Pet es get schooled by the Bulldogs

HAMILTON – The Peterborough Petes are sliding in the OHL’s Eastern Conference standings.

Hamilton Bulldogs leapfrogged the Petes into a first-place tie with the Barrie Colts by blanking Peterborough 4-0 before 8,380 fans on a morning School Day Game at the First-Ontario Centre.

The Bulldogs picked up their fifth win in a row while the Petes, who are going through a stretch without five veterans to injury and suspension, suffered their seventh loss in 11 games. They’ve slid from first to fourth in the conference during that stretch.

The Petes mustered just 17 shots at Kaden Fulcher who gave up eight goals the last time he faced Peterborough but was sharp this time when needed.

“It was a different game today based on the timing,” said Petes coach Jody Hull.

“We just couldn’t seem to find our legs and get going. They came at us pretty hard knowing the bodies in our lineup. They played that aggressive style the whole game. It didn’t feel the same as the games last week where we got blown out. We just couldn’t get going and create anything offensively. I’m not discrediting them, They’ve got a pretty good hockey club over there.”

The Bulldogs scored the lone goal of the first period on a power play as Dylan Wells, who faced 36 shots, stopped the original shot from Justin Lemcke but Arthur Kallyev deposited the rebound at 10:56.

The Petes had a glorious chance at one end only to see Hamilton up 2-0 on the return rush early in the second period. Fulcher stretched to make a brilliant skate save as Jonathan Ang set up Bobby Dow but Hamilton turned the play up ice where Connor Roberts put Ben Gleason’s drop pass blocker-side at 4:51.

Fulcher made a big glove save late in the second to prevent a Petes short-handed goal as Nikita Korostelev set up Ang in front of the Bulldogs net.

“He had a chip on his shoulder,” Korostelev said of Fulcher’s rebound performance. “It was a different game being early in the morning. I felt like our start wasn’t as good as it should have been. They got a couple of goals and we couldn’t find our way back into the game.”

Hamilton’s second power play goal made it 3-0 when Brandon Saigeon knocked Matthew Strome’s rebound in 9:20 into the third. Isaac Nurse converted a two-on-one pass from Marian studenic 3:12 later.

“We remember the last game,” Hamilton’s Will Bitten said, in a TV interview. “They gave it to us so we didn’t forget that. This is our turn.”

NOTES: Logan DeNoble was ruled out of Wednesday’s game after practising on Tuesday. DeNoble (upper body) and Zach Gallant (lower body) are both day-to-day while Adam Timleck (upper body) has yet to resume skating and is doubtful this weekend. Nick Isaacson (upper body) is likely out until December. Cole Fraser served the third of a fivegame suspension.... Among the classes attending the School Day Game in Hamilton was a Waterdown high school class taught by Larry Timms, father of Petes defenceman Matt Timms.... Thursday’s game is being played in support of the Osteoporosis Society of Peterborough. Fans