Hamilton Bulldogs Weekly
Published on January 17, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release
The Hamilton Bulldogs (American Hockey League affiliate of the Montreal Canadiens) take-on their North Division rival Rochester Americans (AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers) on Tuesday, January 18th at 7:00 p.m at Copps Coliseum. Following this game, the Bulldogs will make their first trip to Connecticut to battle the Whale (AHL affiliate of the New York Rangers). The tilt between the two clubs will begin at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, January 21st. Hamilton ¬â¢s final match-up of the week will be against the Adirondack Phantoms (AHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers) on Saturday, January 22nd at 7:00 p.m.
The opening game of last week was a battle against the Lake Erie Monsters on Wednesday, January 12th at Copps Coliseum. Olivier Fortier opened the scoring for the ¬ËDogs in the second period after both teams were held scoreless through the first. The lead only lasted two minutes before Cameron Gaunce potted Lake Erie the equalizer. Andreas Engqvist and Ryan Russell each added a goal in the second to give the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead heading into the final frame. The ¬ËDogs held off a late surge by the Monsters as Ben Walter scored in the final minutes of the period to end the game at 3-2 for the ¬ËDogs. On Friday, January 14th the Syracuse Crunch made their way to Hamilton for a tilt against the Bulldogs. The contest held both teams off the score sheet through three periods. Jean-Philippe Levasseur and Curtis Sanford each earned a shutout as no one could solve either goaltender in overtime. With the game forced to the shootout, Alexander Avtsin netted the game winner for the ¬ËDogs in the final round of the shootout.
LAST WEEK IN REVIEW:
Wednesday, January 12th ¬" HAMILTON BULLDOGS 3 vs. LAKE ERIE MONSTERS 2
Copps Coliseum ¬" Hamilton, ON
Hamilton Goals: Olivier Fortier, Andreas Engqvist, Ryan Russell*
Lake Erie Goals: Cameron Gaunce, Ben Walter
Goaltending: Hamilton: Curtis Sanford (W- 31 shots, 29 saves) / Lake Erie: Jason Bacashihua (L ¬" 24shots, 21 saves)
Power Play: Hamilton 1-4 / Lake Erie 0-3
Attendance: 1927
* - Game Winning Goal
Friday, January 14th ¬" HAMILTON BULLDOGS 1 vs. SYRACUSE CRUNCH 0 (SO)
Copps Coliseum ¬" Hamilton, ON
Hamilton Goals: Alexander Avtsin*
Syracuse Goals: None
Goaltending: Hamilton: Curtis Sanford (W - 22 shots, 22 saves) / Syracuse: Jean-Philippe Levasseur (L ¬" 46 shots, 46 saves)
Power Play: Hamilton 0-6 / Syracuse 0-2
Attendance: 4632
*- Shootout Game Winning Goal
NORTH DIVISION STANDINGS:
(As of Monday, January 17th)
Rank Team GP W L OTL SOL PTS PCT GF GA
1. Hamilton Bulldogs 41 23 13 1 4 51 0.622 117 100
2. Manitoba Moose 39 22 12 1 4 49 0.628 114 97
3. Toronto Marlies 43 20 16 0 7 47 0.547 125 125
4. Lake Erie Monsters 45 19 19 3 4 45 0.500 118 128
5. Abbotsford Heat 42 19 17 2 4 44 0.524 92 113
6. Grand Rapids Griffins 43 19 19 1 4 43 0.500 119 132
7. Rochester Americans 42 17 21 2 2 38 0.452 121 140
BULLDOGS NOTES:
- The ¬ËDogs rank in the top ten in both special teams categories. Hamilton ¬â¢s penalty kill is fifth overall with an 85.8% success rate and their power play sits ninth in the standings capitalizing on 20.2% of their chances with the man advantage. In the last five games the Bulldogs have gone an impressive 19 for 19 while killing off penalties.
- Hamilton Bulldogs forwards David Desharnais and Max Pacioretty, both on recall to Montreal, as well as goaltender Curtis Sanford were named to the Western Conference team for the 2011 AHL All-Star Classic. The ¬ËDogs and All-Star host Hershey Bears each have an AHL-high three players selected to the game.
- 26 of the 41 games played by Hamilton this season have been decided by one goal which equates to 63% of Hamilton ¬â¢s battles this season.
- G Curtis Sanford sits first in the AHL for goals-against-average with 1.74 and second in save percentage with .938SV%.
- Friday ¬â¢s was the first time in franchise history that neither team has scored a goal in regulation or overtime at Copps Coliseum. Alexander Avtsin scored the shootout winner for Hamilton.
UPCOMING GAMES:
TUESDAY, JANUARY 18th ¬" HAMILTON BULLDOGS vs. ROCHESTER AMERICANS
7:00 PM EST ¬" COPPS COLISEUM ¬" HAMILTON, ONTARIO
- This is the sixth of eight meetings between the two clubs this season
- Hamilton holds a 4-1-0-0 record over Rochester this season
- Last season the Bulldogs went 5-3-0-2 against the Americans
- Hamilton ¬â¢s all-time record against Rochester currently sits at 60-63-7-0-5
- Hamilton Head Coach Randy Cunneyworth served as the Rochester Head Coach from 2000-2008
- The last time the two teams met was December 8th when Rochester defeated Hamilton 4-3
- Michel Repik leads the Amerks in scoring with 35 points (7G, 28A)
- There are currently 11 Ontario natives listed on the Americans roster: C Mike Duco (Toronto), C Chris Taylor (Stratford), LW Kenndal McArdle (Toronto), D Mike Kostka (Etobicoke), LW Andrew Peters (St. Catharines), LW Eric Selleck (Spencerville), C Scott Timmins (Hamilton), RW Kyle Rank (Elmira), D Michael Caruso (Mississauga), Carl Hudson (Smooth Rock Falls) and D Adam Comrie (Kanata)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21st ¬" HAMILTON BULLDOGS @ CONNECTICUT WHALE
7:00 PM EST ¬" XL CENTER ¬"HARTFORD, CT
- This will be the first of two meetings between the two clubs this season
- Last season the Bulldogs went 2-0-0-0 against the Hartford Wolf Pack who were renamed the Connecticut Whale on November 20th 2010
- Hamilton ¬â¢s all-time record against Whale currently sits at 7-3-0-0-0
- The last time the two teams met was March 6th when Hamilton beat the Whale 3-2 in a shootout
- Kris Newbury leads the Whale in scoring with 35 points (5G, 30A)
- There are nine Ontario natives currently listed on the Crunch roster: RW Jason Williams (London), C Oren Eizenman (Toronto), C Ryan Garlock (Iroquois Falls), LW Devin DiDiomete (Startford), LW Chris Chappell (Pickering), C Todd White (Kanata), LW Justin Soryal (Newmarket), D Michael Del Zotto (Stouffville) and G Cameron Talbot (Caledonia)
SATURDAY, JANUARY 22nd ¬" HAMILTON BULLDOGS @ ADIRONDACK PHANTOMS
7:00 PM EST ¬" GLENN FALLS CIVIC CENTER ¬"GLEN FALLS, NY
- This will be the second of four meetings between the two clubs this season
- The last time the two teams met was on November 24th when Hamilton topped the Phantoms 3-2
- Last season the Bulldogs went 4-0-0-0 against Adirondack
- Hamilton ¬â¢s all-time record against the Phantoms currently sits at 5-0-0-0
- Erik Gustafsson is leading all Phantoms skaters with 27 points (4G, 23A)
- There are currently seven Ontario natives listed on the Phantoms roster: RW Stefan Legein (Oakville), C Luke Pither (Burketon), F Eric Wellwood (Windsor) C Zac Rinaldo (Hamilton), D Danny Syvret (Millgrove), G Michael Leighton (Petrolia) and D Dan Jancevski (Windsor)
ALUMNI WATCH:
There are over 40 former Bulldogs currently on NHL rosters. Over 60 percent of all former ¬ËDogs have played in at least one NHL game. Here are a few highlights and accomplishments of ex- ¬ËDogs from this past week:
- Boston G Tim Thomas is currently first among goaltenders in the NHL in goals-against-average and save-percentage. He holds a 1.88 GAA and a 0.943SV% against opposing teams. Thomas is also tied for first in the NHL with Henrik Lundqvist in shutouts with six. He registered a 2-0-0-0 record this week by earning a 6-0 victory over the Senators (January 11) and defeating the Flyers 7-5 (January 13).
- Boston RW Michael Ryder recorded three points this week. He added a helper against Ottawa (January 10), netted a goal in a victory over the Flyers (January 13) and potted another in a loss to the Penguins (January 15). Ryder has 26 points (13G, 13A) through 44 games this season.
- Montreal C David Desharnais recorded his first goal of his NHL career against Pittsburgh (January 12) since being recalled to the parent club December 31st. Desharnais has a goal and an assist in six games for the Canadiens.
- Montreal C Tomas Plekanec netted two goals this week, one in a loss versus the Penguins (January 12) and another against the New York Rangers (January 15). Plekanec also added a helper in the Canadiens first match-up versus the Rangers where they won 2-1 (January 11).
- Montreal G Carey Price posted a 1-1-0-0 record this week versus his opponents. He lost his first match versus the Penguins (January 12), but helped the Canadiens defeat the Rangers 3-2 (January 15).
- Toronto C Mikhail Grabovski netted a goal and added two helpers this week. He registered an assist in the Leafs victory over the Kings (January 10) and recorded another against the Sharks (January 11). Grabovski also potted the only goal for the Leafs in a 2-1 loss to Calgary (January 15).
- Dallas C Mike Ribiero potted three helpers in two match-ups for the Stars. He had one assist in a 3-2 win over Edmonton (January 11) and registered another two in a 6-1 victory over the Thrashers (January 15).
TUNE IN TO EVERY GAME ON THE HAMILTON BULLDOGS HOCKEY NETWORK:
Fans can listen to every ¬ËDogs game this season on the flagship station of the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Network, ¬ËTODAY ¬â¢S COUNTRY AM 820 CHAM ¬â¢. Fans can also listen or watch at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com by clicking on the ¬ËAHL Live ¬â¢ or ¬Ë820 CHAM ¬â¢ icon on the Bulldogs website. All regular-season radio and online broadcasts will begin with a pre-game show 30 minutes prior to each scheduled game-time. Ellery Award-winning broadcaster Derek Wills calls the play-by-play of all 80 regular season games, while Al Craig provides the colour commentary for all home games and select road games.
GET YOUR TICKETS!:
Hamilton Bulldogs season tickets, flex tickets, min pack tickets, group tickets and tickets are now on sale! Individual game tickets are available at the Copps Coliseum Box Office (in-person sales only), all Ticketmaster outlets and online at ticketmaster.ca or call 1-855-872-5000. For information on season tickets, flex tickets, mini pack tickets and group tickets visit www.hamiltonbulldogs.com, or call (905) 529-8500 ext. 179.
GET YOUR BULLDOGS MERCHANDISE AT THE ¬ÅDAWG HOUSE ¬Â:
Fans can purchase Bulldogs merchandise during all home games at the ¬ÅDawg House ¬Â store located behind section 114 on the concourse level at Copps Coliseum.
In the store, fans can find hats, t-shirts, jackets, replica jerseys, foam fingers, foam ¬ËBone Heads ¬â¢, and other select novelty items for sale.
MOLSON CUP ¬" THREE STAR LEADERS:
(1st Star - 5pts, 2nd Star - 3pts, 3rd Star - 1pt)
Player : Points :
1. David Desharnais 34
2. Max Pacioretty 32
4. Curtis Sanford 19
3. Aaron Palushaj 16
5. Dustin Boyd 14
6. Yannick Weber 11
7. Ben Maxwell 9
8. Alexander Avtsin 9
8. J.T. Wyman 8
10. Mathieu Carle 7
11. Kyle Klubertanz 6
17. Andreas Engqvist 6
12. Ryan Russell 5
12. Olivier Fortier 5
14. Robert Mayer 4
15. Gabriel Dumont 3
15. Brendon Nash 3
17. Gabriel Dumont 1
FLAMBORO DOWNS WORKHORSE OF THE GAME LEADERS:
(10 pts. ¬" Hardest working Hamilton Bulldogs player)
Player: Points:
1. David Desharnais 50
1. J.T. Wyman 50
1. Andrew Conboy 50
4. Frederic St. Denis 40
4. Ben Maxwell 40
6. Ryan White 30
7. Andreas Engqvist 20
7. Mathieu Carle 20
7. Ryan Russell 20
10. Aaron Palushaj 10
10. Yannick Weber 10
10. Alex Henry 10
10. Curtis Sanford 10
10. Alexander Avtsin 10
10. Max Pacioretty 10
10. Dustin Boyd 10
10. Brendon Nash 10
American Hockey League Stories from January 17, 2011
- Rampage Fall to IceHogs 2-1 - San Antonio Rampage
- Hamilton Bulldogs Weekly - Hamilton Bulldogs
- Division On The Line - Manitoba Moose
- Pirates Weekly - Portland Pirates
- Wild Recalls Almond from Houston Aeros - Houston Aeros
- Sharks Swim into 2nd Half of AHL Schedule - Worcester Sharks
- Stars Send Monast to Idaho, Recall Lemay from Allen - Texas Stars
- Admirals Look to Continue Three-Game Winning Streak - Norfolk Admirals
- Admirals to Give Away Tickets to Green Bay-Chicago Game - Milwaukee Admirals
- Griffins' Weekend Homecoming Features Two Games Against Rival Chicago - Grand Rapids Griffins
- Wolves Weekly Notes - Chicago Wolves
- Sound Tigers Weekly Report - Bridgeport Islanders
- Senators Re-Assign Forward Corey Locke to Binghamton - Binghamton Senators
- Bob Crawford and Chris Kotsopoulos Added to Player Roster for Whalers Vs. Bruins Legends Game - Connecticut Whale
- Phantoms Weekly - Adirondack Phantoms
- Oklahoma City's Bryan Helmer Named Reebok/AHL Player of the Week - AHL
- Helmer Named Reebok/AHL Player of the Week - Oklahoma City Barons
- Whale Weekly - Connecticut Whale
- Week Fifteen: Palmieri Back on Pace - Syracuse Crunch
- Moose Announce "Nolan Baumgartner Bobblehead Day" on Sunday Vs. Heat - Manitoba Moose
- Moose Sign Dusty Collins to PTO - Manitoba Moose
- Atlanta Recalls Goaltender Mannino - Chicago Wolves
- Rampage Add Lukacevic and Huddy to Roster - San Antonio Rampage
- Canucks Recall Sergei Shirkov - Manitoba Moose
- Monarchs Weekly Report - Manchester Monarchs
- Bears Open Up Four-Game Homestand Friday Night - Hershey Bears
- Canucks Recall Chris Tanev - Manitoba Moose
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.
