BULLDOGS vs ICEDOGS: ROUND 2 PREVIEW
The Hamilton Bulldogs are ready for the next challenge as they get set to take on the Niagara IceDogs in Round 2 of the OHL Playoffs.
The Black and Gold are coming off a 4-1 series win over the Ottawa 67’s that saw them out-score the opposition 27-12 with Matthew Strome leading the way with 2-goals and 8-assists good for 10-points. Brandon Saigeon had a great series with 9-points including 7-goals, tied for the playoff lead along with his playoff leading 5-power-play goals. Robert Thomas was also a force with 9-points while Will Bitten and Ryan Moore each had 7-points. Two Bulldogs defensemen lead the league in the plus/minus category after Round 1. Justin Lemcke was a +10 while Riley Stillman was right behind the captain at +9. Kaden Fulcher was a rock in the Hamilton net going 4-1 with a 2.41 GAA and a .908 SV%.
The IceDogs were also 4-1 in the opening round out-scoring the Oshawa Generals 22-13. Akil Thomas and Sam Miletic led the Niagara offense with 7-points each, Matthew Philip had 6 while Liam Ham, Oliver Castleman, Ben Jones and Danial Singer all chipped in with 5. Goalie Stephen Dhillon was the star for Niagara with a 2.40 GAA and a SV% of .932.
2nd Round Playoff Series Schedule: Hamilton (1) vs Niagara (4)
Game 1: Niagara @ Hamilton Thursday April 5th at 7pm (FirstOntario Centre)
Game 2: Niagara @ Hamilton Saturday April 7th at 7pm (FirstOntario Centre)
Game 3: Hamilton @ Niagara Monday April 9th at 7pm (Meridian Centre)
Game 4: Hamilton @ Niagara Wednesday April 11th at 7pm (Meridian Centre)
*Game 5: Niagara @ Hamilton Thursday April 12th at 7pm (FirstOntario Centre)
*Game 6: Hamilton @ Niagara Saturday April 14th at 7pm (Meridian Centre)
*Game 7: Niagara @ Hamilton Monday April 16th at 7pm (FirstOntario Centre)
*if necessary
The IceDogs had the edge over the Bulldogs during the regular season with Hamilton going 1-3-1-1 in the six games. Brandon Saigeon had 6-points while Robert Thomas assisted on 5-goals in the three games he played. Arthur Kaliyev and Ben Gleason each contributed 4-points. Niagara’s Ben Jones liked playing Hamilton with 6-goals and 5-assists good for 11-points. Kirill Maksimov had 9-points against the Bulldogs while Akil Thomas and Liam Ham both had 7. The IceDogs’ Stephen Dhillon won the regular season crease battle going 5-0 with 2.15 GAA and a .941 SV% while the Bulldogs’ Kaden Fulcher was 1-2-1 with a 3.73 GAA and a .882 SV%.
Hamilton 2 @ Niagara 3 (Mar 15 2018) Final OT
Niagara 5 @ Hamilton 3 (Mar 10 2018) Final
Hamilton 5 @ Niagara 4 (Mar 1 2018) Final OT
Hamilton 3 @ Niagara 7 (Dec 31 2017) Final
Niagara 3 @ Hamilton 2 (Oct 7 2017) Final SO
Niagara 4 @ Hamilton 1 (Sep 23 2017) Final
For more information on how to get Bulldogs playoff tickets for Round 2, call 905-529-8500 or go to www.hamiltonbulldogs.com
Game 1 https://bit.ly/2GQrXaR
Game 2 https://bit.ly/2IqAUoq
