Sea Dogs Move into First Place in Division with Win at Moncton
February 3, 2016 - Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL)
Saint John Sea Dogs News Release
MONCTON - The Saint John Sea Dogs have moved into first place in the Maritimes Division after a 4-1 victory over the Moncton Wildcats at the Moncton Coliseum.
Dan Del Paggio netted the eventual winner midway through the third period and added an empty-netter, while Nathan Noel and Sam Povorozniouk also scored. Saint John (32-13-4-0) have won five straight games and are unbeaten in regulation time in their last fifteen contests.
Kelly Klima replied for Moncton (30-15-6-1), which have lost six in a row.
The Sea Dogs sit first place in the Maritimes Division and third overall, one point behind the Shawinigan Cataractes.
The Wildcats got the game's first two power plays early on, but the Sea Dogs created chances while shorthanded.
Mathieu Joseph took a 2-on-1 pass from Matthew Highmore for a clear opportunity. Joseph tried a high shot that was stopped by ex-Sea Dog Blade Mann-Dixon with his blocker.
A short time later, another 2-on-1 saw defenceman Matt Murphy attempt a pass to the front of the goal from the left wing side. The puck deflected off a Moncton skate, forcing Mann-Dixon to make a stop with his right skate.
Moncton capitalized on its second man advantage.
Conor Garland, the QMJHL's leading scorer fed a pass from the right point into the left circle where Klima hammered a one-timer past the blocker of Marc-Antoine Turcotte in the Saint John goal.
There was a scary scene twelve minutes into the second period while Saint John worked on its first power play of the game.
Wildcat forward Will Smith got a partial breakaway from the neutral zone, and as he cut in on the left side, he fired a shot that Turcotte stopped. Smith collided with the goaltender, knocking him down and dislodging the net.
Turcotte stayed down on the ice for several minutes and was tended to by training staff from both teams before being assisted off the ice. Smith was assessed a major penalty and game misconduct for goaltender interference. Turcotte left the game with 17 saves and was relieved by Alex Bishop.
Mere seconds after play resumed, with Saint John on a 4-on-3 power play, Joseph fed a cross-crease pass to Povorozniouk. The overage winger one-timed a slap shot into the top of the net, past a sprawling Mann-Dixon, to tie the game. Povorozniouk extended his points streak to ten games with the goal.
The game stayed tied until midway through the third period when the Sea Dogs brought the puck into the offensive zone on a 3-on-2.
Joseph took a pass in the middle, and fed Del Paggio in the right circle. The 19-year-old flicked a quick wrist shot past Mann-Dixon's blocker to give Saint John its first lead of the game.
Noel extended his league-high points streak to fifteen games with an insurance marker with fewer than three minutes left.
Matt Green took a pass on the left side of the neutral zone and spotted Noel streaking up the right wing. The third-year pivot raced into the right circle and whistled a wrist shot short-side, over the glove of Mann-Dixon.
Del Paggio added an empty-net goal with 1:13 left.
Bishop earned the win with eleven saves in nearly 28 minutes of relief work. Mann-Dixon made 32 saves and took the loss in a second-star performance.
Del Paggio's two goals made him first star. Noel's goal garnered a third-star selection in front of 3,855 fans in attendance.
Saint John's next game is Friday, February 5th, at 7:30 p.m. against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan at Harbour Station. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station Box Office, online at harbourstation.ca or by calling 657-1234.
Listen LIVE on 96.1 NewSong FM or newsongfm.ca. Watch LIVE on theqmjhl.ca. Also watch LIVE on Rogers TV Community Cable Channel 10.
SMALLWOOD RECALLED: Before the game, the Sea Dogs announced defenceman Ian Smallwood had been recalled from the Saint John Vito's of the New Brunswick/PEI Major Midget Hockey League (NBPEIMMHL).
The St. John's-native took the warm-up, but did not dress in the game.
Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League Stories from February 3, 2016
- Sea Dogs Move into First Place in Division with Win at Moncton - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Sea Dogs Tenth in Bmo CHL Top 10 Rankings - Saint John Sea Dogs
- Islanders Pleased with Effort Despite Loss to Shawinigan - Charlottetown Islanders
- Saint John Defeats Moncton 4-1 - Moncton Wildcats
- Thompson Providing Calming Influence for Islanders - Charlottetown Islanders
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
