RECAP: Patrick Leaver shines in Sea Dogs shootout victory
SAINT JOHN – In a nail-biting Family Day game at TD Station, the Saint John Sea Dogs snapped their seven-game losing streak with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Cape Breton Eagles on Monday afternoon. A crowd of 4,241 witnessed Patrick Leaver’s performance, making 49 saves and playing a crucial role in the win.
The first period opened with penalties on both sides leading up to an opening goal by the Eagles as Cam Squires scored at 10:49. The Sea Dogs quickly responded with Matteo Mann’s powerplay goal at 14:24, thanks to assists from Egan Beveridge and Nicolas Bilodeau. The Eagles regained the lead with Lucas Romeo’s goal at 18:45. The first period came to a close with the Sea Dogs trailing 2-1 while also trailing in shots 15-5.
In the second period, the Sea Dogs forward Eriks Mateiko, on a beautiful pass from Nate Tivey, evened the score at 4:38. Despite a holding call against Mann at 18:43, the second period ended with the teams tied at two apiece with Cape Breton leading in shots 29-10.
The third period saw efforts from both sides to break the deadlock, with Romeo receiving an interference penalty at 7:11 sending Saint John to the man advantage. Leaver made a highlight-reel blocker save with less than two minutes remaining, keeping the score knotted at two. The period ended with the score still tied, pushing the game into overtime, which remained scoreless despite shots from both sides.
The shootout saw Pavel Simek and Mateiko lighting the lamp for the home side, with Leaver shutting down the Eagles, clinching the win for the Sea Dogs. Leavers incredible performance earned him the first star of the game.
With this win, the Sea Dogs will look to carry the moment into their next challenge against the Québec Remparts on Friday as they begin a three-game road trip in Quebec. The team returns home on Friday, March 1st against the Baie-Comeau Drakkar. Tickets for upcoming home games are available at the TD Station box office, by calling (506) 657-1234 or online at tickets.tdstation.com.
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