Sea Dogs down Mooseheads for sixth straight win
Cole Reginato scored twice as the Saint John Sea Dogs extended their winning streak to six games with a 7-4 victory over the Halifax Mooseheads Friday at Scotiabank Centre.
Spencer Smallman had a goal and two assists for Saint John (32-12-3-1) while Jakub Zboril, Samuel Dove-McFalls and Bokondji Imama each had a goal and an assist. Joe Veleno also scored.
Jake Coughler, Nico Hischier, Arnaud Durandeau and Otto Somppi replied for Halifax (23-23-2-3), which have lost three consecutive games.
The Mooseheads opened the scoring three minutes into the game.
A turnover in the Sea Dogs zone ended up on Coughler’s stick in the right circle. The overage forward knifed a backhand shot past the blocker of a surprised Callum Booth in the Saint John goal.
Veleno tied it about three minutes later.
Simon Bourque sent a long wrist shot from the middle of the blueline that went off the tip of the glove of goalie Alexis Gravel. Veleno buried the rebound into an open net.
Hischier restored the Halifax advantage halfway through the period, finishing off a 2-on-1 with a deke to his backhand and tucking the puck between Booth’s legs.
But Saint John responded again just 99 seconds later.
Smallman took a pass behind the Moosehead goal and stepped out to the left side. The captain fired a shot from a sharp angle that deflected off Gravel and into the goal.
Zboril gave the Sea Dogs their first lead with a strike on a two-man advantage.
The Czech blueliner took a pass in the left circle and rifled a heavy wrist shot past the blocker of Gravel, who was screened on the play.
The home side got a power play early in the second period, and while they did not score, they did find the net moments after the man advantage expired.
Defenceman Jared McIsaac ripped a low wrist shot that Durandeau deflected past Booth’s glove to make it a 3-3 game.
The Sea Dogs grabbed the lead again just past the ten-minute mark when Reginato charged from the right corner to the crease and chipped his own rebound under Gravel’s glove.
The league’s best power play connected for the second time in the game about two minutes later.
Gravel stopped a high shot from the slot, but the rebound bounced into the right circle where Dove-McFalls pounded it home.
Reginato potted his second goal of the night nine minutes into the third as the teams skated 4-on-4.
The native of Mira River, Nova Scotia, created a turnover at his own blueline and raced ahead on a breakaway. He deked to his forehand and tucked the puck inside the right post for his first two-goal game in the QMJHL.
Somppi cut his club’s deficit to 6-4 with more than three minutes left.
During the opening seconds of a power play, the Finnish centre grabbed the puck at the left side of the Saint John goal and attempted to pass it in front of the net. His feed deflected over the cross bar, off the back of Booth and into the goal. The play was reviewed as Booth spun quickly and caught the puck before it hit the ice, but it was ruled to be across the goal line.
The Mooseheads pulled Gravel for an extra skater with under three minutes remaining. Imama cemented the Saint John win with an empty-net goal with 98 seconds remaining.
Booth earned the win with 15 saves while Gravel made 24 stops in defeat.
Reginato was named first star for the second consecutive game while Durandeau’s three points made him second star. Smallman snared third star in front of 7,375 fans in attendance.
Saint John’s next game is Saturday, February 4th, at 4 p.m. against the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at Centre 200. Listen LIVE on 96.1 New Song FM or newsongfm.ca. Watch LIVE on Neulion.
The Sea Dogs’ next home game is Friday, February 10th at 7 p.m. against the Drummondville Voltigeurs at Harbour Station. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station Box Office, or fans can save money and buy online.
