Cats fall despite milestone night for Mercier & Kalmikov

Brooklyn Kalmikov scored his 100th QMJHL goal and Alex Mercier got the first of his career in the Wildcats' 8-3 loss to the Saint John Sea Dogs, Friday at TD Station. Maxim Barbashev also scored as part of a three-point night.

The Sea Dogs jumped in front early with three goals in the opening seven-and-a-half minutes of play and led 4-0 after one period.

Saint John made it 5-0 37 seconds into the second period with its second shorthanded goal of the evening.

Mercier got Moncton on the board 22 seconds later on that same power play, firing a wrist shot from the bottom of the left circle that beat goalie Thomas Couture for his first QMJHL goal.

Kalmikov's milestone marker came nearly two minutes later. The overage winger took a pass in the slot, spun and fired a low shot that got past Couture for his 100th career goal.

Saint John made it a 6-2 game nearly seven minutes into the middle frame.

Barbashev got the Wildcats back to within three less than a minute after that as he won a race with Couture to a loose puck in the slot, side-stepped the netminder and fed it into an open cage.

The Sea Dogs found the net again late in the second period with a power play goal and wrapped up scoring midway through the third.

Box Score: https://theqmjhl.ca/gamecentre/29248/boxscore