Gavin Morgan Earns Hat-Trick in Victory
January 20, 2005 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release
ROSEMONT, IL - Gavin Morgan scored for the first time in 28 games and he would also go on to earn a hat-trick as the Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Chicago Wolves 6-3 at the Allstate Arena on Wednesday night.
With the victory, the Bulldogs now have 42 points on a record of 17 wins, 18 losses, 4 overtime losses and 4 shootout losses. Hamilton now trails the Edmonton Road Runners by just six points for the fourth playoff position in the AHL's North Division.
Wednesday's game started with a flurry of goals in the first period. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 2-0 lead with goals coming just 19 seconds apart. Duncan Milroy scored his seventh goal of the season at 8:53 on the power play, and then Gavin Morgan posted his third marker of the 04/05 at 9:12. Morgan's goal was his first since Nov. 2 when the Bulldogs won 5-1 at Cleveland.
The Wolves would then score three first period goals to take a 3-2 lead. Ben Simon (9:12), Steve Maltais (10:38), and Travis Roche (13:14) all scored for Chicago. Maltais' power-play goal was the 600th of his professional career.
Goaltender Dan Ellis replaced Yann Danis in the Bulldogs net after the first period. Danis allowed three goals on ten shots.
After a scoreless second period, Morgan tied the game for the Bulldogs by scoring his second goal of the game at 6:42.
The Bulldogs then took the lead for good with just 6:43 remaining in regulation time. Chris Higgins went in 3-on-1 and scored his 10th goal of the season by firing a high shot past the glove hand Wolves goaltender Kari Lehtonen.
Hamilton would add two empty net goals to seal the victory. Morgan scored his third goal of the game at 19:20 and Steve Ott posted his eleventh of the season at 19:51.
Dan Ellis earned his sixth win of the season, by stopping 10 shots in the final two periods.
BULLDOGS NOTES:
Defenceman Ron Hainsey and forward Andrei Kostitsyn returned to the Bulldogs line-up on Wednesday. Hainsey had missed 11 games with a concussion. Kostitsyn missed seven games while playing for Belarus at the World Junior Hockey Championships, and five additional games with a shoulder injury.
The Hamilton Bulldogs next action will take place on Friday, January 21st, as the Bulldogs visit the Cincinnati Mighty Ducks (affiliate of Mighty Ducks of Anaheim). Bulldogs fans can listen to Derek Wills call all the action, beginning with the pre-game show at 7:20 p.m., on 820 CHAM in Hamilton, on The Team 990 in Montreal, and via the Internet at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com.
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