Sea Dogs earn hard-fought victory over Cataractes

SAINT JOHN – Sam Povorozniouk’s goal with just over eight minutes remaining in the second period proved to be the game winner as the Saint John Sea Dogs defeated the Shawinigan Cataractes, 5-2, Saturday at Harbour Station.

Adam Marsh, Spencer Smallman, Matt Green and Bokondji Imama also scored for Saint John (5-3-0-0), which picked up its second straight win.

Alexis D’Aoust and Dennis Yan replied for Shawinigan (6-2-0-0).

A complete scoring summary is available HERE.

The Cataractes, which entered the weekend as the #2 ranked team in the latest BMO CHL Top Ten, broke the ice with a shorthanded goal seven minutes into the game.

D’Aoust caused a turnover near his own blueline and broke in alone, opening up Saint John goalie Marc-Antoine Turcotte with a deke and sliding the puck through his legs.

The Sea Dogs countered two minutes later when Marsh stole the puck in the Shawinigan zone and rifled a wrist shot from the right circle that beat goalie Antoine Samuel over his left shoulder.

The visitors regained the lead with a power play goal late in the frame.

Samuel Girard took a shot from the middle of the blueline that Turcotte stopped, but Yan moved in from the right circle and buried the rebound to make it a 2-1 game.

Saint John’s captain tied the affair with a shorthanded marker two minutes into the second.

Smallman deflected a cross-ice pass at the Sea Dogs’ blueline out of the zone. The Fredericton-native then won a race to the loose puck as it rolled down the ice and into the slot and fired a quick shot that got past Samuel’s glove.

Povorozniouk put Saint John in front with more than eight minutes left in the period.

Matthew Highmore forced a turnover right in front of the Cataractes net. Povorozniouk grabbed the loose disk and shoveled a backhander past Samuel’s blocker for a 3-2 Sea Dogs advantage.

The Dogs added an insurance marker six minutes into the third period when a Povorozniouk shot from the top of the left circle was deflected by Matt Green through Samuel’s legs.

Under three minutes later, Imama wrapped up the scoring with a power play goal.

Nathan Noel danced into the Shawinigan zone with speed on the right wing and threw a pass across the crease. It hit Joe Veleno in the right skate but bounced back in front of the goal to Imama, who deposited the easy tap-in for a 5-2 lead.

Turcotte picked up the victory in goal with 31 stops. Samuel made 24 saves in defeat.

Povorozniouk took home first star with the winning goal and an assist while Smallman’s shorthanded tally made him second star. Highmore contributed two assists to gain third star status in front of 3,555 fans in attendance.

Saint John’s next game is Friday, October 9th, at 7 p.m. against the Charlottetown Islanders at Eastlink Centre. Listen LIVE on 96.1 NewSong FM or newsongfm.ca. Watch LIVE online on theqmjhl.ca. Fans in Nova Scotia and PEI can also watch LIVE on Eastlink TV.

The Sea Dogs’ next home game is Saturday, October 10th, at 7 p.m. against the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada at Harbour Station. It’s Pink in the Rink Night, with Saint John wearing special pink jerseys which will be given away to fans by raffle in support of Canadian breast cancer research. Tickets are available at the Harbour Station Box Office, online at harbourstation.ca or by calling 657-1234.

Season tickets are on sale now at the Sea Dogs administration office (Harbour Station, Pedway Level). Season ticket holders can save up to $171 compared with single-game box office prices.

Click HERE for more information, or call 657-DOGS (3647) or 632-9260. Payment plan options are available.