RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 5-2

FINAL: Saint John 2, Victoriaville 5

By Kevin Chambers | SN Staff

VICTORIAVILLE, Que. - The Saint John Sea Dogs began their first road trip through the province of Quebec by dropping a 5-2 decision to the Victoriaville Tigres.

The first period saw plenty of back and forth action, including both teams having a chances on breakaways. Sam Povorozniouk’s short breakaway chance was stopped by Olivier Tremblay and rookie star Maxime Comtois had his chance thwarted by Marc Antoine Turcotte. The goaltenders were both on point in the opening frame, keeping the game deadlocked 0-0.

After going over 34 minutes with no goals, the two sides would tally three in the final six minutes of the middle stanza. Bokondji Imama would dent the twine first with 5:19 left in the second period by pushing one past Tremblay. Just 40 seconds later the Tigres would even the contest. After Thomas Chabot was unable to cradle a bouncing puck, Marc Beckstead jumped on it and buried the puck past Turcotte to even the contest. Imama and Tristan Pomerleau took off setting roughing minors at 17:04, allowing Chabot to take advantage of the open ice by going inside out on a Tigres defender before firing one past Tremblay. That gave the Sea Dogs a 2-1 edge entering the final period.

In the third, the Tigres would even the score on a two-on-one goal by Mario Huber at 6:50. Later in the frame at 10:57, Carl Marois would wrist one top corner on Turcotte to put the Tigres ahead in the game for the first time. Less than a minute later Beckstead would find the back of the net again, making it 4-2. The Tigres would ice the game when Huber netted his second on the game into the empty net, securing a 5-2 victory for the Tigres.

STATS

NOTES

• Before the game, Tim Roszell reported that Samuel Dove-McFalls will need surgery to repair his right knee and could miss up to 12 weeks.
• Forward Cedric Pare and defenseman Ian Smallwood were both called up for this weekend’s games.
• Luke Green, Jakub Zboril, and Nathan Noel all served the first games of their suspension. Danny Flynn said on the 96.1 NewSong FM pre-game show that all three suspensions were “justified.”
• The Sea Dogs are expected to have Jason Bell back in the lineup tomorrow following a death in his family.
• Forward Kyle Ward was also scratched.
• The Sea Dogs also penciled Austin Clapham back into the lineup.
• Spencer Smallman and Adam Marsh led the team in shots with six apiece.
• Saint John finished the game with 40 shots. Smallwood, Pare and Clapham were the only players to not record a shot for the Sea Dogs.
• Attendance: 1,941.

TURNING POINT

Carl Marois and Marc Beckstead scoring at 10:57 and 11:51 of the third period seemed to really take the wind out of the Sea Dogs’ sails.

TWEET OF THE GAME

Got the Sea Dogs on the radio, streaming the Leafs and the Jays are on TV. How is your Friday night? #SeaDogs #Leafsnation #ComeTogether

— HamptonToday (@HamptonToday) October 17, 2015

NEXT GAME
Few will forget the last time the Sea Dogs and Armada met – and they’ll meet again tomorrow in Boisbriand. Unfortunately for the Sea Dogs it was for all the wrong reasons. A few of the players from that mess will be getting the day off as they continue to serve suspensions. Note the start time for tomorrow’s contest is 5 p.m.