SAINT JOHN, New Brunswick (Interstat) — The Saint John Sea Dogs used a balanced offensive attack and capitalized on special teams to defeat the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies 3-1 in a Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League matchup Monday afternoon at TD Station.

A crowd of 2,502 watched the Sea Dogs erase an early deficit with three unanswered goals to improve their season record to 5-3-0, pulling even with the Huskies, who also sit at 5-3-0.

The game’s momentum shifted on a pivotal sequence late in the first period. The Huskies opened the scoring at 16:35 when center William Vézina netted his fifth goal of the season, assisted by Samuel Rheault.

Just 56 seconds later, Rouyn-Noranda’s Eliot Ogonowski was sent to the penalty box for holding, giving Saint John a power play. The Sea Dogs needed only 43 seconds to convert, with William Yared scoring his fourth goal of the season at 18:14, assisted by Dylan Rozzi, to tie the game.

Saint John took control of the game in the second period. Rozzi, a left wing from Montréal, gave the Sea Dogs the lead for good at 12:06, scoring his fourth goal with an assist from Alexander Donovan. Rozzi finished the afternoon with a goal and an assist, leading the Saint John offense.

The Sea Dogs added an insurance goal early in the third period when Matthew Krayer scored his second of the season, an unassisted marker at 3:26, sealing the victory.

The Huskies struggled to generate consistent offense after their initial goal, despite outshooting the Sea Dogs. Saint John’s penalty kill was perfect on the afternoon, shutting down all four of Rouyn-Noranda’s power-play opportunities. The Huskies, meanwhile, went 1-for-6 with the man advantage.

The game was a penalty-filled affair, with the two teams combining for 10 infractions. The Sea Dogs were assessed six penalties, including four in the third period, but their penalty kill unit stood firm to preserve the win.

Vézina was a standout for the Huskies in the loss, contributing a goal and a team-high four shots on goal, but he also took a cross-checking penalty in the third period.

For Saint John, the victory was a collective effort. Beyond Rozzi’s multi-point afternoon, Elliot Dubé and Vincent Croteau each recorded an assist, while Alexis Joseph was a physical presence with three shots and two hits.

The result defied pregame projections from Interstat, whose ELO system had given the Huskies a 76.60 percent probability to win. The final score, however, was close to the simulator’s projection of a 3-2 Saint John victory.

The Sea Dogs will look to build on the win when they host Val-d’Or this Saturday. The Huskies continue their road trip with a game at Blainville-Boisbriand on Saturday.