ALL SQUARED UP; GREYHOUNDS WIN IN OT
Fans at FirstOntario Centre erupted for Hamilton Bulldogs forward Nicholas Caamano’s first-period goal against the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds on Wednesday night in Game 4 of the OHL finals. The jubilation ended in OT when the Soo scored the 3-2 overtime
Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds defenceman Noah Carroll administers the coup de grace in OT to Bulldogs goalie Kaden Fulcher. It’s special, playing under bright lights and in front of a big crowd. It’s also a lot of pressure. Despite a 3-2 loss to the Soo Greyhounds, the Hamilton Bulldogs handled it pretty well, coming back twice to force overtime at FirstOntario Centre Wednesday. Their chance for a building-erupting win ended when Noah Carroll notched the breakaway winner just before the 10-minute mark of the sudden-death period.
This means the best-of-seven OHL Final heads back to the Soo Friday (7 p.m. on Cable 14) tied 2-2.
The Bulldogs are not used to playing in front of 8,603 fans — the number on hand for the heartbreaker — which is roughly twice their normal draw. Nor are they used to playing in living rooms from coast-to-coast, which was the case with Sportsnet in the house for the first time this campaign.
To be clear, these are both good things. They give the team and its players a ton of exposure. They can also be a distraction.
In particular, a national broadcast — with the languishing commercial breaks and on-ice interviews that come with it — can have a dramatic effect on the ebb and flow of a game. Hamilton played on Sportsnet once in each of the previous two seasons and dropped both games by a score of 5-2.
Before the opening faceoff, Bulldogs coach John Gruden said he wasn’t concerned with what he dubbed “the noise.”
“I really think our guys thrive on this,” he added.
“We’re ready.”
It didn’t look that way early on. Within a minute, the Bulldogs were playing catch up after Justin Lemcke botched what should have been a routine clearing attempt. Taylor Raddysh ended up with the puck on his stick and found Boris Katchouk all alone in front to make it the third straight game in which the Soo not only scored the first goal, but scored on its first shot.
Hamilton got the next one — as it did the last two games as well. This time it was short-handed, with Robert Thomas making a perfect pass across the slot and under a stick to Nick Caamano.
The game went off script after that.
A little more than two minutes into the second, Kaden Fulcher gave up a stinker to Jack Kopacka and the Bulldogs — who mustered just five shots in the frame — looked like they might be finished. Then Riley Stillman tied it up with a bullet from the point midway through the third to energize the building and ultimately force overtime.
Sportsnet is also carrying Game 6, which takes place in Hamilton on Sunday at 2 p.m.
NOTES: The Bulldogs are hosting their annual orientation camp at Ancaster’s Morgan Firestone Arena this weekend. The team is expecting 51 players to report Saturday for two days of scrimmages, on-ice skills sessions and testing. … Greyhounds forward Morgan Frost was named the CHL player of the week after notching seven points in three games, including two goals and two assists in the Soo’s first two games against the Bulldogs. It’s the second time this season the 18-year-old from Aurora has earned national player of the week honours.