All Posts by Mitin Patel

The Hamilton Bulldogs (29-20-1-4) got out of the funk and found a way to earn the two points on Friday night against the Toronto Marlies (27-23-0-7) at the Ricoh Coliseum winning by the score of 4-3. The ‘Dogs rallied back into the game after surrendering three unanswered goals. Ben Maxwell scored the decisive goal in the middle of the third period to lead the Bulldogs for only their second victory of the month.  The win put a stop on their season long five game losing streak.

The ‘Dogs looked unbeatable during their six game win streak, outscoring and shutting down their opponents. They were averaging a little more than four goals per game during that span but in the past two weeks they averaged just one goal per game. It is very frustrating for Bulldogs fans not knowing which team will show up. In week #17, the Bulldogs played two games against two of the lowest ranked teams in the AHL.

The Hamilton Bulldogs (28-18-1-4) were defeated by the Connecticut Whale (25-22-2-5) 3-2 on Friday night. A late garbage goal in the final period was the turning point as the Whale held on for their first win at the Copps Coliseum in more than a decade. The ‘Dogs tied their season high of three straight losses.

The Hamilton Bulldogs (28-16-1-4) were humiliated by the bottom dweller of the AHL the Adirondack Phantoms (16-30-2-3) by a score of 4-0 in front of their own crowd at the Copps Coliseum. Denis Hamel, 33, drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 1995 recorded a hat-trick for the Phantoms, while Former Flyers playoff hero, Michael Leighton, recorded his first shutout in 12 games thus far this season. The ‘Dogs were limited to just 20 shots but the ‘Dogs received no help from their own end as Sanford let in three goals on 18 shots.   

No matter the adversity the Bulldogs go through whether that may be a change in the coach, call ups to the Montreal Canadiens, or injuries it’s starting to look like they always find a way to weather through the storm. At first they had a tough time as they scored more than three goals just three times in the last 14 games since the departure of their leading goal scorer Max Pacioretty, but the ‘Dogs have turned up the heat lately as they averaged six goals per game in week 15 of their season.

The hottest team in the AHL, the Hamilton Bulldogs (27-13-1-4) blanked the Manitoba Moose (25-13-1-5) on Wednesday morning 3-0 on their first ever School Day game which attracted 10,270 fans at the Copps Coliseum. Dustin Boyd had been without a goal in six straight outings prior to this match-up. The 2011 AHL All-Star, Curtis Sanford made 31 saves for his third shutout in four games and his fifth of the season. It was also his league leading 18th victory.

The Hamilton Bulldogs (25-13-1-4) have regained the ability to score on a consistent basis after losing key players week after week. The Connecticut Whale (21-17-2-5) were able to come back into the game after dropping 3-0 but a late goal in the second period continued by a great start to the final frame led the ‘Dogs to a 7-3 victory at the XL Center.  It was also the second consecutive game in which the Bulldogs have scored 7 goals in a game. With the win, the Bulldogs are on a 4-game win streak which is the second longest streak of the season.  

The Hamilton Bulldogs (24-13-1-4) dominated the lowly Rochester Americans (17-22-2-2) on Tuesday night by the score of 7-0. Seven different scorers got on the score sheet while Curtis Sanford picked up his second shut-out in as many starts for a total of four for the season.

With no Desharnais to count on, the players looked around in the dressing room in search of a new leader. After a disappointing start to the new year with their top scorers no longer available, coach Randy Cunneyworth had to squeeze out every ounce of energy and work from each individual wearing the Bulldogs jersey. It wasn’t going to be an easy road from now on in; unfortunately week 13 was one of those weeks. This week they continued yet another road trip, playing their final three games of a 4-game road trip.

The Hamilton Bulldogs (21-13-1-4) ran into a hot Milwaukee Admirals (23-11-2-4) who have won the last 7 of 10 games and also continued their win-streak to four games. J.T. Wyman had his second consecutive 2-goal game this weekend but it wasn’t enough as the ‘Dogs lose 3-2.

The year 2010 had been an excellent year for the Hamilton Bulldogs, excluding the playoff exit in the Conference Finals. Last season before the start of the year 2010 they were 22-9-2-3 for 49 points in 36 games played while this season through 35 games played the ‘Dogs have a record of 20-10-1-4 good for 45 points, just four points shy of the previous one with one less game played. With all the changes to the roster and injuries Hamilton has gone through this year, they have exceeded all expectations.

The Hamilton Bulldogs continued to struggle to put up consecutive victories as they capped off week #11 with two games. The ‘Dogs closed off their 5-game road trip before returning back home. They faced off against the Houston Aeros prior to their short Christmas break and then a Boxing Day match-up against their Provincial Rivals, the Toronto Marlies.