OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Bulldogs Clinch Playoff Birth in Wild Family Day Win

Published on February 17, 2025 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. In the team's annual Family Day matinee on Monday afternoon, the Brantford Bulldogs welcomed the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds to the Brantford Civic Centre for the only time in the 2024-25 season in a matchup where a victory would clinch a playoff berth for the Bulldogs.

The visitors appeared to open the scoring on an early power-play after Ryerson Leenders made a spectacular stop on a Justin Cloutier low slot opportunity. The rebound hopped out to Brady T. Smith who used his skate to propel the puck across the goal line and it would be ruled no goal upon review.

The Greyhound did break the ice shortly thereafter with Noel Nordh slamming a Carson Andrew rebound past Leenders for his for his 14th of the season and a 1-0 Hounds lead at 8:44. The Bulldogs answered back on the power-play at 15:12 after Ryerson Leenders launched a pass forward to Patrick Thomas who weaved over the blueline with Jake O'Brien, exchanging the puck before O'Brien set Nick Lardis in the trail position to rifle his CHL leading 57th of the season, tying the game 1-1. The Greyhounds went back to the lead at 17:12 on a power-play of their own with Marco Mignosa setting Justin Cloutier in the bottom of the right circle before Cloutier cycled to the top of the circle and put a shot over Leenders' shoulder, off the back bar for his 24th of the season and a 2-1 lead. The Bulldogs answered back before the period was out, at 18:47, Tomas Hamara hammered the puck off the glass in the defensive zone to find Nick Lardis in neutral ice for a 2-on-1 with Cole Brown where the white-hot winger continued his run, besting Landon Miller on the forehand for his 27th of the season, sending the game to the intermission deadlocked at 2-2.

The hosts took control of the game right from the start of the second period, off a Jake O'Brien faceoff win to open an early power-play, Nick Lardis set Tomas Hamara at the middle of the blueline for a shot through traffic that found its way through Miller for the defenseman's 8th of the season, giving the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. The Bulldogs doubled the lead at 3:09 of the middle frame, as Ethan Facchina forced the puck loose in deep of the Greyhounds zone to Nick Lardis who fed Thomas Budnick at the blueline. Taking a couple strides down from the right point, Budnick unleashed a wrist shot that darted off the back bar for his 5th of the season, giving the Bulldogs a 4-2 lead. The Greyhounds, as a theme on the rest of the game, wouldn't give up easily as Marco Mignosa off a zone entry fed the late trailing Chase Reid to step down the slot and whip a wrist shot past Ryerson Leenders to pull the Greyhounds back to within one at 5:47 which is where the game stood through 40 minutes.

The final frame was an incredible back and forth of a bygone era, opening 2:23 as Patrick Thomas stole the puck from Brady Martin in neutral ice, starting a 2-on-1 with Cole Brown with the captain putting a perfect feed to Brown to put past Miller and give the Bulldogs a 5-3 lead on Brown's 2nd of the game & 28th of the season. The OHL Player of the Week wasn't done yet as Marek Vanacker stole a puck away and created a 2-on-1 with Brown feeding to the right-circle for Brown again to one-time past Miller to complete his 2nd hat-trick and 8th goal of the weekend, his 29th of the season, putting the Bulldogs ahead by a 6-3 margin spelling the end of the afternoon for Landon Miller with Noah Tegelaar coming on to replace the Hounds starter. Justin Cloutier trimmed the margin back to a pair at 11:10, after taking a pass from Spencer Evans on the left half wall and speeding out high where the Hounds gunner arced down the slot and unloaded again off the back bar for his 2nd of the game and 25th of the season to make it 6-4. The Greyhounds then stunned the Bulldogs with a pair of shorthanded goals 11-seconds apart. First Marco Mignosa picked off an errant drop past snapping the puck past Leenders before the netminder could set for his 25th of the season at 13:37, followed by Travis Hayes elevating a backhand off a left-wing rush that deflected off Leenders mask and into the Bulldogs goal for his 16th of the season at 13:48, tying the game in stunning fashion. Ryerson Leenders was called upon next to save the game for the Bulldogs making a brilliant splitting, cross-crease save to deny Carson Andrew in a 2-on-1 effort and allowing the Bulldogs an opportunity to catch their breath. Leenders save loomed large late as Joshua Avery pursued the puck off a Bulldogs dump in, stealing the puck from Tegelaar behind the Greyhounds goal and sending it to the front for Noah Nelson to bat into the open goal, recording his 6th of the year and putting the Bulldogs up 7-6 at 18:36. The hosts made the lead stand-up, with the Greyhounds net empty at 19:45, Patrick Thomas stole the puck inside the defensive blueline and playing onto Nick Lardis who moved it further ahead to Jake O'Brien to hit the empty net for his 29th of the season, securing the 8-6 victory.

With the Monday afternoon victory, the Brantford Bulldogs secured their 8th straight playoff berth, the team will now embark on a three-game road trip opening on Thursday night, February 20th making their final visit of the season to the Peterborough Memorial Centre to meet the Petes for a 7:00pm start.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from February 17, 2025


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