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Dogs Need One Point to Clinch Playoff Birth

April 11, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release


The Hamilton Bulldogs (37-28-7-6) head into the week eight points ahead of the Syracuse Crunch (34-31-7-4) for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division. After posting a record of

3-0-0-1 in four games last week, the Bulldogs now need either a single point in one of their last two games or a Syracuse loss in one of it's remaining four games to clinch a playoff birth. The Edmonton Road Runners and Cleveland Barons were officially eliminated from the North Division playoff picture on Saturday night (April 9th).

With two games at Copps Coliseum this week, the Bulldogs will finish off their regular season schedule. Hamilton is home to the Syracuse Crunch on Wednesday, April 13th at 7:00 p.m. for a game that Syracuse must win in regulation to avoid elimination from the playoffs. Then on Fan Appreciation Night (Friday, April 15th at 7:30 p.m.) the Rochester Americans come to town for a possible first round playoff match-up preview.

The Bulldogs earned seven of a possible eight points in four games last week. Hamilton lost 4-3 in a shootout to the defending Calder Cup Champion Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday, April 6th and then beat them 5-3 in a rematch on Friday, April 8th. The Bulldogs then travelled to Winnipeg to defeat the Manitoba Moose twice on Saturday, April 9th and Sunday April 10th, winning each game by a score of 4-1.

Bulldogs fans can purchase tickets for all remaining home games at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, at all Ticketmaster outlets, by calling Ticketmaster at (905) 527-7666 or online at www.ticketmaster.ca.

Bulldogs fans can listen to Derek Wills call all the action on 820 CHAM 'The Legend' in Hamilton, the Team 990 in Montreal, or on-line at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com.

For the most up-to-date information and statistics on the Bulldogs please visit www.hamiltonbulldogs.com.

WEEKLY REVIEW

Apr. 6 vs. Milwaukee (SOL 4-3) - Jordin Tootoo had two goals and six shots, leading the Admirals over the Bulldogs on Wednesday night at Copps Coliseum. Milwaukee led 2-1 going into the third period when Antti Miettinen and Tomas Plekanec scored 2:13 apart to give the Bulldogs a 3-2 lead. Tootoo tied the game for the Admirals with 1:56 left in regulation time. After a scoreless overtime period the game went to a shootout. Plekanec was the lone shootout scorer for the Bulldogs while Andrew Hutchinson and Libor Pivko were successful on their attempts to earn the extra-point for the Admirals.
Game Notes:
Scoring: HAM - Milroy, Miettinen, Plekanec / MIL - Tootoo (2), Yarema
Goaltending: HAM - Danis (SOL - 32 shots, 29 saves) / MIL - Finley (W - 34 shots, 31 saves)
Shots on Goal: HAM 34 / MIL 33
ATTN - 3,529

Apr. 8 vs. Milwaukee (W 5-3) - With three consecutive goals in the third period from Steve Begin, Tomas Plekanec and Jason Ward, the Hamilton Bulldogs stormed back to beat the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday night at Copps Coliseum. Also chipping in for the Bulldogs with two goals in the first period was Marc-Andre Thinel.
Game Notes:
Scoring: HAM - Thinel (2), Begin, Plekanec, Ward / MIL - Shishkanov, Hamhuis, Fiddler
Goaltending: HAM - Danis (W - 33 shots, 30 saves) / MIL - Finley (L - 32 shots, 28 saves)
Shots on Goal: HAM 33 / MIL 33
ATTN - 5,757

Apr. 9 at Manitoba (W 4-1) - Goaltender Dan Ellis was outstanding; stopping 31 of the 32 shots he faced to pick up his tenth win of the season. Duncan Milroy had the game-winning goal and Gavin Morgan sealed the victory with an empty-net marker. Hamilton was able to post the victory despite firing only 14 shots on goal, one shy of the franchise all-time low.
Game Notes:
Scoring: HAM - Ferland, Milroy, Begin, Morgan / MTB - Herema
Goaltending: HAM - Ellis (W - 32 shots, 31 saves) / MTB - Auld (L - 13 shots, 10 saves)
Shots on Goal: HAM 14 / MTB 32
ATTN - 8,812

Apr. 10 vs. Manitoba (W 4-1) - In their fourth game in four and a half days for the second week in a row, the Bulldogs again didn't show any signs of fatigue, downing the Moose 4-1 to finish off the week with a win. Defenceman Trevor Daley returned to the Bulldogs line-up after missing two contests due to injury and had a goal in the game. Mike Komisarek scored his first goal of the season late in the third period to help the Bulldogs pick up their third win and seventh point of the week.
Game Notes:
Scoring: HAM - Begin, Thinel, Daley, Komisarek / MTB - Goren
Goaltending: HAM - Danis (W - 22 shots, 21 saves) / MTB - Flaherty (L - 15 shots, 11 saves)
Shots on Goal: HAM 15 / MTB 22
ATTN - 8,218


TEAM NOTES

- Hamilton has the third best record in the league since February 11th going 18-7-1-1 in 27 games, good enough for a .704 winning percentage. Only Chicago (.808) and Binghamton (.750) have been better during that stretch.
- Hamilton is 24-0-0-0 when scoring four or more goals in a game.
- The Bulldogs are 8-1-0-1 in their last ten games and 16-3-1-0 in their last 20 divisional games.
- Captain Jason Ward leads the team with 12 points (5g, 7a) and a +9 rating in his last ten games.
- Forwards Steve Begin (3g, 2a) and Marc-Andre Thinel (3g, 2a) each have five points in their last five games.
- Goaltender Yann Danis has started 8 of the last 10 games, compiling a record of 6-1-1, a 1.74 goals against average, a save percentage of .940 and a shutout.


BULLDOGS PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Dan Jancevski - Recorded five assists in his last three games. Jancevski had two assists in a 5-3 win over the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday, April 8th, one helper against the Manitoba Moose in a 4-1 victory on Saturday, April 9th, and two more assists the following afternoon (April 10th) in another 4-1 win over the Moose.


DOGS WITH BITE

Jason Ward - Notched five points (1g, 4a) in three of the four games last week. Ward had an assist in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Milwaukee Admirals on Wednesday, April 6th, a goal and an assist against the Admirals on Friday April 8th, and two assists versus the Moose on Saturday April 9th.

Yann Danis - Posted two wins, with a 2.33 GAA and a .920 save percentage in three games last week. Danis turned aside 30 of the 33 shots he faced in a win over Milwaukee on Friday, and stopped 21 of the 22 shots that Manitoba sent his way in a win over the Moose on Sunday. Danis extends his franchise record for most wins in a single season to 27 and remains tied for the most shutouts in a single season by a Bulldogs' goaltender with five.

Steve Begin - Tallied three goals and an assist in his last three games. Begin scored a goal on Friday against the Admirals, had a goal and an assist against the Moose on Saturday and had another goal on Sunday against Manitoba.

Marc-Andre Thinel - Scored three goals and an assist in three of the four games last week. Thinel had an assist on the Bulldogs first goal of the game against Milwaukee on Wednesday, had two goals versus the Admirals on Friday, and the game-winning goal against Manitoba on Sunday.


UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday, April 15th - 7:30 pm vs. Rochester Americans - Fan Appreciation Night
- The first 6,000 fans will receive a Bulldogs team poster and the first 9,000 fans will receive thunder sticks.
- Bulldogs fans will have a chance to win his and hers watches worth $1200.


UPCOMING GAMES

Wed. April 13th, 7:00 p.m. - Syracuse Crunch @ Bulldogs
- Hamilton is 3-1-0-1 against the Syracuse Crunch (34-31-7-4) in five games this season.
- The Bulldogs can clinch the final playoff spot in the North Division with a point in the game.
- Bulldogs goaltender Yann Danis has a record of 3-1-1, with a 1.55 GAA, a .958 save percentage and two shutouts in five games versus the Crunch this season.
- Syracuse has out-shot the Bulldogs 192 to 150 in five games this season.

Fri. April 15th, 7:30 p.m. - Rochester Americans @ Bulldogs
- Hamilton is 3-6-0-0 versus the Rochester Americans (49-16-4-6) in nine games this season.
- Forward Chris Higgins leads the Bulldogs with eight points (4g, 4a) in nine games against Rochester this season.
- The Bulldogs have gone 8-38 (21.1%) on the power play against the Americans this season. Their 21.1% efficiency rating is 6.1% ahead of their season average of 15%.
- Rochester has a record of 30-0-2-1 when leading after two periods of play.


HAMILTON BULLDOGS MOLSON CUP THREE STARS - LEADERS

(1st place vote - 5pts, 2nd place vote - 3 pts, 3rd place vote - 1pt)

Player Points
1. Yann Danis 62
2. Chris Higgins 57
3. Tomas Plekanec 39
4. Jason Ward 27
5. Corey Locke 24
5. Dan Ellis 24
7. Antti Miettinen 13
8. Steve Begin 12
9. Marc-Andre Thinel 10
10. Steve Ott 9
10. Duncan Milroy 9
10. Trevor Daley 9
13. James Sanford 8
13. Gavin Morgan 8
15. Andrei Kostitsyn 7
15. Ron Hainsey 7
17. Raitis Ivanans 6
18. Philippe Plante 5
19. Michael Lambert 1


HOMETOWN HERO OF THE GAME-LEADERS

(Hardest Working Bulldogs Player on Home Ice)

Player Points
1. Steve Ott 70
2. Chris Higgins 60
3. Tomas Plekanec 50
4. Trevor Daley 40
4. Jason Ward 40
6. Dan Jancevski 20
6. Gavin Morgan 20
8. Andrei Kostitsyn 10
8. Dan Ellis 10
8. Yann Danis 10
8. Raitis Ivanans 10
8. James Sanford 10
8. Marc-Andre Thinel 10
8. Mike Komisarek 10
8. Steve Begin 10

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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