XHEKAJ 5 POINT EFFORT SOLIDIFIES HOME ICE IN ROUND 1
OTTAWA, ONTARIO. With their fate in the palms of their hands, the Brantford Bulldogs arrived at the Arena at TD Place on Sunday for their final game of the 2023-24 regular season against the Ottawa 67’s for a game where a win would guarantee home ice advantage in the first round of the 2024 OHL Playoffs.
Clearly sensing the importance of the moment the Bulldogs laid early siege to the goal of Ian Michelone, with opportunities produced by both Lawson Sherk and Florian Xhekaj both turned aside early. Against the run of play the 67’s opened the scoring at 8:15 as Henry Mews tossed the puck behind the Bulldogs net, where Luca Pinelli danced loosed along the end boards hitting Cooper Foster in the slot where he is able to shelf the puck over Matteo Drobac to pop the hosts up to a 1-0 lead on his 21st of the year. The Bulldogs didn’t wait long to equalize, just over a minute later Adrian Rebelo shoveled the puck along the line to Lucas Moore at the right point where he whistled a shot-pass to the slot, picking out the stick of Florian Xhekaj, deflecting the puck past Michelone for his 33rd of the season tying the game 1-1 at 9:34. With the Bulldogs on the power-play, Matteo Drobac was called upon to make a massive stop on a shorthanded rush by Jacob Maillet, splitting out in between the pipes to keep it out. The Bulldogs responded to their goaltender on their next power-play, as Florian Xhekaj worked the puck to the end wall for Marek Vanacker who walked through the right circle and hit Jake O’Brien in the left circle who one-timered his 13th of the year giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 at 18:48 and guaranteeing he will finish the season atop the OHL rookie scoring chart. As time was expiring in the period, the Bulldogs had one more chance to extend the lead with Florian Xhekaj behind the 67’s goal, feeding Luca Testa infront who just touched the puck wide of the post and the horn sounded to send the Bulldogs down the tunnel ahead 2-1 through 20 minutes.
The middle fame was based around end to end play as both teams took their opportunities in transition but Drobac & Michelone held strong at their respective ends of the ice. Matteo Drobac turned aside all 10 he faced in the middle frame with the best opportunites he denied coming from the high slot, a glove save on a shot from Luca Pinelli followed by a brilliant shoulder save on a Samuel Mayer offering. The Bulldogs extended the lead in the middle frame after Florian Xhekaj bulled the puck around behind the Ottawa goal from the right wing sliding it along to Patrick Thomas who worked with speed down the left wing side, seeing his option as an open right post and wrapping it off Michelone’s pad on the intial, collecting his own rebound through four Ottawa defenders and depositing the puck into the back of the Ottawa goal to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead at 11:13. Carrying the two-goal lead to the intermission, the Bulldogs controlled their fate into the final 20-minutes of the season.
The third period continued the first two for the Bulldogs, as just 1:20 into the regular season’s final frame, Florian Xhekaj and Patrick Thomas combined to work the puck back to the right point for Lucas Moore who’s drive deflected off a 67’s defender and past Michelone for Moore’s 5th of the season and a 4-1 Brantford lead. Seeing 8 shots in the final frame, Matteo Drobac kept the net clean, walling up the 67’s at every opportunity in a strong performance for the Bulldogs multi-record holder in the crease. Closing out the season and the performance of his career in style, Florian Xhekaj was the beneficiary of some neutral zone magic on a breakout from Jake O’Brien & Marek Vanacker. Carrying down the slot, Xhekaj sent a bullet over Michelone’s shoulder for his 2nd of the game, 5th point, and 34th of the season sending the Bulldogs to a 5-1 victory and solidifying home ice for their first round series.
With the Bulldogs regular season concluded the playoff will begin next week, follow along with the Bulldogs website and social media for full details on the schedule and opponent when available.