Sunday, January 21, 2018

The Sea Dogs are hurting

SAINT JOHN - The Saint John Sea Dogs have been hit hard by the injury bug over the past week.

The Sea Dogs were forced to dress just 10 forwards for Saturday's game against the Quebec Remparts due to injuries. Saint John dressed eight defencemen for the game, using Alexis Girard as a winger.

Last weekend's Quebec road swing proved costly. In net, Alex D'Orio was injured in the final game of the trip but, fortunately, was good to go this weekend (and he was certainly tested). Unfortunately, backup Matthew Williams was injured, forcing the team to recall Stewart Bagnell again.

The Sea Dogs play a tough three-in-three this coming weekend, and D'Orio will not start all of those. Either Bagnell, a healthy Williams or someone else will get a start at some point.

Up front, the Sea Dogs have announced that Nick Deakin-Poot - injured in the final game of the Quebec road trip as well - is done for the season and returned home with an upper body injury. Matt Green (upper body) remains out while Cole Reginato (lower body) and Landon Quinney (upper body) are expected to be out for a while yet.

Reginato was injured in the first game of the Quebec road trip. As an overager and veteran, he is certainly missed on this young Sea Dogs team.

And if all that wasn't bad enough, forward Ben Reid was hurt on a check to the head by Bathurst's Cole Rafuse on Friday. There was somehow no penalty called on the play, but the league suspended Rafuse for two games on Saturday.

Saint John doesn't have a whole lot players available to call up as many of the team's prospects have already joined the squad for the remainder of the season. We'll have to wait and see how the team handles their lineup over the next few weeks.

Saint John's tough schedule continues this weekend with a Friday night tilt in Bathurst and games in Halifax on Saturday and Sunday.

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