Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-3

FINAL: Cape Breton 6, Saint John 3

Michael Hawkins/Saint John Sea Dogs

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs were never able to recover from two quick goals scored by the Cape Breton Eagles in a 6-3 loss on Saturday at TD Station.

The Eagles scored twice in a nine-second span to take a quick 2-0 lead in the first. Cape Breton added two more in the second, taking a commanding 4-0 lead at the time. 

It never felt like the Sea Dogs got fully back into the game after the two first period goals. Saint John struggled to consistently generate offense until the third period and struggled defensively at times, allowing a number of odd-man rushes.

Eliot Litalien and Samuel Boyer both scored a pair of goals for Cape Breton while singles came from Xavier Daigle and Romain Italien. Connor Towle made 33 saves in the win.

Saint John had a pair of goals from Elliot Dubé while Matthew Krayer added a solo marker. Justin Robinson was pulled after allowing four goals on 20 shots through 25:53 if action – but some of those goals against were due to the play in front of him. Rafaël Courchesne, in his first career QMJHL action, allowed a goal on 17 shots in relief.

The Sea Dogs won their season opener on Friday, defeating the Eagles 3-2. The weekend split could be a preview of a season that will have many ups and downs throughout.

LINEUP

Étheir - Murnieks - Morin 

Fullerton - Joseph - Donovan 

Groulx - Yared - Rozzi 

Krayer - Dubé - Beveridge 

Wasmer - Chartrand 

Croteau - Duhamel 

Zubek - Drabczynski 

Robinson

Courchesne

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without defensemen Everett Baldwin (Tampa Bay Lightning training camp) and Max Vilen (not yet arrived) along with forwards Alexis Gauthier (healthy) and Jacob Beaulieu (healthy).

NOTES: The Sea Dogs went with the same lineup as Friday night. Jacob Beaulieu was scratched after warmup... Dylan Rozzi scored in the third period but the goal was called back after a review due to a hand pass... Olivers Murnieks had an assist on Elliot Dubé's weird third period goal, giving him three helpers on the weekend... Dubé had a team high seven shots... faceoffs were 42-29 in favour of Saint John... Cape Breton went 1/4 on the power play while Saint John went 0/3... the Sea Dogs mixed up their forward lines a bit in the third period... attendance was 3,010.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs travel to Halifax to face the Mooseheads on Friday at 7 p.m.