SEA DOGS SNAP SKID WITH WIN OVER VOLTIGEURS
SAINT JOHN – Justice Dundas scored twice and Alex Bishop made 34 saves as the Saint John Sea Dogs ended a four-game losing skid with a 3-2 win over the Drummondville Voltigeurs in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action Wednesday at Harbour Station.
Spencer Smallman also found the net for Saint John (24-13-1-5).
Adam Chapman and Sergei Boikov replied for Drummondville (21-20-0-2), which saw its win streak ended at three games.
A complete scoring summary is available HERE.
Sea Dog forward Daniel Del Paggio attempted to set the tone for the match-up in the opening minutes with a bone-crushing, open-ice hit at centre-ice on Voltigeurs’ defenceman Benjamin Gagne.
Drummondville had several scoring chances in the opening period.
Leading scorer Joey Ratelle was sprung on a shorthanded breakaway four minutes in, but his deke to the backhand was gloved by Bishop, who was making his third straight start in the Sea Dog goal.
With about three minutes remaining in the frame, Ratelle redirected a pass in front of the Saint John net that Bishop was able to squeeze between his legs.
The game remained scoreless after twenty minutes.
Dundas opened the scoring 95 seconds into the second period.
After a turnover at the Sea Dogs’ blueline, the Richmond Hill, Ontario, native took a pass from Mitchell Dempsey on the right wing during a 2-on-1 and rifled a wrist shot over the glove hand of Volts’ goalie Joe Fleschler.
The 20-year-old Dundas struck again at the halfway mark of the period when Saint John were on the power play.
Luke Green flicked a hard, low shot from the right point that was deflected on its way to the goal. Fleschler made the initial stop, but could not prevent Dundas from batting the rebound into the open net from the left side of the crease.
Drummondville cut their deficit in half two minutes later.
Forward Julien Avon sent a one-timer from the left circle that Bishop stopped, but could not control. Chapman, the overage centre, chipped the rebound out of the air and past the Sea Dogs’ rookie goalie.
Saint John got its two-goal lead back before the seven-minute mark of the third period when Matthew Highmore found a trailing Smallman in the slot. The Fredericton product deked toward the goal and snapped a laser-beam past Fleschler’s glove and just under the cross bar.
The Voltigeurs thought they had gotten one back about two minutes later when Ratelle deflected a pass from the left-wing circle inside the left post, but the teammate feeding him the pass – Michael Carcone – was penalized on the play for goaltender interference.
Barely thirty seconds after the penalty call, Drummondville scored shorthanded when Chapman led a 2-on-1 into the right side of the Sea Dogs’ zone and fed a streaking Boikov, who tipped the pass between Bishop’s legs.
Saint John were forced to kill a penalty in the final three minutes of regulation time. The Volts pulled Fleschler with about 1:50 remaining to create a 6-on-4 opportunity, but could not tie the game.
Fleschler turned aside 17 shots in a losing cause.
Dundas’ two goals made him first star, while Chapman earned second star with a goal and assist. Bishop’s 34 saves warranted a third-star selection in front of 3,234 fans in attendance.
The Sea Dogs’ next game is Saturday, January 17th, at 8 p.m. against the Gatineau Olympiques at the Robert-Guertin Centre. Listen LIVE on 96.1 NewSong FM or newsongfm.ca. Watch LIVE online on QMJHL Live (fee applies).
Saint John’s next home game is Friday, January 23rd, at 7:30 p.m. against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station Box Office, online at harbourstation.ca or by calling 657-1234. For January only, all Youth tickets are just $8, while Student tickets are $10.
