Moose Bitten By Bulldogs 4-1 In Game 1

Published on April 28, 2011 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Manitoba Moose News Release


The Manitoba Moose (0-1) overcame unlikely odds to win three games in a row and take their opening round series in seven games. Now in the North Division Final against the Hamilton Bulldogs (1-0), the Moose would need to disregard the odds once again against the top seed in the division. Manitoba's Alexandre Bolduc scored the game's opening goal before Hamilton's top line took over. Aaron Palushaj put the home team up 2-1 in the second, then Dustin Boyd scored on the power play and set up another shorthanded. The Bulldogs dominated on special teams in Game 1 with a 4-1 win at Copps Coliseum.

Heading into Game 1 in Hamilton, the Bulldogs had won the previous six meetings between Manitoba and Hamilton. The Moose were 2-4-0-2 against the Bulldogs during their eight game season series.

Moose forward Alexandre Bolduc scored the most important goal of the first round against Lake Erie when he buried a breakaway goal for the game winner in Game 7. His next goal was the first one scored in round two. Bolduc skated into the Bulldogs zone ripped a shot from the high slot to the top shelf behind Drew MacIntyre to open the scoring at 5:10 of the first period.

Hamilton's Ryan Russell replied for the home team when he tapped in a centering feed by Andreas Enqvist at 9:27. The Bulldogs only managed to slip one of their 15 shots past Moose goalie Eddie Lack in the first period. Four of those 15 shots came off the stick of Bulldogs sniper Aaron Palushaj. He scored a hat trick against the Moose in the second last game of the regular season.

Aaron Palushaj makes up one-third of Hamilton's top line. His linemate Dustin Boyd was robbed consecutively by Eddie Lack on Hamilton's first power play of the second period. With Moose centre Garth Murray in the box for high sticking, Boyd one-timed a cross crease feed and found Lack's right pad. On the same shift, he failed to score on Lack when he fired a loose puck from five-feet out.

The top line wasn't held off the scoresheet for long as Palushaj converted on Hamilton'sfourth power play of the game. Sitting in the middle of the left circle, Palushaj wired a pass by Mathieu Carle into the Moose net on the power play at 13:34. His third of the playoffs gave his team the lead for the first time.

Manitoba's undisciplined play in the second period led to another power play goal at 16:16. This time Nigel Dawes finished off a pass by Dustin Boyd while crashing the Moose net redirecting in his sixth goal of the postseason. The Bulldogs power play improved to two-for-five as the home team extended their lead to 3-1.

Special teams continued to crush the Moose but this time Manitoba surrendered a shorthanded goal. Hamilton's captain Alex Henry took a high-sticking penalty at 17:26 of the second period but Dustin Boyd and J.T. Wyman bailed him out. The two penalty killers connected on an offensive rush on 18:59 as Wyman deflected in Hamilton's fourth goal of the game. The second period expired with the Bulldogs leading 4-1 after scoring four unanswered goals.

Trailing by three goals, the Moose needed a spark and a pair of grinding forwards tried to provide it without their gloves on.

First, Moose winger Guillaume Desbiens squared off with Hamilton's 6-foot-6 defenceman Alex Henry. Using reach to his advantage, Henry scored the takedown after each fighter traded punches for 20 seconds. Then with six minutes remaining Garth Murray fought Bulldog Ian Schultz in the Moose zone. The combatants were split up by the linesmen after tying up in the corner against the glass.

The Moose surrendered 10 power plays to the Bulldogs and 37 shots against, both statistics playing a big factor in the 4-1 final in Game 1. With the win at home, Hamilton took a 1-0 lead in the series.

The Moose and Bulldogs continue the North Division Finals on Sunday at Copps Coliseum at 3 p.m. CT. Brian Munz calls the action live from Hamilton on CJOB 68. Listen online at www.cjob.com.

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American Hockey League Stories from April 28, 2011


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