Bulldogs Drop 4-2 Decision In North Bay On Thursday
Published on January 4, 2024 under Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release
NORTH BAY, ONTARIO. The Bulldogs opened the 2024 half of their schedule sitting a joint 1st in the Eastern Conference and embarking a two-game trip north, beginning on Thursday night for the 2nd meeting of the season with the North Bay Battalion.
The opening frame belonged to the netminders as the Bulldogs opened the game with a flurry, putting a quartet of pucks to Dom DiVincentiis' net in the opening minutes, all of which the veteran netminder turned aside. North Bay looked to pick up momentum with a pair of power-play chances through the middle part of the period only to have Matteo Drobac turn aside all 7 shots on the man advantages. DiVincentiis made his best save of the opening period just after the game went back to 5-on-5 with Jake O'Brien tossing the puck to the right wing corner where Marek Vanacker located it and spun it to the front of the net where Ben Bujold looked to pick the top corner only to have DiVincentiis bolt off his goal line, knock the puck down with his shoulder and collect in his crease to keep the game scoreless. Matteo Drobac made one of his best saves of the season with just 38-seconds left in the opening frame. A cross-up at the offensive blueline for the Bulldogs led to Anthony Romani, who sits 2nd in the league in goals, racing in on a breakaway. With a deke to his forehand, Romani tried to tuck the puck between the post the Bulldogs goaltender but Matteo Drobac sprawled in the crease, reaching his glove back along the goal line denying the opportunity with a scintillating save to send the game to the locker room scoreless after 20 minutes.
The second frame had more of an offensive inclination to it as the Bulldogs opened the scoring at 3:11 with Callum Cheynowski making a brilliant 100-plus foot pass from the Bulldogs end boards to a charging Cole Brown in neutral ice. Attacking off the left circle, Brown opened up DiVincentiis and slid the puck five-hole for his 7th of the season giving the Dogs a 1-0 lead. At 7:43 the Bulldogs doubled the advantage, with Brown finding Calvin Crombie through neutral ice, playing the puck in turn to Florian Xhekaj coming across the offensive blueline. Xhekaj worked through the right circle, dancing through Owen Van Steensel to open space in the slot where he ripped a shot past DiVincentiis to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead on his 13th of the season. North Bay responded with Justin Ertel creating a turnover in neutral ice while the Bulldogs began a change, skating onto the puck in the slot, Ertel froze Matteo Drobac and lifted it over the Bulldogs netminder for his 15th of the year cutting the lead in half at 11:17. The Battalion drew level at 15:10 with Ertel setting Jacob Therrien outside the left circle where the right hand shot cut through and found just a couple inches of space to sneak the puck through for his 13th of the season knotting the game at 2-2. Before the period was out Jake O'Brien on the Bulldogs power-play found himself starring at an open net but the puck got on edge and deflected off the desperation stick check of Paul Christopoulous to keep the game tied. O'Brien in the dying seconds of the frame won a faceoff to Nick Lardis who looked to twirl and deposit a shot but DiVincentiis held tight to his goal line to keep the game 2-2 through 40 minutes.
The third period was hard fought with both sided taking their opportunities to test the opposite netminder. After a bit of a joust, it was the hosts who stepped into the lead. After Matteo Drobac robbed Dalyn Wakely on a 2-on-0 the Battalion kept the puck in the offensive zone on a cycle leading to Wakely getting the puck back in the right circle to record his 17th of the season at 7:14 to give North Bay a 3-2 lead. With time running low, the Bulldogs called Matteo Drobac to the bench for a 6-on-5 advantage, despite a set up in the offensive zone, Anthony Romani battled the puck out and down the ice into the empty net for his 28th of the year giving the Battalion a 4-2 win.
The Brantford Bulldogs return to action finishing up their three game road trip on Friday, January 5th visiting the Sudbury Wolves for a 7:00pm puck drop.
Ontario Hockey League Stories from January 4, 2024
- Saginaw Defeats the Rangers in Their Next Gen Game 3-2 - Kitchener Rangers
- Haight's 3rd Period Powerplay Goal Gives Spirit 3-2 Win in Kitchener - Saginaw Spirit
- Bulldogs Drop 4-2 Decision In North Bay On Thursday - Brantford Bulldogs
- Haight's 3rd Period Powerplay Goal Gives Spirit 3-2 Win in Kitchener - Saginaw Spirit
- Edwards Nets Third in Four Games, Otters Fall to Owen Sound - Erie Otters
- Rangers Host Saginaw Spirit for Their Next Gen Game on Thursday - Kitchener Rangers
- Spirit Visit Rangers Thursday Night in CHL Top-10 Matchup - Saginaw Spirit
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