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December 2, 2016 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release

SHAWINIGAN - Bokondji Imama scored twice in the final two minutes of regulation time and Matthew Highmore buried the shootout winner in the fifth round, as the Saint John Sea Dogs came from behind to defeat the Shawinigan Cataractes, 3-2, Thursday at Centre Gervais Auto.

Mathieu Joseph had two assists for Saint John (18-6-2-1) while Thomas Chabot added a shootout goal.

The Sea Dogs have won four straight games and have earned points in nine in a row. The win also put Saint John back into a three-way tie for first overall in the QMJHL with 39 points.

Samuel Girard and Tommy Cardinal replied for Shawinigan (17-7-1-1) with Tommy Lemay netting the only shootout goal. The Cataractes have lost three straight.

A scoring summary is available HERE [http://theqmjhl.ca/gamecentre/25357/boxscore].

The Sea Dogs' best chance to score in the opening frame came midway through when Thomas Chabot cut in on the left side, faked a shot, and then went behind the goal to attempt a wraparound. Cataractes goalie Mikhail Denisov jammed his left skate against the left post to keep it out.

Shawinigan opened the scoring with a power play goal late in the first period.

Girard, a Nashville Predators prospect, took a pass in the middle of the blueline and hammered a slap shot past the glove of Saint John goalie Alex Bishop.

The home side doubled its lead with eight minutes left in the second period.

Antoine Demers carried the puck into the Saint John zone on the left wing and found Cardinal in front of the goal. The rookie winger rifled a wrist shot past Bishop's blocker for his first QMJHL goal.

The game stayed 2-0 until Bishop went to the bench for an extra skater with under two-and-a-half minutes left.

The Sea Dogs solved Denisov with 1:50 remaining when Joseph's shot from the right circle was redirected by Imama past the Russian-born netminder.

Imama struck again 45 seconds later - again with Saint John's net empty.

The 2015 sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning took a pass in the right circle and rifled a heavy wrist shot past Denisov's blocker to tie the game, 2-2.

The Sea Dogs took a penalty 35 seconds into overtime, but were able to kill it off.

Joseph narrowly missed ending the game in the dying seconds of the extra period, steering the rebound of an Imama shot through the crease, along the goal line and wide of the net.

Shawinigan shot first in the shootout, but Chabot scored the only goal of the first round, deking to his backhand and sliding the puck inside the left post.

Lemay kept the Cataractes' hopes alive in the third round with a deke to the backhand that got beyond Bishop's glove.

Highmore ended the game in Round 5, ripping a wrister off Denisov's blocker and into the goal.

Bishop earned the win with 24 saves and four of five in the shootout. Denisov was charged with the loss despite 31 saves and three of five in the penalty shot contest.

Denisov was named first star while Girard's goal made him second star. Chabot took third star with a +2 rating, eight shots on goal and a shootout marker in front of 2,894 fans in attendance.

Sea Dogs Extend Win Streak To Fourwith Shootout Stunner Over Shawinigan

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