Another back-to-back for the Saint John Sea Dogs provided them an excellent opportunity to get back on track after dropping their home opener against the Acadie-Bathurst Titan in a shootout, although they needed a fantastic game from new goaltender Patrick Leaver to get there. Despite getting some solid play from the team, including a great performance from their leadership group, they failed to convert late third-period leads into wins. Instead, they allowed the stars of the opposing Cape Breton Eagles to climb back into the game and steal away four points.
Former Sea Dogs Get Revenge
The outcome of both games was less than ideal and more than a little bit demoralizing. The Sea Dogs led both games with less than five minutes left in the third period but fell victim to an Eagles team that was desperate to put some numbers in the win column after being demolished in their first two games of the season. Unfortunately for the Sea Dogs, it was their former players who ended up doing a lot of the work against them.
A total of three first-round picks and two second-round picks was the haul that the Sea Dogs got in return for trading away veteran Cam MacDonald and rookie Cole Burbdige, which is no small sum by any means. However, it became abundantly clear why those two were worth so much as the pair got some revenge on their former team.
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MacDonald recently returned to the Eagles from the Arizona Coyotes training camp while Burbidge was also away learning some new moves with the Ottawa Senators. It apparently has them fired up this season, as each of them collected four points in the two games. Yet, it was Burbidge’s short-handed goal to tie the second contest with two minutes remaining that really stung.
Veteran Group Steering the Ship
The game’s outcome may not have been what Sea Dogs fans were hoping for, but looking at both games with a wider lens shows a big improvement over their season-opening home-and-home against the Titan. The crew of veterans that they have assembled for this season has started showing exactly why they have been in the league for as many seasons as they have.
A total of five players are currently collecting points on a per-game basis, led of course by their captain Peter Reynolds. Reynolds had a three-point weekend with two goals and an assist that included a stunner of a goal just 16 seconds into the second game. Not to be outdone, the alternate captains Noah Reinhart and Mathis Gauthier also looked like they were starting to get back into top form. Reinhart collected a trio of points, while Gauthier produced a commanding performance physically and offensively with subjectively the prettiest goal of the weekend, which at the time put his team up 3-2 in the third period.
Continued excellence from the leadership group combined with excellent play from returning players Vince Elie, Pavel Simek, and the draft-eligible Eriks Mateiko will go a long way in helping the Sea Dogs outperform expectations again this season. However, perhaps the biggest surprise of all has been the Ontario Hockey League recruited goaltender, Patrick Leaver. Leaver has played all four of the Sea Dogs games despite having two back-to-backs and has had vast stretches of play where he has looked almost unbeatable. However, his rebound control may need a bit of work. Goaltending was a major question mark for the team after trading away rookie Olivier Brideau, but early on it looks like Leaver is the answer.
Another Pair of Inter-Divisional Battles Coming Up
Before branching out to play some of the other divisions in the league, the Sea Dogs will attempt to get revenge on the Titan on Oct. 6 in Bathurst, before welcoming the offensively dangerous Moncton Wildcats the next night on Oct. 7. The team will then pack up and head on their first extended road trip of the season where they will visit the Blainville-Boisbriand Armada, the currently undefeated Val-d’Or Foreurs, and the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.
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