Recap: Sea Dogs lose 6-3

FINAL: Saint John 3, Val-d'Or 6

Noemie Rondeau/Val-d'Or Foreurs

VAL-D'OR, QC - Philippe Veilleux showed why he's the leading scorer in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League on Thursday.

Veilleux netted a hat trick and added an assist to lead the Val-d'Or Foreurs to a 6-3 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs at the Agnico Eagle Centre.

The Sea Dogs erased a 2-0 deficit and headed into the third period with a 2-2 tie. But Saint John couldn't hold back one of the league's top offensive teams in the third period as the Foreurs scored four times – including an empty netter – to take it 6-3.

It wasn't a bad road performance by the Sea Dogs but it highlighted once again that they're just not quite there defensively to hang with some of these high powered teams.

Along with Veilleux, Josh Demers scored twice and Maxime Coursol added a single. Emile Beaunoyer made 29 saves in the win.

The Foreurs have now won six straight games.

Everett Baldwin, Dylan Rozzi and Olivers Murnieks scored for Saint John. Arseni Radkov made 34 stops in the loss.

A positive was Saint John's power play. After going 2/2 in Rouyn-Noranda on Wednesday, the Sea Dogs went 3/4 in this game (and allowed a shorthanded goal).

LINEUP

Fullerton - Groulx - Donovan

Murnieks - Joseph - Rozzi

Morin - Côté - Seymour

Héroux - Krayer - Yared

Wasmer - Duhamel

Magnusson - Damphousse

Drabczynski - Baldwin

Radkov

Courchesne

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without forward Alexis Gauthier (healthy) along with defensemen Cameron Chartrand (injury) and Vincent Croteau (healthy).

NOTES: The Sea Dogs once again went with 12 forwards and six defensemen. D-man Vincent Croteau was the final scratch... defenseman Oskar Drabczynski drew back into the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Wednesday... Everett Baldwin continued his hot streak. Baldwin now has six goals in nine games since the Christmas break. He also had two assists... goaltender Arseni Radkov made a third straight start... Olivers Murnieks now has points in four straight games... Nolann Héroux (who was stopped on a breakaway) and Olivier Groulx each had five shots... Alexander Donovan had five hits... Alexis Joseph was a -4... faceoffs were 40-25 in favour of Saint John... Maxim Coursol extended his goal streak to four games and his home point streak to 16 games... attendance was 1,483.

HIGHLIGHTS

NEXT GAME: The Sea Dogs conclude this road trip on Saturday when they visit the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at 5 p.m.