Bulldogs rally to beat Petes in Game 2
Eastern Conference quarterfinal series makes its way to Memorial Centre on Wednesday
HAMILTON The Peterborough Petes got under the Hamilton Bulldogs’ skin, but it hasn’t led to any wins.
The Bulldogs overcame an early 2-0 deficit to pick up a second straight 5-2 win over the Petes at First-Ontario Centre on Monday night.
The Bulldogs have outscored the Petes 10-4 and outshot them 96-42 in their OHL Eastern Conference quarterfinal series.
It was a nasty game with the clubs combining for 142 minutes in penalties in a game that lasted two hours and 45 minutes.
Michael Simpson made 50 saves in the Petes net, but Logan Morrison scored a hat trick, giving him five goals in two games, as Hamilton grabbed a 2-0 lead in the bestof-seven series.
The series switches to Peterborough for Games 3 and 4 on Wednesday and Thursday, both at 7:05 p.m., at the Memorial Centre.
“We’re trying to get in their heads, and I think there are a lot of positives we can take out of the two games,” said Petes head coach Rob Wilson.
“We’ve proved we’re not going to go away quietly and that’s what we wanted to do. They’ve had a lot of success at home for a long time and we wanted to come in and disturb them. Now, we have to go back home and start winning some hockey games.”
Wilson doesn’t expect their style to change much, but they will have to be more disciplined.
“We’re very young, so the heat of the moment is probably getting to some guys,” said Wilson. “That’s normal. Now, they’ve had a couple of games to taste it. They have to understand that we can’t afford to take the amount of penalties we’re taking and have the amount of power plays against us, but you still have to play that way … We don’t want to take penalties 200 feet from our net for hooking or slashing the stick out of somebody’s hand or an unnecessary punch to the head that doesn’t make much sense or is not helping anyone.”
As for the discrepancy in shots, Wilson said his team could afford to take more.
“Simmer has played two outstanding games. I’ll give them credit, they will shoot from everywhere and put all pucks to the net,” said Wilson. “It’s something our young guys have to learn. That’s a big part of scoring goals in the playoffs around the paint area. We’re getting there, but we’re not getting pucks there. We have to try and change that.”
The Petes struck first 2:57 into the game on a breakaway goal by Joe Carroll. Sam Mayer blocked a shot in the Petes end and Jax Dubois found Carroll behind the Bulldogs defence where he snapped a shot top corner on goalie Marco Costantini.
The Petes led the OHL in shorthanded goals with 19 this season and they struck again at 9:17 to go up 2-0 despite being outshot 11-3. Konnor Smith’s pass set up a twoon-one and Tucker Robertson finished off Emmett Sproule’s feed. Robertson had eight short-handed goals in the regular season.
The Petes’ lead evaporated in the final two minutes of the period.
Giordano Biondi capitalized on a Smith giveaway at 18:12 as Hamilton’s fourth line struck for the second time in two games.
An Artem Guryev cross-checking penalty led to Morrison’s powerplay goal at 19:55 set up by ex-Pete Mason McTavish. Hamilton outshot the Petes 24-7 in the first.
Six minutes into the second period, Hamilton was outshooting the Petes 10-0. Simpson was doing his part as he robbed Morrison on the doorstep midway through the second after Nathan Staios circled the net to set up the chance.
Hamilton grabbed the lead with 5:23 left in the second as Avery Hayes dished a centring pass to a wide open Gavin White joining the rush.
The Petes took the extra penalty out of a scrum after the goal and it led to a Hamilton power-play goal 1:51 later. Morrison on the backdoor put a puck that deflected to him past a diving Simpson.
Morrison made it 5-2 early in the third ripping George Diaco’s drop pass home on a zone entry.
One of numerous scrums took place when Lawson Sherk bumped Simpson and Robertson flew in to his goalie’s defence to fight Sherk. Notes Tucker Robertson is the Petes nominee for the Red Tilson Trophy as the OHL’s Most Outstanding player, the OHL announced Monday. Ex-Pete Mason McTavish is Hamilton’s nominee, despite playing less than half the season in Hamilton ... According to the Hamilton YourTV broadcasters, there was some concern the ice might not be ready by game time as arena workers cleaned up after a weekend Monster Truck show at the FirstOntario Centre ... The Petes made no lineup changes as Joe Carroll returned after leaving Game 1 early with an injury.