LUCAS MOORE’S 3 POINTS LEADS BULLDOGS TO 4-2 WIN
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. The Hamilton Bulldogs were back in action after an 11-day holiday break, hosting the visiting Niagara Ice Dogs for the first time this season at the FirstOntario Centre.
Niagara netminder Owen Flores made himself a story of the opening period with 17-saves to give his IceDogs teammates the opportunity to get their legs under them. Matteo Drobac meanwhile refused to be outdone making a huge stretch cross crease save off the stick of Daniel Michaud to keep the game scoreless just past the midway point of the period. With 2:03 left in the opening frame the Bulldogs broke through as Florian Xhekaj sent the puck to Jorian Donovan at the left point who made a nifty move around a pressuring IceDog and dropped it to Lucas Moore who ripped it past Flores for his 2nd of the season, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 while they posted a season high 18 first period shots.
It only took 8 seconds into the middle frame for Niagara to tie it up, as newly acquired Zakary Lavoie, in his first game with Niagara, skated the puck over the blue line and ripped it bar down over the shoulder of Drobac for his 12th of the season, and first as an IceDog. Niagara continued to apply heavy pressure in the first few minutes of the period. Ryan Vannetten showed crafty hands putting the puck through the sticks of a pair of Bulldogs defensemen for a quality chance that Drobac was able to deny. With 8:16 remaining in the frame, Florian Xhekaj skated the puck on the right-wing side into the offensive zone, one-handing a pass to Braeden O’Keefe barreling down the slot where the Bulldogs center ripped it short side over the shoulder of Flores for his 3rd of the season, putting the Bulldogs back on top 2-1, and giving Xhekaj and Moore 2 points each on the night with the assists. Before the period was out the IceDogs went to the power-play, but Matteo Drobac again navigated the rough seas, denying Kevin He on a pair of opportunities in tight and Hamilton held a 2-1 lead heading into the third.
The opening five of the final frame was all Hamilton, spending shift after shift in the offensive zone. The pressure paid off at 4:30 as Lucas Moore rocketed a slap shot from the right point off a Jorian Donovan feed that Patrick Thomas tipped past Owen Flores for his 6th goal of the season with Lucas Moore recording his 2nd assist and 3rd point of the night on the play. The IceDogs responded on the power-play just over 2-minutes later, displaying some beautiful passing finishing with Anthony Agostinelli laying the puck to the net front for Zakary Lavoie who tipped it past a sprawling Drobac for his second of the game, making it 3-2 at 6:44. After Noah Van Vliet and Lucas Moore were both flagged for late penalties in the defensive zone, giving the IceDogs a 19-second 5-on-3, Matteo Drobac again stood up for his team and the Bulldogs turned their penalty kill into an opportunity. Just as Van Vliet stepped out of the box the towering defenceman was hit for a breakaway opportunity and was slashed on his way to the net, making it a 4-on-4 game with 2:08 remaining. With 30 seconds left and an extra attacker on for Niagara, Matteo Drobac made a huge point blank save on Aiden Castle, stealing a potential tying goal and his teammates again responded with Ryan Humphrey sending it down into the empty net to seal the game for the Bulldogs on his 4th of the season at 19:38 giving the Bulldogs a 4-2 victory, the franchise’s 14th straight over the Niagara IceDogs.
The Bulldogs are right back at it this Friday, December 30th for the first half of a home and home vs Mississauga Steelheads at FirstOntario Centre with the puck dropping at 7pm.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022-23 Holiday Flex packages or single-game tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com
