WOLVES STUN BULLDOGS 4-3 ON GOYETTE OT WINNER
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. Mitchell Weeks made himself the story of the opening period, stealing what looked like a sure goal from the stick of Brenden Anderson off a cross crease feed from Mason McTavish, an explosive post to post glove save was the difference. Not deterred the Bulldogs kept the pressure on the Sudbury end and managed to crack the Wall of Weeks. At 10:09 George Diaco brought the puck over the line, moving it left for a racing Lawson Sherk who in turn fed Gavin White skating through the middle, touching the puck past Weeks for his 8th goal of the season. Matteo Drobac meanwhile stopped all four he faced in the first frame assuring the Bulldogs 1-0 into the first intermission.
The second period turned sour for the Bulldogs, despite a tremendous territorial and shots advantage, it was the Wolves cashing a pair of opportunities. First at 10:21, Nick DeGrazia found a Marc Boudreau rebound in the slot with Matteo Drobac sprawled out for his 21st of the season tying the game 1-1. Just over a minute later at 11:55, it was former Bulldog Alex Pharand who struck against his old mates with a wrist shot over the shoulder of Drobac for his 6th of the season giving the Wolves a surprising 2-1 lead. Hamilton followed up the goals against with a power-play that held the puck in the offensive zone for nearly 2 full minutes but couldn’t crack Weeks who through periods had turned aside 27 of 28 giving the Wolves the 1-goal lead through 40 minutes.
It was a wild final 20 minutes as the Bulldogs knotted the game at 2:36 on the power-play as Ryan Winterton took a feed from Ryan Humphrey from the right circle to left and hammered his 17th of the season past Weeks making it 2-2. With the Bulldogs back on the power-play at 7:38, McTavish won the draw, Hayes touched it to Mysak who fired between the legs of Weeks giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Past the halfway point of the third, penalties on the same sequence to Ryan Humphrey & Arber Xhekaj put the Bulldogs at a 5-on-3 disadvantage which the Wolves capitalized on with Jacob Holmes firing a right point shot that Drobac never saw tying the game once again at 3-3. Regulation would solve nothing with the Wolves desperate for points and overtime was needed to settle the second point. Chances from Hayes, Morrison and McTavish in overtime would go for not as David Goyette stole a puck at the Sudbury blueline and beat Drobac on the breakaway giving the Wolves a 4-3 overtime victory.
The Hamilton Bulldogs return to action on Friday, March 25th taking on the Sudbury Wolves in the 6th of an 8 game road trip at the Sudbury Community Arena with a 7:00pm start.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2021-22 season tickets, flex packs or single game tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com
