RECAP: Sea Dogs rally back for win over Eagles
SAINT JOHN – In an emotionally fueled showdown Saturday night at TD Station, the Saint John Sea Dogs overcame an early deficit to defeat the Cape Breton Eagles 6-3 in their fourth matchup of the year. This win elevates the Sea Dogs record to 11-13-1-2, marking their fifth win in the last six games.
The Eagles took control early on with goals by Angelo Fullerton and Cam Squires at 2:03 and 4:39. However, the Sea Dogs began their comeback late in the period when Matteo Mann found the back of the net, with Noah Reinhart and Danny Akkouche setting up the play. The first period ended with the Sea Dogs trailing 2-1, while being outshot 13-5.
Midway through the second period, Sea Dogs goaltender Patrick Leaver stood tall, unfazed by a dangerous charge by an Eagles player. The equalizer came at 12:50, with Vince Élie initiating the play, Reinhart nearly converting, and Reid Calder burying his first of the season. Reinhart then took the lead for the Sea Dogs at 16:45, thanks to Élie and Peter Reynolds’ setup. Akkouche’s breakaway chance at 17:50 hit the post, narrowly missing a further lead. The Sea Dogs ended the period ahead 3-2, with shots 28-14 in favour of the Eagles.
Kency Pierre-Noël lengthened the Sea Dogs lead to 4-2 at 8:20 in the third period, with a beautifully executed “goal of the night” candidate, with assists from Chad Bellemare and Mann. Eagles forward Émile Ricard wasted no time, narrowing the gap to 4-3 shortly after at 8:38. Eriks Mateiko’s goal at 9:19, orchestrated by Reynolds and Mathis Gauthier, provided an insurance goal for the Sea Dogs. Gauthier then buried the hatchet with an empty netter from his own end, finalizing the score at 6-3. The Sea Dogs ended with 24 shots to the Eagles 36.
Gauthier, with his all-around performance, earned the third star, while Élie’s critical two points landed him the second star. The first star was awarded to Reinhart who delivered four points in the victory.
The Sea Dogs are set for another home game against the Chicoutimi Saguenéens on Sunday afternoon at 3pm, which will be the annual Teddy Bear Toss game accompanied by a Michael Bublé tribute concert, adding to the day’s excitement. Fans are in for a treat both on and off the ice at TD Station. Tickets are available at the TD Station box office, by calling (506) 657-1234 or online at tickets.tdstation.com.
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