TOUGH NIGHT FOR BULLDOGS IN MISSISSAUGA
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. Looking to bounce back from a pair of losses last weekend, the Hamilton Bulldogs were back on the road to visit the Central Division leading Mississauga Steelheads for the first time this season on Friday night.
The opening period had a tough start for the Bulldogs with Noah Van Vliet flagged for a cross-check followed by Artem Grushnikov reciving a match penalty for a controversial slew-foot on Kai Schwindt, leading to :52 seconds of 5-on-3 time for the Steelheads and a major power-play. The Bulldogs killed the majority but with :27 seconds left on the major the Steelheads struck with Luca DelBelBelluz firing a shot off the back bar behind Matteo Drobac, giving Mississauga the 1-0 lead at 9:49. Hamilton struck back on a power-play of their own after Parker Von Richter hauled Ryan Humphrey down in the offensive zone just past the midway point of the period. With Logan Morrison capturing the puck on the right side, the captain slid middle for Jorian Donovan setting Avery Hayes in the right circle to record his 6th goal of the season at 12:45, tying the game 1-1. Although Hamilton was outshot 10-4 in the opening frame, the Bulldogs carried the majority of play during the remainder of the period with Florian Xhekaj & Braeden O’Keefe each having chances denied by Alessio Beglieri, while Matteo Drobac denied 9 of the 10 attempts he faced taking the game to the locker room 1-1 after 20 minutes.
The second period started too similarly to the first for the Bulldogs as an early period penalty for slashing led to Ethan Del Mastro recording his 2nd of the season from the left point at 3:31 to give Mississauga a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs pushed back including an unsuccessful power-play in the middle frame but despite the offensive push, a counterattack from the Steelheads paid dividends at 17:16 with a Kai Schwindt left-wing shot leaking through Matteo Drobac to double the Steelheads lead to 3-1. Just when the Bulldogs really needed a boost, enter Ryan Humphrey, after a Logan Morrison right wing drive was stopped by Beglieri, Humphrey jumped on the rebound, hammering the puck home at 18:48 to cut the deficit to 3-2 on Humphrey’s 1st of the season. With the second period dying out, Lucas Moore looked to fly the puck out of the zone only to have his stick snap in his hands and the puck roll right to Kai Schwindt who recorded his 2nd of the game and 2nd of the season at 19:55 restoring the Steelheads 2-goal lead, leading 4-2 after 40 minutes.
Tristan Malboeuf entered the game for the third period and unfortunately for the Bulldogs young netminder, the final frame was all Steelheads. At 10:02 on the power-play Kai Schwindt completed his hat-trick putting the Steelheads up 5-2. Luke Misa followed at 14:09, from Chas Sharpe & Ethan Del Mastro giving the Steelheads a 6-2 lead. Just under two minutes later Zakary Lavoie struck at 15:55 for his 7th of the season making it a 7-2 game and finally on the power-play once more Owen Beck recorded his 6th point of the game to give Mississauga an 8-2 lead at 17:57. The Bulldogs were served 6 penalties in the final 14 minutes of the game, including 10-misconducts to both Ryan Humphrey & Florian Xhekaj, essentially reducing the bench to 15 skaters, making it a tough finish to the night for the black and gold, dropping an 8-2 final.
The Hamilton Bulldogs return home for a Saturday, October 22nd matinee, hosting the Peterborough Petes with a 4:00pm puck drop at FirstOntario Centre.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022-23 Season Ticket packages call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com
