The Hamilton Bulldogs have appeared to get it together, as they won both games this week, and have recorded points in 4 straight games to lift themselves out of the cellar. On Friday, they continued their domination over the Cleveland Barons, blanking them 2-0. The next day in Rochester, a late 3rd period rally by the Dogs forced overtime, and later, a shootout. Unlike their previous performance in the shootout vs Binghamton, a pair of Bulldogs managed to bulge the twine, while Dan Ellis turned all 4 shots aside as Hamilton defeated the Amerks 3-2.
Soon to be shorthanded:
This week, Hamilton announced that they will release a pair of players to play for their respective countries in upcoming tournaments this month. W Andrei Kostitsyn will be allowed to play for Belarus in the upcoming World Junior Hockey Championships beginning Christmas Day, while G Dan Ellis will suit up for Canada in the Loto Cup. Kostitsyn will leave the team on the 21st, while Ellis will leave on the 12th; his tournament runs from December 16th to 18th in Piestany, Slovakia.
By the Numbers:
After going 0-9 to start the season, G Dan Ellis has reeled off 3 straight wins, including a shutout and a shootout victory … C Corey Locke has 5 points in his last 3 games, after going scoreless in 8 … W Duncan Milroy has at least 1 point in 5 of his last 7 contests, while C/W Chris Higgins has points in 4 of 7 … C Tomas Plekanec was held scoreless this week, the first time all year that has happened … 7 of Hamilton’s next 8 games (all in December) are on the road.
Shootout Section:
This section will appear when the Bulldogs play in a shootout, as they did this week, defeating Rochester, improving their record to 1-1 in these games. Below are the shootout results from this week’s shootout, as well as the season results:
| This Week Tomas Plekanec Miss | Season Results Andrei Kostitsyn 1/1 (100%) |
Goalie Zone:
This week, it was a one-man show. Dan Ellis, after appearing to be overwhelmed through the first 6 weeks of the season, now finds himself on a personal 3 game winning streak, and has put in strong performances in 6 of his last 7 appearances. Yann Danis, meanwhile, has not played since a December 3rd OT loss to the Chicago Wolves.
The Infirmary:
D Mike Komisarek (hip surgery), out indefinitely
W Jonathan Ferland (concussion), out day-to-day
C Antti Miettinen (shoulder), out 10-12 weeks
C Benoit Dusablon (undisclosed), out indefinitely
Game Results:
December 10: Hamilton 2, Cleveland 0
December 11: Hamilton 3, Rochester 2 (OT)
Week Record: 2-0-0-0
Season Record: 10-11-4-1 (6th in division, 10th in conference)
Team Scoring Leaders:
Weekly Scoring Leaders Goals Assists Points | Season Scoring Leaders Goals Assists Points
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Weekly Scoring Summary:
1) Milroy (Cote, Locke) GWG
2) Locke (Milroy)
3) Locke (Hainsey) PP
4) Higgins (Locke, Milroy)
Shootout: Locke (1) GWG, Kostitsyn (1)
Special Teams:
This Week:
Powerplay: 1/13 (7.7%)
Penalty Kill: 8/8 (100%)
This Season:
Powerplay: 16/147 (10.9%)
Penalty Kill: 102/125 (81.6%)
Upcoming Schedule:
December 17: Hamilton vs Manitoba
December 18: Hamilton vs Manitoba
Week’s Long Beach Transactions:
Dec. 7: G Chris Madden placed on 7-day IR
Dec. 7: C Paul Spadafora activated off IR
Dec. 10: D David Walker activated off IR
Dec. 10: G Dennis Cook added on an emergency basis
Dec. 10: LW Bill Lindsay signs contract
Dec. 12: W Robin LeBlanc placed on 7-day IR
This week, the Ice Dogs were hit hard when their star netminder Chris Madden was placed on the 7-day injured reserve. As a result, Canadiens prospect Olivier Michaud has taken over the #1 job for the time being. A familiar face to Hab fans joined the team this week, as former Montreal tough guy Bill Lindsay has signed a contract with Long Beach, and scored in his debut. This week, the Ice Dogs won a pair of games, improving their record to 11-8-2, good for 4th in their division.
Player Reports:
C-Christian Larrivee (Long Beach) This Week: 2 GP, 0 pts Season: 15 GP, 2-2-4, -1, 4 PIMS
C-Cory Urquhart (Long Beach) This Week: 2 GP, 2 A Season: 18 GP, 3-3-6, +1, 4 PIMS
G-Olivier Michaud (Long Beach) This Week: 2-0 record, SO Season: 3-7-1-1 record, 3.00 GAA, .897 SV%
D-James Sanford (Peoria) This Week: 4 GP, 4 A Season: 16 GP, 2-6-8, -7, 12 PIMS
* Long Beach’s stats and record are unofficial, as the ECHL and Long Beach websites have yet to update the player and team statistics from December 11th.
Upcoming Schedule:
December 14: Long Beach vs Fresno
December 15: Long Beach vs San Diego
Blast From the Past
This will be a new feature in this column beginning in the new year. Here, we’ll look at former Montreal Canadiens prospects, or former actual Hab players now in the minor leagues (either the AHL or ECHL.) Wondering where a player went to? Here is where you’ll find your answer. If you wish to learn about a specific player, request him using the comment function below. Send in your requests now!