Monsters Edge Bulldogs 3-2 in a Shootout

January 5, 2013 - American Hockey League (AHL)
Hamilton Bulldogs News Release


Hamilton, Ontario - Mark Olver scored the decisive goal in a five-round shootout as the Lake Erie Monsters beat the Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 in American Hockey League action on Saturday night.

Olver, the Monsters' fifth shooter, beat goaltender Robert Mayer with a forehand deke after defenceman Stefan Elliott, shooting fourth, had brought the visitors to even terms in the shootout. Mayer had previously stopped attempts from Mike Sgarbossa, Andrew Agozzino and Tyson Barrie.

Michael Bournival had scored for the Bulldogs, who opted to shoot first. Monsters goaltender Calvin Pickard stopped Brendan Gallagher, Gabriel Dumont, Patrick Holland and Stefan Chaput.

Paul Carey and Bill Thomas scored in regulation time for the Monsters, who improved to 18-15-2-1 for 39 points. Agozzino had two assists and Pickard made 33 saves for the Monsters, who were playing a third game in three days.

Brendan Gallagher had one goal and one assist and Frederic St-Denis also scored for the Bulldogs, who dropped to 12-18-1-3 for 28 points. Mayer, making a second consecutive start, faced 37 shots before a crowd of 4,537 at Copps Coliseum.

The North Division rivals were tied 1-1 in the third when St-Denis, who had twice previously bailed out Mayer on close plays in the crease, jumped into the rush and converted a pass on a two-on-one with Gallagher at 11:31. The goal was the defenceman's third of the season.

Thomas forced overtime at 19:56. Chaput took a boarding call at 17:54 and the Monsters pressed for the equalizer with Pickard heading for the bench for an extra attacker in the final minute. Mayer made saves on Sgarbossa, Elliott, Olver, David van der Gulik and Patrick Bordeleau and, while the Bulldogs killed the penalty, Thomas slipped the puck home through traffic at 19:56.

The Bulldogs could not capitalize on a double minor for high sticking issued to Cameron Gaunce at 1:24 of overtime. The Bulldogs had four shots in the extra period, but couldn't beat Pickard, who twice denied Nathan Beaulieu and Gallagher.

The Monsters opened the scoring at 18:52 of the first period when Mayer got a piece of a Carey shot, but the puck squirted over the goal line. Mayer may have been screened on the play by defenceman Morgan Ellis.

At one point the Bulldogs held a 9-2 edge in first-period shots, but ended up outshooting the visitors 13-12 through 20 minutes. Pickard got his blocker on a shot from Mike Blunden and turned aside five shots from Beaulieu. Dumont hit the post off a rush in the final seconds of the frame. The Bulldogs failed to convert on two power plays, the Monsters could not capitalize on their lone opportunity with the man advantage.

Gallagher tied the game at 10:40 of the second period, three seconds after the Bulldogs had killed a minor penalty for holding the stick issued to Blunden. Gallagher fired a wrist shot that beat Pickard high to the glove side for his 10th goal of the season, tying him with Dumont for the team lead. Mayer earned the lone assist.

The Bulldogs held a 10-7 edge in second-period shots and enjoyed a great opportunity late in the frame with Pickard holding firm against Gallagher, Holland and Blunden. The Bulldogs enjoyed two power plays, the Monsters had one.

Chaput drew the ire of Sgarbossa after Chaput nailed Barrie with a clean, open-ice check in the fifth minute of the third period. Chaput was forced to defend himself against Sgarbossa and received a fighting major after wrestling the aggressor to the ice. Sgarbossa was tagged with a fighting major and an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Each team had a chance on the ensuing power play. Mayer turned aside an Agozzino attempt on a shorthanded breakaway and Beaulieu hammered a shot off the post to Pickard's left.

The Bulldogs were without Greg Pateryn, Antoine Corbin, Joonas Nattinen, Aaron Palushaj, Blake Geoffrion and Alexander Avtsin. Lake Erie scratched Kieran Millan, Barry Goers, Geoff Walker, Bryan Lerg, Sean Sullivan, Joey Hishon and Luke Walker.

The Bulldogs host the Toronto Marlies at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.



American Hockey League Stories from January 5, 2013


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