RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-1

FINAL: Cape Breton 4, Saint John 1

SAINT JOHN – Stephen Anderson is one of the hottest players in the QMJHL at the moment.

The former Sea Dogs forward has goals in each of his past five games and has scored in seven of his past eight. He waited until the last minute on Sunday to net one, scoring an empty netter with 20 seconds left in the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles’ 4-1 victory over Saint John at Harbour Station.

Along with Anderson, Evgeny Svechnikov, Alexandre Gosselin and Kyle Farrell scored in the Cape Breton win. Miguel Sullivan made 23 saves to earn the victory.

Saint John’s lone goal came from Spencer Smallman in the second period. Alex Bishop made 24 saves in the loss.

Cape Breton had three power plays in the first period and finally cashed in on the last one. At 18:39, Marcus Hinds’ pass from the corner found Svechnikov who was streaking in. He fired a quick wrist shot past Bishop to make it 1-0 Screaming Eagles. Shots in the opening frame were 9-4 in favour of the visitors.

Just 50 seconds into the second period, Gosselin fired a point shot through some traffic that beat Bishop to make it 2-0 Eagles. Later on, at 13:52, Nathan Noel sent a beautiful behind-the-back pass to Smallman who beat Sullivan to make it a 2-1 game. Shots in the second stanza were 12-8 in favour of Saint John.

With 2:30 left in regulation time, Svechnikov was called for holding to send Saint John to the power play. On that man advantage, Thomas Chabot fed Mathieu Joseph who nearly jammed the puck past Sullivan. The scoring chance was reviewed by officials but called no goal. At 19:04 and Bishop on the bench, Farrell hit the empty net to make it 3-1. Anderson added another with 20 seconds left to make it a 4-1 final. Shots in the third were 12-9 Cape Breton and 29-25 Eagles overall.

TWEET OF THE GAME

Kid getting the crowd pumped during intermission https://t.co/9begw9I6kR
— Jamie Tozer (@station_nation) January 25, 2015

STATS

NOTES

• The Sea Dogs were without goaltender Sebastien Auger (lower body); defensemen Bailey Webster (injured Friday) and Jakub Zboril (lower body); and forwards Mark Tremaine (lower body) and Matthew Highmore (lower body).
• During the pre-game show on 96.1 NewSong FM, Tim Roszell said he spoke with Highmore and told him he doesn't think his injury is too serious. Highmore was hurt in the opening minute of Friday’s game against Cape Breton.
• Julien Tessier returned to Saint John’s lineup. He hadn’t played since New Year’s Eve due to the flu.
• After missing Friday’s game in Saint John due to injury, Olivier LeBlanc played against his former team for the first time on Sunday.
• Declan Smith, a fourth-round draft pick of Saint John in the 2014 QMJHL Entry Draft who was traded to Cape Breton in the LeBlanc deal, made his QMJHL debut on Sunday.

NEXT GAME
The Sea Dogs begin a three-in-three Quebec road trip on Thursday in Shawinigan.