New Brunswick On Top

By Andrew McGilligan

SN Staff

A quick look at the scoring leaders on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League website might give anyone from New Brunswick pause.

As of Monday, three players from the province were among the top 20 scorers in the league - one in the top spot - while another leads all defencemen in points. If the trend holds out, the 2012-13 season could be the best ever for players from the province.

Peter Trainor of Fredericton leads all Q scorers with 86 points in just 54 games played with the Rimouski Oceanic. The other two provincial point-getters are the always reliable Saulnier twins of Cap-Pelé currently suiting up for the Moncton Wildcats. Allain is tied for 13th in scoring with 67 points while brother Alex is deadlocked for 17th with 64.

On the blue line, former Saint John Sea Dogs rearguard and current Oceanic Kevin Gagne of Edmundston leads all D-men with 58 points in 48 games. Drummondville Voltigeurs boast the sixth most productive defenceman this season in Riverview's Jordan Murray (39 points in 51 games).

It's an impressive crop of NB players skating and dominating in the Q this season. An argument could even be made that if Trainor holds on to the scoring lead, he would be the first NBer to do so in league history. Sean Couturier won the title in the 09-10, but was born in Phoenix, Arizona and moved to Bathurst with his family when the Titan - whom his father Sylvain works for - relocated from Laval.

POSTSCRIPT: Oceanic 8, Sea Dogs 2

A collection of recaps from yesterday’s 8-2 Saint John Sea Dogs loss to the Rimouski Oceanic…

Our recap. The Sea Dogs returned to Harbour Station to host the Rimouski Oceanic on Sunday afternoon.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). It had already been a pretty good day for Kevin Gagne before he helped the Rimouski Oceanic to an 8-2 win over the Saint John Sea Dogs Sunday at Harbour Station.

L’Avantage’s recap. Pretty solid win by the Oceanic.

Le Soleil’s recap. Yeah.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League has a new points leader as Peter Trainor scored twice and added three assists in the Rimouski Oceanic's 8-2 victory over the Saint John Sea Dogs on Sunday afternoon.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs met Kevin Gagné and the Rimouski Oceanic in Sunday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. RImouski took the contest by a score of 8-2 in front of 4,221 fans at Harbour Station.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Matthew Highmore (lower body), Jurij Repe (hand), Justin Dickinson (healthy), and Jeremy Doucet (healthy) on Sunday afternoon.

RECAP: The Ocean's Waves. Dogs Lose 8-2.

FINAL: Rimouski 8, Saint John 2

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

SAINT JOHN - The Sea Dogs returned to Harbour Station to host the Rimouski Oceanic on Sunday afternoon.

Sebastien Auger returned to net for the Sea Dogs, and Robin Gusse went into goal for Rimouski.

FIRST PERIOD

Francis Beauvillier kicked off the period with an interference penalty at 3:59.

The first goal of the game came at 5:40 on the power play. Oliver Cooper, assisted by Smallman and Leblanc, gave the Dogs their first goal in the game.

Maxime Villemaire sent the Oceanic to the power play with his tripping call at 7:52. Peter Trainor turned this into the first Rimouski goal at 9:01. The score was tied 1-1.

Spencer Smallman had Rimouski ready to go again as he headed to the box for hooking at 14:06. Rimouski in turn added another goal thanks to Alexandre Lavoie at 14:18.

Pierre Durepos must not have agreed with that goal however as he was sent to the box at 14:18 for unsportsmanlike conduct. Moments later at 15:46, Frederik Gauthier brought the score to 3-1, with all the goals to this point being power play markers.

Maxime Villemaire would both end the period and start the next in the box as he was sent off at 19:28.

Shots were 15-6 Rimouski in the first.

SECOND PERIOD

Rimouski took the first penalty of the period when Frederik Gauthier headed to the penalty box for interference at 3:35. Stephen Anderson headed off a 4:02.

The fourth Oceanic goal came at 4:21 as Peter Trainor got one by Auger.

Kevin Gagne scored on his former goaltender Sebastien Auger at 6:02. This brought the score to 5-1.

The Dogs headed to the box again at 7:04, this time it was Pierre Durepos who was sent off for interference.

Nicholas Hebert from the Oceanic had a series of unfortunate events that resulted in back to back penalties for Rimouski. The first for high sticking at 11:03 and the second, for hooking, at 14:47.

Alexandre Lavoie brought it to 6-1 with his goal at 18:30.

The second period ended with a score of 5-1, and had the Sea Dogs being outshot 32-10.

GAMEDAY 53 - vs Oceanic

GAMEDAY

Rimouski Oceanic vs Saint John Sea Dogs

Today at 3:00pm

Radio: News 88.9 | Webcast: Telus | TV: None | Live: @station_nation

Harbour Station – Saint John, NB

PREVIEW

SAINT JOHN – Coming off a big 6-4 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Friday night, the Saint John Sea Dogs will look to keep the good times rolling this afternoon against the Rimouski Oceanic.

Today’s 3pm contest is the annual “Journée des Francofans” promotional game. But the much bigger event this afternoon will be the return of Kevin Gagne, the long-time Sea Dogs defenseman who was traded to the Oceanic during the holiday trading period.

Gagne has a good chance to take part in yet another lengthy playoff run. Rimouski sits fourth overall on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League with a 35-12-1-5 record. They are one-point back of the Telus East Division leading Baie-Comeau Drakkar with two games in hand.

The Oceanic are led by Fredericton’s Peter Trainor who is having an impressive season. He sits fourth in the league in scoring with 81 points in 53 games.

Gagne has three goals and 19 assists in 16 games with the Oceanic this year. Former Sea Dog Scott Oke is also having a good year, registering 56 points in 42 games. Meanwhile, Maxime Gravel, a Sea Dogs draft pick who never played for the club, has 20 points in 48 games.

Saint John enters play tonight with a 20-31-1-0 record and sit fifth in the Telus Maritimes Division and 15^th overall in the circuit. Friday’s win in Bathurst ended a seven-game losing streak for the Dogs. They are 2-7-1-0 in their last 10 games.

Jakub Izacky is Saint John’s leading scoring with 27 points in 47 games.

POSTSCRIPT: Sea Dogs 6, Titan 4

A collection of recaps from last night’s 6-4 Saint John Sea Dogs win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan…

Our recap. The Sea Dogs braved the impending storm to travel to what was expected to become the Great White North, a.k.a. Bathurst, to take on the Titan on Friday night.

The Telegraph-Journal’s recap (paywall). The Saint John Sea Dogs snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 6-4 win over the Acadie-Bathurst Titan Friday night at the K.C. Irving Regional Centre in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action.

News 88.9’s recap. Featuring Tim Roszell’s goal calls.

The Canadian Press’ recap. Maxime Villemaire scored twice and set up one more, Pierre Durepos had four assists and Alex Fournier made 43 saves as Saint John (20-31-1) downed the Titan (21-28-6) to end its seven-game winless streak.

SaintJohnSeaDogs.com’s recap. The Saint John Sea Dogs met the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at the KC Irving Regional Centre in Friday’s Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. The Sea Dogs snapped their streak with a 6-4 victory.

SCRATCHES: The Sea Dogs were without Matthew Highmore (lower body), Jurij Repe (hand), Steven Duda (healthy), and Justin Dickinson (healthy) on Friday night.

KELLY: Former Sea Dogs forward Aidan Kelly did not play for the Titan. According to News 88.9, Kelly is out with a head injury. The Saint John native has three assists in eight games with Bathurst.

GOALIE SWAP: Mason McDonald got the start in net for the Titan but was quickly taken out. After playing just 3:25, McDonald left the game with an apparent equipment issue so Jacob Brennan took over. Brennan played 3:11 before McDonald returned to the cage.

McDonald was pulled again – this time for good – after Andreas Tsogkas made it 3-0 at 1:31 of the second. The rookie netminder allowed three goals on nine shots. Brennan allowed three goals on 27 shots in relief.

RECAP: The Streak Is Over. Dogs Win 6-4.

FINAL: Saint John 6, Bathurst 4

By Tim Lumsden

SN Staff

The Sea Dogs braved the impending storm to travel to what was expected to become the Great White North, a.k.a. Bathurst, to take on the Titan on Friday night.

Alex Fournier dusted off the skates to take the net for Saint John. Mason McDonald defended the net for The Titan. Jacob Brennan would later come in to take over from McDonald.

FIRST PERIOD

The first half of the period was pretty uneventful as both teams took the time to scout each other out.

Olivier Houle took the first penalty of the game. He was sent off for boarding at 12:59.

Cross checking was the next penalty, this time for Bathurst’s Anthony Gingras. His penalty came at 13:49.

Saint John seemed to have learned from their mistakes last night. Jakub Izacky scored the first goal of the game with assists going to Durepos and Abbott at 14:11.

Just 22 seconds later, at 14:33, Maxime Villemaire put the Dogs’ second point up on the board. Izacky and Durepos picked up the assists. Within 23 seconds, Saint John went from 0-0 to leading 2-0.

Shots were 13-9 Titan in the first.