Recap: Sea Dogs win 2-1

FINAL: Bathurst 1, Saint John 2

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs picked up a huge win on Thursday night at TD Station, ending an eight-game losing streak in the process.

Pavel Simek scored just 16 seconds into the third period to help the Sea Dogs to a 2-1 victory over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan. The win pushes the Sea Dogs to within two points of the Quebec Remparts who currently own the QMJHL's 16th and final playoff spot.

It was a fairly uneventful game until the third period with neither generating many quality scoring chances. Simek opened the scoring early in the frame and the Sea Dogs had several other good chances to add to their lead.

Drew Elliott scored what looked like an empty netter insurance goal with 1:13 remaining. But the Titan got some life when Matthew McRae scored with 35 seconds remaining. The Titan pressed in the final seconds but could not beat Patrick Leaver.

Leaver made 31 stops and came oh so close to earning a shutout win.

Joshua Fleming made 23 stops in the loss.

LINEUP

Simek - Beveridge - Elliott

Peddle - Miller - Fournier

Reynolds - Groulx - Beaulieu

Laforge - Beaudry

Tivey - Ianniello

Bilodeau - Mann

MacLean - Amyot

Duhamel

Leaver

Robinson

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without forwards Eriks Mateiko (injury), Luka Benoit (healthy) and Reid Calder (healthy) along with defenseman Jeremie Richard (healthy).

NOTES: Associate coach Jeff Hansen acted as the team's head coach. Head coach Travis Crickard, who collapsed on the bench in Saint John's previous game on Saturday, remains at home recovering... Saint John went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen... Sea Dogs leading scorer Eriks Mateiko was out with an injury again. He has appeared in just two games since Feb. 24... this was just the 13th time this season the Sea Dogs entered a third period in a tie game... Pavel Simek's goal was his first since Feb. 17... Simek had six shots... with 5:55 remaining in the third, Tyler Peddle scored but the puck was clearly put in by a high stick... this was the final meeting of the season between the Sea Dogs and Titan. Saint John went 5-3-0-1...  attendance was 2,041.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs travel to Charlottetown to play their final road game of the season on Saturday at 7 p.m.