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The good news?  Hamilton’s worst ever losing streak (7 games) is over.  The bad?  They seem well on their way to starting another one.  The week started off well for the Dogs, as they had contributions from 3 different lines en route to a 3-1 win over Rochester.  Back home they went for a pair of games vs the Leafs, Friday and Saturday.  On Friday, things started out well, as they got the early 1-0 lead, but then allowed 5 straight and fell 5-1.  The next night, the offence continued to falter in a 4-1 loss.

Finally, a positive for the defence:

Saturday’s contest vs St. John’s marked the return of a familiar face in the Hamilton lineup, as Jean-Phillipe Cote, last season’s +/- leader, suited up for the first time.  He had missed all of the regular season and preseason with a shoulder injury.  A little known fact about Cote, he once was a Toronto prospect, and was supposed to play in St. John’s, but was not tendered a contract offer by the Leafs.

ECHL Report:

Contrary to the prior report, C Christian Larrivee was not a scratch for a game last week, he is now injured, and has missed the last 5 games.  He was placed on the 7-day IR on November 20th.  He still has 3 points in 11 games this year.  C Cory Urquhart had a goal and an assist this week, giving him 6 points (3-3-6) in 13 games.  G Olivier Michaud continues to struggle, as he now is 1-6 with a 3.53 GAA with a .899 SV%.  The Ice Dogs continue to play just above the .500 mark, sporting a 9-7 record, good for 4th in their division.  In Peoria, D James Sanford notched his first pro goal this week, giving him a goal and an assist in 10 games.

By the Numbers:

A new feature in this column, we’ll take a look at notable streaks, both good and bad, plus anything else remotely interesting.

Corey Locke, after a strong start to the season, is pointless in his last 8 games.  Before his goal on Saturday, Ron Hainsey was pointless in his last 7.  Dan Focht’s outburst on Friday ended up with him getting 27 PIMS on the play.  His total before that?  27.  In the last 11 games, Hamilton has been outscored 37-11.

Goalie Zone:

Both Yann Danis and Dan Ellis are beginning to show their true rookie colours, although Danis played strong vs Rochester in the win, but had a very weak outing on Friday.  Ellis, meanwhile, didn’t play badly on Saturday, but still allowed 4 goals, and continues to search for his first win.

News and Notes:

Ron Hainsey’s goal Saturday was his 1st of the season, the same can be said for W/D Benjamin Carpentier with his goal on Wednesday … Both games vs St. John’s drew over 8,000 fans, the average prior to those contests was under 4,200 … The Bulldogs have not yet sent anyone down to accommodate J-P Cote’s return, although the obvious choice would be Matt Shasby, who has seen limited ice time in his few appearances this season.

The Infirmary:

D Mike Komisarek (hip), out 2-3 weeks
C Antti Miettinen (shoulder), out 3-4 months
C Benoit Dusablon (undisclosed), out indefinitely

The Weekly Bulldogs Stat Pack: