THE ROAD AHEAD: FAMILY DAY WEEKEND TRIO
The Brantford Bulldogs (31-16-5-0) kept the ball rolling last week, going 2-0-1 against three playoff teams despite having a boatload of regulars out of the lineup.
Goaltender Ryerson Leenders held the fort in net and Nick Lardis registered his 50th, 51st, and 52nd goals of the season last week, becoming the first player in the CHL to reach the plateau this season, the first player to score 50-in-50 in the OHL since 2019-20, and setting a Bulldogs’ franchise record for most goals in a single season.
The Bulldogs, now 2nd in the Eastern Conference, own an impressive 13-2-2 record since the turn of the calendar and will look to keep up their strong play with a pair of games this week.
Games 1 and 2: Friday, February 14 vs Niagara IceDogs & Sunday, February 16 @ Niagara IceDogs
The OHL’s Canine Cup takes centre stage this week, as Brantford will compete in a home-and-home with the Niagara IceDogs (27-17-3-3). The two teams have split four matches this season.
Storyline to watch:
The 2024-25 edition of the Canine Cup has been quite eventful to say the least. In four games so far, the series has been split 2-2, with each team taking a game in their opponent’s home building.
The season series wraps up this weekend, featuring a home-and-home between these two Eastern Conference rivals. Top-10 OHL scorers and 2007-born studs Jake O’Brien and Ryan Roobroeck will face off in hopes of leading their teams to victory and taking home the season series.
With a whopping 34 goals scored across the four games so far, the season series wrapping up this weekend, and only seven points separating these two teams in the standings, it’s a crucial pair of games on the schedule.
