Recap: Sea Dogs lose 5-2

FINAL: Blainville-Boisbriand 5, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs dropped a sixth straight game on Thursday at TD Station, falling 5-2 to the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada.

The game followed a similar storyline to many of Saint John's recent losses: they gave up a lot of shots and didn't generate many quality chances of their own. Both of the Sea Dogs' goals came in the first period where shots were 26-12 in favour of the Armada. In the third, with Saint John still in it, the team recorded just six shots. Shots ended 50-23 in favour of the visitors.

Patrick Leaver was once again solid and busy, making 45 saves in the loss.

Mathis Cloutier scored a pair of goals for the Armada — with the second being an empty netter late in the third. Matt Gosselin, Justin Carbonneau and Eliot Ogonowski also scored for Blainville-Boisbriand. Olivier Ciarlo made 21 stops in the win.

Darien Reynolds and Eriks Mateiko scored for Saint John.

LINEUP

Mateiko - Elliott - Beveridge

Simek - Peddle - Fournier

Reynolds - Miller - Beaulieu

Laforge - Groulx

Tivey - Ianniello

Bilodeau - Mann

MacLean - Duhamel

Richard

Leaver

Girard

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Justin Robinson (injury); forwards Reid Calder (healthy), Benjamin Beaudry (healthy) and Luka Benoit (healthy); and defensman Benjamin Amyot (injury).

CALLED UP: The Sea Dogs tweeted before the game that goaltender Justin Robinson was out with a lower body injury, forcing the team to recall affiliate Charles-Antoine Girard from the QJHL's Montreal Phoenix to backup Patrick Leaver. 

NOTES: This was Saint John's first home game since Jan. 18... the Sea Dogs went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen... Eriks Mateiko netted his team leading 20th goal of the season in the first period... the 26 shots the Armada recorded in the first period were the most shots any QMJHL team has had in an opening period this season... Patrick Leaver has faced 48 or more shots in four of his past six starts... Mateiko had four shots... faceoffs were 37-23 in favour of the Armada... Justin Carbonneau and Xavier Villeneuve had two assists... this was Saint John's Pride Night, which kicked off this year's One For All Festival... attendance was 2,307.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs host the Gatineau Olympiques on Saturday at 7 p.m. at TD Station.