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OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Bulldogs Hit Blackjack with 21st Straight Win Over IceDogs

November 29, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


BRANTFORD, ONTARIO. The Brantford Bulldogs opened another 3-in-4 week on a roll, having compiled a 7-1-1 record over the last two weeks, capturing 15 of the last 18 points. The Bulldogs put their run of 20 straight wins against the Niagara IceDogs to the test on Wednesday night, hosting their K9 brethern at the Civic Centre for a midweek matchup.

The Bulldogs controlled the play early in the opening frame and the control paid off at 5:26. Calvin Crombie intercepted a pass in the defensive slot and carrying through neutral ice, played the puck to the right to Jake O'Brien. Quickly popping the puck back to Crombie the two forwards worked a give and go with O'Brien again carrying deep to the right corner, while Crombie drove the net. With a brilliant 360-pass, O'Brien found Crombie's tape at the net front where he flipped the puck past Owen Flores for his 3rd of the season giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. The IceDogs answered quickly at 7:06 with Ethan Czata's initial shot being blocked in the slot, William Stewart's rebound attempt jammed off the post and the puck found the stick of Rafek Dianov, added to the Niagara roster earlier in the day, and the debuting forward counted his 1st in the OHL to tie the game 1-1. Though the Bulldogs outshot the IceDogs 12-8 through 20 minutes, the game hit the locker rooms knotted 1-1.

Into the middle frame, the Bulldogs opened the scoring early once again. At 4:53, Ben Bujold fired the puck forward through neutral ice from the left wing boards to the right wing side for Nick Lardis. Lardis launched the puck cross zone for Patrick Thomas, the puck deflected off a skate and kicked into the right wing corner where Thomas caught up to it. Just taking a brief peak over his shoulder before arriving on the puck Thomas put a picture-perfect backhand pass on the tape of Nick Lardis in the Niagara slot where the Bulldogs star winger hammer home his 1st of the night and 17th of the season. Under a minute later, Lawson Sherk made a burst to the front of the Niagara net with the puck, Jake O'Brien followed up a with a pair of jam shots before the Niagara defense stepped in to push the Bulldogs rookie aside, Calvin Crombie stepped in to even the odds and in an odd moment Flores lept up and punched Crombie with his blocker, nearly leading to a fight between the two and 10 total minutes of penalties. After things had settled down later in the period at 17:54, the Lardis/Thomas combination went back to work. After Jorian Donovan launched the puck forward on the left wing side to Nick Lardis, the Chicago draft pick slid it down the boards to the left corner for Patrick Thomas. As a trio of IceDogs defenders approached Thomas, it left Lardis wide open in the slot where Thomas found him to record his 2nd of the night & 18th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead they took to the locker room after 40 minutes.

After penalties were assessed at the 20-minute mark of the 2nd period for Owen Flores nearly getting into a fight with Bulldogs netminder Matteo Drobac, the Bulldogs opened the 3rd with two minutes of 5-on-3 time. Florian Xhekaj had the best opportunities, striding along the goal line and trying to shelf a backhand as he crossed the front of the net that was snared by Flores was followed by Xhekaj denting the underside of the front crossbar with the game remaining 3-1. Nick Lardis appeared to record his hat-trick goal in the 3rd period, only to have the play reversed on an off-side review. The IceDogs showed their fight late in the game with Ryan Roobroeck recording his 10th of the season pulling Niagara to within a goal at 16:38 but it was as close as they would get. Matteo Drobac turned aside 21 of 23 in a 3-2 victory, running the Bulldogs to 8-1-1 in their last 10 games & earning their 21st straight victory over the IceDogs.

The Brantford Bulldogs take to the road on Friday, December 1st for a 7:00pm visit to the Sarnia Sting which will close the season series between the two sides at the Progressive Auto Sales Arena.

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Ontario Hockey League Stories from November 29, 2023


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