Top ’Dog in K9 Cup rivalry
IceDogs beat Bulldogs in overtime for fifth win a row
Maybe it’s the first part of their nickname now or the franchise’s origins as the Belleville Bulls back in the day, but there’s something about the Niagara IceDogs that has made the Hamilton Bulldogs see red this season.
Specifically, the colour of the light that goes on whenever a goal is scored.
Hamilton ended Thursday night 15 points ahead of the IceDogs, assured of being the top seed from the Eastern Conference going into the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
Yet it was the Bulldogs who once again finished second on the scoreboard to their K9 Cup rivals from St. Catharines. Their 3-2 loss in overtime was their fifth in six starts against Niagara in head-to-head play this season.
Johnny Corneil, whose 18th goal of the season gave the IceDogs their fifth win in a row, couldn’t put his finger on why Niagara has owned the Bulldogs this season.
“We’ve heard they don’t like playing us,” he said. “That’s good to hear, and it really gets you going.”
Introducing the K9 Cup, which is awarded to the winner of season series, has only added to the battle for bragging rights in a QEW rivalry that began when the Belleville franchise relocated to the Steel City after the 2014-15 season.
“We just look forward to it every time, we know it’s going to be a battle with Hamilton,” Corneil said.
His game-winner 2:30 into 3-on-3 overtime ended a 10-game scoring drought for the fifth-year forward.
Corneil refused, however, to let his lack offence define him on the ice, focusing instead on other aspects of the game.
“You can’t get too caught up getting the puck into the net, there is a lot more you have to
worry about,” the team captain said. “For me, gripping the stick a little bit isn’t helping, so I just forgot about.
“I just tried to play my game well in all the areas, and get the puck on the net when I could.”
IceDogs head coach Billy
Burke said he doesn’t have to see Corneil’s name on the scoresheet to appreciate what the captain contributes to the team.
“Maybe it doesn’t show on the scoreboard, but he’s our leader, he’s our everything,” Burke said. “Sometimes, he’s the one who sacrifices ice time for other guys, but he never complains.
“He’s 100 per cent about the team.”
Burke also couldn’t explain why the IceDogs have been Hamilton’s kryptonite in league play this season.
“I really don’t know, I think luck has something to do with it,” he said. “Sometimes, you just match up against a team for whatever reason.
“I think our guys just feel confident — we feel confident against anybody — it just happened to be Hamilton, it could have been anybody.
“We aren’t afraid of anybody.” With come-from-behind win, the IceDogs put themselves into a position to clinch fourth place in the conference and home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a victory Friday night on the road against the Erie Otters.
On Thursday night, Stephen Dhillon, between the Niagara pipes, and Kaden Fulcher, in the Hamilton net, took turns upstaging each other with highlightreel saves in the first period.
Nicholas Mattinen opened the scoring putting the Bulldogs on the board with a rocket from the left faceoff circle 15:08 into the game.
Hamilton was assessed a fourminute penalty late in the period and the IceDogs made the most of it with power-play goals from Ben Jones, his 26th of the campaign, and Oliver Castleman, No. 10.
Hamilton outshot Niagara 16-10 in the opening frame and 12-9 in a scoreless second period.
MacKenzie Entwistle scored on the power play to tie the game 9:43 into the third period.
The IceDogs were seeking their fifth win in a row and seventh in 10 games.
The Bulldogs visited their K9 Cup rivals Thursday night with a 7-3 record in their last 10 games.
’Dog Biscuits: Daniel Nardi, D; William Lochead, D; Ian Martin, RW; Sam Miletic, LW; were not in the Niagara lineup … It was announced that earlier in the day that IceDogs forward Kirill Maksimov had signed a threeyear, entry-level contract with the Edmonton Oilers … Ben Jones, top defensive forward, top penalty player; and Miletic, hardest worker; were the Niagara players recognized in the 2017-18 OHL Coaches Poll … Grimsby native Brandon Saigeon has 35 goals and 35 assists in 63 games in his third season in Hamilton and fourth with the franchise … The IceDogs will wear green jerseys to commemorate St. Patrick’s Day when they the Mississauga Steelheads in the season finale 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The jerseys will be auctioned after the game with all proceeds going to charity.