HAYES & MALBOEUF POWER THE BULLDOGS PAST STEELHEADS
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. On Saturday afternoon, the Hamilton Bulldogs celebrated Hamilton TiCats night at FirstOntario Centre squaring off with the Mississauga Steelheads.
With Chris Van Zeyl & Alex Fontana of the TiCats revving the crowd up to puck-drop, the Bulldogs got off to an outstanding start. Just 1:17 into the game, with the Bulldogs working a 5-man offensive zone cycle, a left point shot from Jorian Donovan was tipped by Patrick Thomas across the slot to Lawson Sherk who captured the puck on his backhand and shifted it forehand, shoveling past Alessio Beglieri to give Hamilton the early 1-0 lead on Sherk’s 2nd of the season. The Bulldogs went to the power-play three times in the opening frame but were turned aside all three times with the Steelheads closing ranks and keeping the game at a thin margin. At 19:07, just after the Bulldogs third power-play expired, Charlie Callaghan flew forward with James Hardie in a 2-on-1 with Hardie lifting the puck over Tristan Malboeuf as the Bulldogs goaltender slide right to left, tying the game 1-1.
The Bulldogs had an early march to the penalty box in the second period with Malboeuf coming up massive in his first start of the season, stopping all 12 shots he faced in the second period. The finest of which came shorthanded, where Malboeuf split across his crease to spectacularly deny an open goal from James Hardie and Luca DelBelBelluz. With the Bulldogs nearing the end of a double minor penalty kill Avery Hayes was sent away on a shorthanded breakaway, firing a shot just wide of the far post. Noah Van Vliet quickly sent Hayes away shorthanded again, this time though Hayes caught Beglieri being over aggressive, letting the puck run off his forehand while waving over it, faking a move, successfully completing a “no-move” move and stunning the crowd to give the Bulldogs back the lead at 7:33. With the physical tempo amping up, exemplified by matching minors to the towering Noah Van Vliet and Kasper Larsen in the latter stages of the second, the game was set for tremendous finish with the Bulldogs leading 2-1 through 40 minutes.
The Steelheads pushed back in the third period and Finn Harding fired a shot from the right point which deflected off a defender’s skate and over Malboeuf’s shoulder to tie the game 2-2 at 8:41. Malboeuf wouldn’t shrink from the moment however, making back-to-back saves in sequence off DelBelBelluz from the left circle and Zander Veccia just a moment later at the right post. Just before time expired in the third, James Hardie was whistled for sending the puck over the glass from the Steelheads zone giving the Bulldogs a 4-on-3 power-play extending into overtime, the second trip to the extra session for the Bulldogs in their last three games.
Overtime didn’t last long, with the Bulldogs immediately gathering possession, Gavin White held the puck at the middle of the Mississauga blueline. The Hamilton defenseman worked the puck low for Ryan Humphrey on the left side below the goal line, Humphrey fed the puck to a streaking Morrison down the slot who held just long enough to open a passing lane to his left for Avery Hayes, hammering home the game winning goal on his 2nd of the night, sending the Bulldogs to a 3-2 win.
The Hamilton Bulldogs return to action on Sunday, November 13th travelling to the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa to take on the Generals at 6:05.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs Flex Pack or Group packages call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com.
