Friday, April 15, 2016

GAME 5 RECAP: Sea Dogs Lose 4-3 (OT)

FINAL: Cape Breton 4, Saint John 3 (OT)
SAINT JOHN – The Cape Breton Screaming Eagles are a win away from the QMJHL semifinals.

With a 4-3 overtime win on Friday night at Harbour Station, the Screaming Eagles lead the best-of-seven second series 3-2 over the Saint John Sea Dogs. Game six is on Sunday night at Centre 200.

Giovanni Fiore was the hero, putting in a rebound at 7:25 of extra time to give the Eagles the win. Michael Joly scored a pair of goals in regulation time while Jordan Ty Fournier had the other. Alexandre Belanger made 38 saves.

Matthew Highmore had a pair of goals for Saint John and Daniel Del Paggio added a solo marker. Marc-Antoine Turcotte made 22 saves in the loss.

The Sea Dogs played fairly well in this one and doubled the Screaming Eagles in shots for much of the game. But they couldn’t pull it off, and now face a must-win situation in Sydney on Sunday.

Nathan Noel went to the box at 6:32 of the first period. Near the end of the penalty kill, Saint John had a couple of great shorthanded chances – including Tomas Chabot speeding past the Cape Breton defense - but could not beat Belanger.

Saint John went to the power play at 10:35. 16 seconds into the man advantage, Highmore tipped a Spencer Smallman shot past Belanger to give the Dogs a 1-0 lead.

The Sea Dogs took a 2-0 lead at 13:45. On a five-on-three power play, Del Paggio tipped a Chabot shot past Belanger. Exactly one minute later, Joly stripped Matt Murphy of the puck in the neutral zone and scored on a shorthanded breakaway to make it a 2-1 contest.
Shortly after the ensuing faceoff, Joly nearly scored again but fired wide.

2:20 into the second, Fournier cut into the crease and beat Turcotte to tie things up at 2-2.
With just over five minutes left in the second stanza, a Luke Green shot hit the post and the puck bobbled behind Belanger in the crease. The puck found Noel in front but he could not connect on the scramble.

In the third, Highmore put in his own rebound at 4:58 to put Saint John back in front, 3-2.

With less than 7:30 to play in the period, Joe Veleno nearly fooled Belanger but the Eagles goaltender was able to keep the puck out. Soon after at 12:54, Joly was left alone in the slot and fired a shot past Turcotte to even things up at 3-3. That’s how things would stay through the rest of the third, meaning overtime would be required.

Not long after Oliver Felixson fired a shot off the crossbar, Turcotte couldn’t handle an Alexandre Gosselin shot and Fiore put in the rebound at 7:25 to give Cape Breton the victory.
NOTES
  • The Sea Dogs were without defensemen Alexandre Bernier (upper body), Vincent Martineau (healthy) and Gabriel Bettez (healthy) along with forwards Bokondji Imama (suspension), Mathieu Joseph (lower body) and Adam Marsh (upper body).
  • The Screaming Eagles played without Maxim Lazarev due to a virus, the Screaming Eagles tweeted before the game. Lazarev entered action on Friday sitting second in QMJHL playoff scoring.
  • First round pick Cedric Pare, recalled with Imama suspended, made his QMJHL playoff debut. Pare appeared in five regular season games with Saint John.
  • As Tim Roszell noted on the radio broadcast, Quebec referees were used for this game.
  • After being held pointless in the past two games, Michael Joly scored twice.
  • With two helpers tonight, Thomas Chabot now has two goals and 12 points in 10 playoff games.
  • Kyle Ward had seven hits.
  • This hit. It was close to looking like another hit.
TURNING POINT
Michael Joly’s goal at 12:54 of the third tied the game at 3-3, sending the game to overtime and setting up Giovanni Fiore’s game winner.

SN PLAYERS OF THE GAME
Michael Joly
Matthew Highmore
Thomas Chabot

TWEET OF THE GAME
NEXT GAME
Game six is on Sunday night at 7 p.m. at Centre 200.
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