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OHL Brantford Bulldogs

Drobac Shuts Out IceDogs for Bulldogs 16th Straight K9 Win

February 7, 2023 - Ontario Hockey League (OHL)
Brantford Bulldogs News Release


ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO. The Bulldogs travelled the short distance down the QEW to St.

Catharines on Tuesday night, visiting the Niagara IceDogs for the middle of their 3-game road trip. The Bulldogs entered the game having won each of the last 15 meeting with the IceDogs.

The opening continued on from where the Bulldogs left off in Hamilton on Friday, with the line of Ben Bujold, Florian Xhekaj & Adrian Rebelo coming out strong and assertive the offensive zone with an extended cycling shift that saw all three members of the line earn a chance on goal. Just past the midway point of the opening frame Adrian Rebelo stole the puck at the Bulldogs blueline and carried in on a breakaway where he was slashed from behind earning his first career OHL penalty shot. Rebelo, striding initially right, drifted back middle and beat Owen Flores over the pad & under the glove for his 3rd of the season to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead at 11:05. The Bulldogs doubled the lead at 19:29, with Patrick Thomas feeding Sahil Panwar down the right-wing side where the Bulldogs center flashed the puck middle for a Nick Lardis tip to record his 24th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes.

The second frame was a near mirror image of the first with the Bulldogs adding a pair of goals to their lead with the scoring all coming after the halfway point of the period. At 11:41 of the middle frame, Patrick Thomas stole the puck in the high slot, turning it to Nick Lardis in the right circle who quickly whipped a pass cross-slot to Sahil Panwar who popped the puck into the open side for his 17th of the season giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 lead. With the Bulldogs on an extended 5-on-3 at 18:56, after Valdemar William Hull was called for hoisting the puck over the glass while shorthanded, Jorian Donovan moved the puck from the middle of the line to Panwar on top of the right circle. With the veteran center holding the puck, Nick Lardis came bolting down the left side where he took a tape-to-tape pass from his linemate, strode into the left circle and ripped a wrist shot that carried all the way around the back bar and out for his 25th of the year and 2nd of the game in showstopping fashion to give the Bulldogs the 4-0 lead they would take to the locker room through 40 minutes.

Matteo Drobac was on top of his game in the final frame, though the Bulldogs netminder was only called upon for 18 saves in the game, he made two of the spectacular variety in the third period. The first was after Daniel Michaud drove the puck to the front of the net and Drobac walled off the goal line, Declan Waddick jumped on the rebound only to be met by a split save from Drobac. The Bulldogs starting netminder followed that up getting out to the top of his crease to deny Zackary Lavoie shortly after and stopping a second effort from Alex Assadorian, making a split save from the seat of his pants. The Bulldogs piled on another pair in the third, after Cole Brown battled the puck loose on the neutral ice boards, Lawson Sherk found Marek Vanacker open at the Niagara line. Walking straight down the middle of the ice, Vanacker opened Flores up and beat the IceDogs netminder five-hole for his 4th of the year and a 5-0 lead at 8:02. To cap off the night, at 15:32 with the Bulldogs again on the power-play, Cole Brown stole the puck on the left point, carried through the circle and hit Luca Testa wide open back door for his 1st goal as a Hamilton Bulldog, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead that they carried to the finish, earning Matteo Drobac his 1st shutout of the season and the Bullogs their 16th straight win over the IceDogs dating back to January 2020.

The Bulldogs finish off their 3-game road trip visiting the Kitchener Rangers on Friday, February 10th at the Memorial Auditorium with a 7:30pm puck drop.

For more information on Hamilton Bulldogs 2022-23 Flex packages or single game tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit hamiltonbulldogs.com.

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