HabsWorld.net --
Oh, what a difference a week makes. At this time last week, Canadiens and Bulldogs fans alike were celebrating as Hamilton was headed to the playoffs. Now, they stand just 1 game away from elimination, after dropping the first 3 games of their 1st round series vs Rochester. The Bulldogs now sit in danger of ending their record of never having lost a 1st round series in the AHL playoffs.
Game Recaps:
Game 1: Rochester 3, Hamilton 1
The series got off to a good start for the Bulldogs, as Antti Miettinen scored late in the first to give Hamilton a 1-0 lead after 1, a lead which held into the 3rd. From there, it all fell apart, as Rochester scored 3 goals in 7 minutes to give them a 3-1 lead, which turned out to be the final.
Shots: 35-26 Rochester
Powerplay: Hamilton (0/4), Rochester (0/6)
3 Stars: 1) Ryan Miller (ROC), 2) Paul Gaustad (ROC), 3) Thomas Vanek (ROC)
Attendance: 3,807
Game 2: Rochester 2, Hamilton 1
For the second straight game, the Bulldogs got off to a strong start, as Chris Higgins scored exactly 2 minutes into the 1st, a lead that carried over into the 2nd, where it fell apart again. The Amerks scored a pair of goals in the second stanza, giving them a 2-1 lead heading into the 3rd, and that’s how it ended. Hamilton heads home, down 2-0.
Shots: 35-23 Hamilton
Powerplay: Hamilton (0/3), Rochester (1/4)
3 Stars: 1) Chris Taylor (ROC), 2) Ryan Miller (ROC), 3) Jiri Novotny (ROC)
Attendance: 5,817
Game 3: Rochester 4, Hamilton 3
Again it was a very good start for Hamilton, as they jumped out to a early 2-0 lead, and led 3-1 after the first. That lead held until the 3rd, where it happened again, another blown lead. Rochester scored 3 goals in just over 8 minutes, including the winner with 3:20 left, and hold on for the 4-3 victory, and more importantly, grab a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.
Shots: 30-29 Rochester
Powerplay: Hamilton (0/7), Rochester (0/6)
3 Stars: 1) Jiri Novotny (ROC), 2) Chris Higgins (HAM), 3) Paul Gaustad (ROC)
Attendance: 3,938
Some relief from the infirmary:
The Bulldogs actually had some good news this week, as W Andrei Kostitsyn returned in Game 2 after missing the last 3 games with an ankle injury. Enforcer Raitis Ivanans was scratched to make room for him in the lineup.
Lineup Notes:
Injured: D Dan Focht
Scratches: W Marc-Andre Thinel, W Raitis Ivanans, D James Sanford, D Phillipe Plante
Around the AHL:
Eastern Conference:
North Division Semi-Finals:
1-Rochester leads 4-Hamilton 3-0
2-St. John’s tied with 3-Manitoba 1-1
West Division Semi-Finals:
1-Chicago leads 4-Houston 3-1
2- Milwaukee leads 3-Cincinnati 2-1
Western Conference:
Atlantic Division Semi-Finals:
1-Manchester tied with 4-Providence 1-1
2-Hartford leads 3-Lowell 2-1
East Division Semi-Finals:
1-Binghamton leads 4-Wilkes-Barre Scranton 2-0
2-Philadelphia leads 3-Norfolk 2-0
Complete through games played as of April 24th.
The Weekly Bulldogs Stat Pack:
Game Results:
April 20: Rochester 3, Hamilton 1 Scoresheet
April 22: Rochester 2, Hamilton 1 Scoresheet
April 24: Rochester 4, Hamilton 3 Scoresheet
Week Record: 0-3-0
Playoff Record: 0-3-0, trail 1st round series 3 games to 0
Team Scoring Leaders:
| Weekly Scoring Leaders | Playoff Scoring Leaders |
Goals Assists Points | Goals Assists Points |
Weekly Scoring Summary:
1) Miettinen (Plekanec, Higgins)
2) Higgins (Plekanec)
3) Higgins (Plekanec, Komisarek)
4) Higgins (Miettinen, Hainsey)
5) Ward (Cote, Begin)
Special Teams:
This Week:
Powerplay: 0/14 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 15/16 (93.8%)
Playoffs:
Powerplay: 0/14 (0%)
Penalty Kill: 15/16 (93.8%)
Remaining Round 1 Playoff Schedule:
April 26: Rochester at Hamilton
*April 29: Hamilton at Rochester
*May 1: Rochester at Hamilton
*May 2: Hamilton at Rochester
*-if necessary
ECHL Report:
Week’s Long Beach Transactions:
No transactions this week:
Weekly Results:
April 22: Alaska 2, Long Beach 1 (OT)
April 23: Alaska 4, Long Beach 2
Like the Bulldogs, the Ice Dogs find themselves on the brink of elimination, after dropping a pair of games to top-seed Alaska in their best-of-five second round. Alaska also hosts the remaining 3 games. On a more positive note, D Matt Shasby returned to the lineup after missing games 2 through 4 in the first round.
Player Reports:
C-Christian Larrivee (Long Beach) This Week: 2 GP, 0 pts, -3, 2 PIMS Playoffs: 6 GP, 1-5-6, +2, 6 PIMS
C-Cory Urquhart (Long Beach) This Week: 1 GP, 0 pts, E Playoffs: 5 GP, 0-0-0, E, 2 PIMS
G-Olivier Michaud (Long Beach) This Week: 1 GP, loss Playoffs: 0-1 record, 4.10 GAA, .840 SV%, 0 pts
D-Matt Shasby (Long Beach) This Week: 2 GP, 0 pts, -3, 2 PIMS Playoffs: 3 GP, 0-0-0, -3, 2 PIMS
W-Michael Lambert (Long Beach) This Week: 2 GP, 0 pts, -2 Playoffs: 4 GP, 4-1-5, +2, 14 PIMS
Remaining Round 2 Schedule:
West Division Final
No. 2 Seed Long Beach (43-20-9) vs. No. 1 Seed Alaska (45-19-8)
April 25: Long Beach @ Alaska
*April 28: Long Beach @ Alaska
*April 29: Long Beach @ Alaska
*-if necessary
Bulldogs Player of the Week:
Each week, one Hamilton player will be selected as the HabsWorld Player of the Week. At the end of each month, you the fans will be able to vote on the Player of the Month. A different player will be nominated each week.
This week’s top player is W Chris Higgins, who was Hamilton’s top offensive threat this week, scoring 3 of the team’s 5 goals, as well as adding an assist. A key stat: Higgins has contributed on 80% of their playoff goals, much too high for a single player.
April Weekly Winners:
March 28-April 3: G Yann Danis
April 4-April 10: W Jason Ward
April 11-April 17: C Tomas Plekanec
April 18-April 24: W Chris Higgins
Past Monthly Winners (as previously selected:)
October: G Yann Danis
November: C Tomas Plekanec
December: C Corey Locke
January: W Jason Ward
February: G Yann Danis
March: D Ron Hainsey
