Sea Dogs make most of chances

Islanders close out regular season with three home games this week

The Saint John Sea Dogs made the most of their scoring chances against the Charlottetown Islanders on March 17.

Despite being outshot 45-24, the Sea Dogs doubled the Islanders 8-4 in a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) game played before 2,934 fans at TD Station in Saint John, N.B.

The win earned the Sea Dogs a split in a home-andhome series with the Islanders, who pulled out a 6-2 victory before more 3,000 fans in Charlottetown on March 16.

Drew Elliott (2), Tyler Peddle (2), Jacob Beaulieu, Nico Laforge, Matteo Mann and Brody Fournier scored for the Sea Dogs, who improved to 19-38-5-3 (won-lost-overtime losses-shootout losses).

Simon Hughes (1-1) of Stratford, P.E.I., Kyle Powers (1-1), Ross Campbell of Souris, P.E.I., and Anthony Flanagan replied for the Islanders (25-33-5-2), who trailed 2-0 after the first period and 5-1 following 40 minutes of play.

Winning goaltender Patrick Leaver stopped 41 of 45 shots. Charlottetown starting goaltender Carter Bickle gave up four goals on 11 shots in 30:48 of action, and Aksels Ozols stopped nine of 12 shots over the final 26:26.

The game’s three stars were: 1. Tyler Peddle (Sea Dogs), 2. Nico Laforge (Sea Dogs), 3. Patrick Leaver (Sea Dogs).

FINAL THREE GAMES

The Islanders close out the regular season with three home games this week.

The Acadie-bathurst Titan (29-29-3-4) visit Eastlink Centre on March 20 at 7 p.m., and the Cape Breton Eagles (37-26-1-2) play back-toback games in Charlottetown on March 22 at 7 p.m., and March 23, 4 p.m.

The Islanders are locked in the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the regular-season-champion Baie-comeau Drakkar (5211-2-1) in the opening round of the playoffs.

The first two games of that series will be played in Baiecomeau, Que., on March 29 and 30.