SHERK HONOURED FOR 250 GAMES; POSTS 3 ASSISTS IN 5-2 WIN
BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. The Brantford Bulldogs opened up a back-to-back weekend at home squaring off against the Ottawa 67’s in an East Division battle, while celebrating captain Lawson Sherk who skated in his 250th OHL game on Thursday in North Bay. The captain received a video tribute which brought the 3167 fans at the Civic Centre to their feet to cheer on a staple in Bulldogs history and a linchpin to the team’s success in Lawson Sherk.
The Bulldogs opened the afternoon welcoming back Ben Bujold from an injury absence but missing netminder Mateo Drobac due to illness. At 3:38 of the first frame the 67’s jumped on the scoreboard taking the lead with Luca Pinelli dancing over the blueline and through the top of the Bulldogs slot to score his 46th of the season. The 67’s quickly gained a 4-minute power play after a high sticking call to Daniel Chen. Looking to follow on the momentum with an opportunity blooming for Luca Pinelli but David Egorov made his presence felt, punching away the shot with his blocker. After the Bulldogs killed off the double minor, thanks to a series of “Dave Saves” they took control of the game. Florian Xhekaj was able to retrieve a puck down the right wing wall and play it back to Daniil Sobolev who walked the line and fired a rocket through a Kimi Korbler block that scortched past Collin MacKenzie at 13:28 to tie the game 1-1. At 17:59, against the run of play, the 67’s regained the lead short-handed with Jack Dever driving an initial shot that David Egorov turned aside but Jacob Maillet picked up the rebound and scored his 17th of the season. Just 27 seconds later the Bulldogs knotted the game back up. Lawson Sherk dealt the puck to Lucas Moore at the right point who delivered a low, hard shot to the net front where Luca Testa tipped it over MacKenzie’s shoulder for his 13th of the season, sending the game to the intermission deadlocked 2-2.
The Bulldogs looked to jump out to the lead for the first time early in the middle frame with a Daniil Sobolev shot that struck the crossbar and elevated out of play. The 67’s best chance came ona a 3-on-2 into the Bulldogs zone with Cooper Foster having an open shot opportunity that David Egorov once again turned aside. After Dylan Tsherna drew a penalty by driving the front of the 67’s goal on Thomas Sirman, the Bulldogs had a glorious opportunity with Marek Vanacker setting Zakary Lavoie right on the doorstep for a shot in the middle of four penalty killers but Collin MacKenzie was able to snag the opportunity with his glove to keep the game tied 2-2 through 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs pulled ahead for the first time in the game at 9:01 of the third, from the right point Lucas Moore found Jake O’Brien who had his shot deflected across the face of goal where Marek Vanacker, who had curled around behind the net was able to glove the puck down to his stick and fire it into the open side scoring his 35th of the season. Moments after the goal was scored tempers flared which resulted in 5 total roughing penalties and a 67’s power-play that the Bulldogs were able to kill off. David Egorov’s finest save of the third came as Brady Stonehouse found himself alone at the net trying to plow the puck under the pads of David Egorov on a rebound from a phenominal kick save but Egorov was somehow able to deny the rebound as well. The Bulldogs added to the lead at 15:36 with David Egorov sending Cole Brown away on the right side, Brown flew the puck to the left boards for Lawson Sherk who directed it middle for the returning Ben Bujold to one hand tip past MacKenzie for his 13th and a 4-2 Bulldogs lead. With the Ottawa net empty at 19:34, the Bulldogs iced it, with Owen Protz and Lawson Sherk combining to get the puck to Patrick Thomas in the center circle where he fired it 95-feet into the open goal, securing the 5-2 Bulldogs victory.
The Bulldogs are back in action tomorrow at home Sunday, March 17, with a St. Patrick’s Day clash against the Mississauga Steelheads with puck drop at 2pm at the Brantford Civic Center.
