MCTAVISH’S PAIR GIVES BULLDOGS A 4-2 GAME 1 WIN
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. The Bulldogs were back in action on Thursday night after nearly a week off from their 4-game sweep over the Petes hosting the Mississauga Steeheads in Game 1 of their second-round series that promises to be a closely contested chess match.
The Bulldogs had a large hole to fill with Avery Hayes out for the first 3-games of the series due to a suspension given in Peterborough, leaving Hamilton without their regular season leader in goal scoring. The first few minutes of the opening frame of the series played out as the expected chess match with the Bulldogs pressuring and Mississauga led by goaltender Roman Basran countering every push. Just past the halfway point of the first period, the Bulldogs had the frame’s best chance as Jan Mysak was awarded a penalty shot from a trip off the Steelheads backcheck. Mysak worked his way deliberately into the Steelheads zone, sliding to his backhand but couldn’t get the puck inside the post on the backhand lift keeping the game scoreless. At 14:35 Mason McTavish picked up a turnover off the right-wing offensive zone boards and danced through a pair of Steelheads, beating Basran with a toe drag delay and tucking around the goaltender’s pad for his 6th goal of the playoffs, putting the Bulldogs up 1-0. Marco Costantini made sure the lead stood up at the end of the first with a tremendous glove stop off a sharp angle shot with just under a minute to play of a well-played first period for both sides.
The second period opened as the first did, with the Bulldogs & Steelheads battling back and forth while Costantini & Basran kept their respective creases clean. Logan Morrison doubled up the Bulldogs lead at 16:54 as Arber Xhekaj sprung George Diaco on a zone exit, Diaco crossing from right wing to the top of the slot twisted his wrists to get the puck to a streaking Morrison who fired a shot bar-down, his 7th of the playoffs giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead. With .27 seconds left in the second the Bulldogs pushed their lead to 3 goals from a Colton Kammerer right point shot that was tipped on its way through Ryan Humphrey garnering his 1st playoff goal with Morrison picking up the helper. The second period came to a close with Costantini turning aside all 21 shots he faced as the Bulldogs hit the locker room up a trio, 3-0 through 40 minutes.
Ryan Winterton opened the third period blocking a shot from the point to send himself on a breakaway which Basran would deny to keep the Steelheads in the game. At 6:45 Zakary Lavoie broke Costantini’s shutout with a shot that squeezed through the 5-hole to put the Steelheads on the board. Answering right back with 10 minutes left in the game Winterton went in deep on the right-wing boards to the feed a waiting McTavish in the slot who ripped a wrister passed Basran for his second of the game and 7th of the playoffs to put the Bulldogs up 4-1. Already without Avery Hayes, the Bulldogs lost Arber Xhekaj to a 5-minute head checking penalty late in the third period. Fighting off 5 minutes the Bulldogs kept the Steelheads off the board with Costantini making his save of the night, a splitting blocker save off a top of the slot shot. Coming off the penalty kill Morrison had a chance to make it 5-1 and Basran came out of his net for a showstopping save to keep it a 4-1 game. At 19:15 the Steelheads got one more to cut the Bulldogs lead in half but it was as close as they would get with the Bulldogs taking Game 1 by a 4-2 final.
The Hamilton Bulldogs are back home for a Mother’s Day match up at 2:00 p.m. for Game 2 at the FirstOntario Centre.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022 playoff tickets or playoff flex packs call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com.
