XHEKAJ LEADS COMEBACK VICTORY FOR BULLDOGS
HAMILTON, ONTARIO. Coming off the emotional lift of an overtime win on Saturday against the Mississauga Steelheads, the Bulldogs bus pulled into the Tribute Communities Centre in Oshawa to finish out a weekend back-to-back and a run of 4 games in 6 days.
The Bulldogs opened the night a bit shorthanded with Ryan Humphrey & Cole Brown joining Marek Vanacker & Ryan Winterton as unavailable for the game on Sunday. With Callum Cheynowski stepping in as a center, playing forward for the first time in his young OHL career, the Bulldogs brought a very youthful look. Matteo Drobac made himself the story of the opening period making a trio of stupendous stops to keep the game scoreless. After making a stop off Cam Butler’s right wing, a sprawling Drobac turned aside Ryan Gagnier while down on the ice and then a brilliant scorpion kick save on Kimo Gruber’s follow up chance, stunned the Oshawa crowd. Later in the frame with the Generals on the man-advantage, Drobac robbed Brett Harrison on a cross-crease feed, again keeping the game scoreless. Oshawa did get one on the board despite Drobac’s best efforts as a right point floater from Luca Marrelli fell through a screen, with the Bulldogs netminder never seeing the puck until it had rolled past and into the net giving the Generals a 1-0 lead through 20 minutes.
Opening the second period with a jump the Bulldogs got the game tied during a delayed penalty to Oshawa. With 6 attackers on the ice and holding possession Braeden O’Keefe laid the puck to the right side for Logan Morrison who carried it below the circle and fed back to the slot for Florian Xhekaj, catching and releasing in the blink of an eye, Xhekaj recorded his 4th of the season 6:27 knotting the game at 1-1. The Generals took over the middle stages of the frame scoring back-to-back through Roobroeck on the power-play at 8:21, followed by Luca Marrelli’s 2nd of the game at 12:06 giving the Generals a 3-1 lead and putting the Bulldogs in need of an offensive outburst in the third period.
An offensive outburst is exactly what the Bulldogs got in the 3rd period, starting just 15 seconds in as Gavin White rushed up the right side in neutral ice turning all five Generals and beating Patrick Leaver through the 5-hole to give the Bulldogs life at 3-2. With the Bulldogs on the power-play at 6:45 Lawson Sherk worked the puck up the right boards to Logan Morrison at the right point, feeding Avery Hayes left to rocket home his 12th of the season tying the game. After Cam Butler was assessed a 5-minute major for slew-footing the Bulldogs second power-play unit went to work. At 12:31 Jorian Donovan shifted the puck from left point to right for Lucas Moore who waited for Florian Xheakj to open up in the slot, sending a perfect pass for a perfect tip, Xhekaj recorded his 2nd of the game & 5th of the season, giving the Bulldogs their first lead of the game. The scoring continued at 14:15 with Lucas Moore tossing the puck on goal, Florian Xhekaj batting it loose and Braeden O’Keefe firing it past Leaver from the right circle for his 2nd of the season giving the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead. That was all Matteo Drobac needed as he went on to stop 34 of 37 in the game, giving the Bulldogs a massive comeback victory and finishing off their 3rd win in 4 games.
The Hamilton Bulldogs return to FirstOntario Centre on Wednesday, November 16th for the first of two School Day Games, hosting the Barrie Colts with a 10:30am start time.
For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022-23 Flex Packages or single game tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com
