In what was a very good performance by the Hamilton Bulldogs for the most of the night, they survived the thunderous rally by the top rated team in the OHL, and won the game 5-3.
Offense
The Hamilton Bulldogs offensive unit was choppy, yet very effective. They rattled the Erie goaltender with 3 goals on 10 shots by the time first period ended. The second period was tough, and was unable to shoot given the opportunity. The third period was more grinding, but managed to find the net twice more to seal the victory. Adam Laishram came up big with the two critical goals, including the eventual game winner early in the final frame. The only significant criticism was the control of the puck, especially in the attack zone. Need to be more better with the puck.
Defense and Goaltending
In regards to the Bulldogs defence this game, they played very good. They made Erie earn their shots at Hamilton netminder Kaden Fultcher, especially forcing the Otters to score from the outside within the attacking zone. Fultcher played good with another quality outing, but had a glaring miscue that ignited the nearly-successful comeback effort by the Erie Otters.
Special Teams
When it came to the penalty kill, to be able to shut down the first overall power play unit in this game was beneficial to their victorious outcome. The team overall was, for the large part, well disciplined.
The Hamilton Bulldogs travel to Erie for the road tilt with the Otters on Saturday.
The Steel City Express 