HAMILTON, ONTARIO. As the Hamilton Bulldogs prepared to take on the Erie Otters to open a busy weekend, the team received good news in the return of star defenseman Nathan Staios to the lineup.

In the Bulldogs first visit to the Erie Insurance Arena on the season, the Bulldogs showed little travel fatigue, in a back and forth battle early in the opening frame. With a face-off to the right of Otters goaltender Nolan Lalonde, Jan Mysak won the puck to Ryan Winterton swooping off the left wing to the top of the left circle and rifling a puck past Lalonde to open the scoring on his 8th of the year at 10:50. The Otters responded through Brett Bressette at 14:09, jumping on a neutral ice turnover and turning the puck past Drobac, sending the game to the locker room tied 1-1.

The second period was all Hamilton Bulldogs as they poured on the offence, at 6:22 Logan Morrison set the puck for Nathan Staios and his point shot carried wide off the end boards to Avery Hayes who banked the puck off an Erie defender for his 28th of the season. Just over 6 minutes later with the Bulldogs on a 5-on-3, Logan Morrison stole the puck behind the Erie goal and looked for Ryan Winterton on a wrap-around pass, Winterton’s shot was stopped by Lalonde but Jan Mysak was on the spot for the follow up, recording his 27th of the year at 12:42. Before the frame was out, Lawson Sherk exited the penalty box, taking a pass from Jan Mysak and setting Ryan Winterton in a 2-on-1 for his 2nd of the game and 9th of the season at 17:48 giving the Bulldogs a 4-1 lead heading into the third period.

It didn’t take long into the third period for the Bulldogs to extend the lead, as George Diaco scored yet another ridiculous goal, breaking in on the right-wing side, dancing through 3 Erie defenders and cutting to the front of Lalonde’s goal and beating the Otters goaltender for his 15th of the season at 3:29. The Otters fought back on home ice, Brett Bressette recorded his 2nd of the night at 3:53 cutting the lead to 5-2 before Noah Sedore would tighten the game further at 16:35 to 5-3. A late pileup of penalties saw captain Colton Kammerer in the box with under 2-minutes to go where Matteo Drobac made his finest of 35 stops on the night on the penalty kill keeping the Bulldogs up a pair. Finally at 18:50 off a scramble draw, Gavin White fired the puck 180 feet on his backhand, hitting the empty net securing the Bulldogs 6-3 victory.

The Hamilton Bulldogs return home to the FirstOntario Centre Saturday afternoon against the Kingston Frontenacs at 4:00pm.

For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2021-22 season tickets, flex packs or single game tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com