-Comeau is 1-0-1-0 against Maritimes Division clubs... the Drakkar have the third worst penalty kill in the league with a rating 74%... the Drakkar are averaging a league high 4.47 goals per game... Gill has points in 14 straight games while Jules Boilard has points in eight straight... the Drakkar have won five straight home games... the Sea Dogs have lost four straight road games.

Out of town:

Rimouski at Sherbrooke - 7:00 PM EST 

Gatineau at Chicoutimi - 7:30 PM EST

Next game: The Sea Dogs continue their road trip tomorrow in Chicoutimi, taking on the Sagueneens at 8:30 p.m.