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This week, Hamilton’s streak in which they recorded at least a point ended at 5, as they split a mini two-game series vs the Manitoba Moose.  In the opener, the Bulldogs got the early 2-0 lead and never looked back, as they held on for a 4-3 victory, in a game where the score was closer than it should’ve been.  The next night, it was the Moose who got the 2-0 lead, and despite valiant comeback attempts by Hamilton late in the 3rd period, held on for the 4-2 win. 

Roster notes:

Chris Higgins missed Saturday’s game vs Manitoba with a leg bruise … Andrei Kostitsyn will play one more game with Hamilton before joining Team Belarus for the World Junior Championships on the 21st … Dan Ellis will likely rejoin the team for Monday’s game in Edmonton, which would send Olivier Michaud back to the ECHL.  Read below for more on Ellis and the Canadian Loto Cup squad … Dan Focht was a healthy scratch on Friday, and saw limited action Saturday, as Doug Jarvis was forced to dress 7 defencemen due to Higgins’ injury … Christian Larrivee was recalled Sunday just prior to the writing of this column.

Ellis and Co. fall short in Slovakia:

Earlier this week, backup G Dan Ellis left the Bulldogs to suit up for Team Canada at the 2004 Loto Cup, held from December 16-18 in Piestany, Slovakia.  Canada made the “gold medal” matchup, and wound up winning bronze.  Confused?  Whoever won the game would win gold, while the loser would take either silver or bronze, depending on the tiebreaker.  The Canadians lost 4-2 to Slovakia in the final game, a rematch from last year’s final game.  Ellis had a very minor role for the team, as he backed up former Montreal Canadien goalie Frederic Chabot in the 3 games.  Canada finished with a 1-1-1 record.

By the Numbers:

Corey Locke continued his strong play this week, notching a pair of points.  He now has 7 points in his last 5 games … Tomas Plekanec and Jason Ward are both scoreless in their last 5 games … Duncan Milroy has a point in 6 of his last 9 games; Chris Higgins has a point in 5 of 9 … Andrew Archer and Raitis Ivanans, despite playing over 25 games apiece, are still scoreless.

Goalie Zone:

After getting a lengthy rest spanning two weeks, Yann Danis played both games this week, with recalled G Olivier Michaud backing him up.  Prior to these games, Danis’ last outing was an OT loss to Chicago on December 3rd.  He went 1-1 over the weekend, allowing 5 goals in the 2 games.

The Lineup:

The Bulldogs have likely played their final game with a full complement of forwards in the calendar year, with Andrei Kostitsyn leaving after 1 more game, and Jonathan Ferland’s concussion not healing as quickly as expected.  So, here is the top Bulldogs lineup as we approach 2005:

Line 1: Andrei Kostitsyn-Tomas Plekanec-Jason Ward
Line 2: Chris Higgins-Corey Locke-Duncan Milroy
Line 3: Marc-Andre Thinel-Gavin Morgan-Steve Ott
Line 4: Michael Lambert-Benjamin Carpentier-Raitis Ivanans

Defence 1: Andrew Archer-Ron Hainsey
Defence 2: Dan Jancevski- Phillipe Plante
Defence 3: Trevor Daley-Jean-Phillipe Cote

The Infirmary:

D Mike Komisarek (hip surgery), out indefinitely
W Jonathan Ferland (concussion), out week-to-week
C Antti Miettinen (shoulder), out 8-10 weeks
C Benoit Dusablon (neck stinger), out indefinitely
C/W Chris Higgins (leg bruise), out day-to-day

The Weekly Bulldogs Stat Pack:

Weekly Scoring Summary:

1) Locke (Higgins, Milroy)
2) Higgins (Locke, Milroy)
3) Carpentier (Plante)
4) Ott (Morgan, Thinel) GWG
5) Ott (unassisted)
6) Kostitsyn (Daley, Morgan)

Special Teams: