Titan upsets first place Sea Dogs in thrilling shootout
The Titan snapped their four-game losing streak Sunday afternoon with a thrilling 4-3 shootout win over the Saint John Sea Dogs.
The first period opened with Egor Popov breaking in alone after causing a turn-over, potting his second of the season unassisted at the 6:31 mark of the opening period. Alexandre Gosselin would make it 2-0 for the Titan with 9:02 remaining with his fourth of the year coming on the power play. Raphaël Corriveau and Guillaume Brisebois picked up the assists. Jakub Zboril would get the Sea Dogs on the board on a power play of their own with his fifth of the year with 5:23 left in the first. Daniel Del Paggio and Matthew Highmore were credited with the assists. Seconds later, Samuel Dove-McFalls would instigate a fight with Nicolas Latulippe. With the Titan leading 2-1 after 20 minutes, they also held a 7-6 lead on shots.
The second period saw just one goal and it came 1:06 into the middle stanza seeing Spencer Smallman wire home his sixth of the year to tie it for the Sea Dogs. Luke Green and Mathieu Joseph were awarded assists on the goal. Despite many chances on both sides, the score would remain 2-2 after two periods. The Titan once again led on shots 10-8.
The Sea Dogs wasted little time breaking the deadlock after Smallman tipped home his second of the game and seventh of the season just 2:05 into the period to give the home side a 3-2 lead. The lead would last only a short time as Andrew Ryan would wrist in his eighth of the year from Mark Simpson and Popov at the 3:44 mark of the final frame to tie things up at three. Regulation would end in a tie forcing overtime between the first and sixth place teams in the Maritimes Division. Shots in the third were 10-8 for the Titan.
Overtime solved nothing and a shootout was required to settle this. After nobody managed to beat either goaltender in the first four rounds, Ryan would beat Sébastien Auger to win it for the Titan and snap their four-game losing streak.
Jacob Brennan picked up his eighth win on the year stopping 20 of 23 shots while Auger was saddled with the loss, stopping 25 of 28.
Special Teams saw the Titan go one-for-eight with the man advantage and the Sea Dogs one-for-four.
The three stars of the game were Jakub Zboril (3rd star), Egor Popov (2nd star) and Spencer Smallman (1st star).
The Titan are back in action at home this Thursday against the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30pm.