By Travis Kondratuk
www.moosehockey.com
Lee Goren scored shorthanded with 0:25 left to finally get the Moose on the scoreboard, but unfortunately it was too-little-too-late as Manitoba dropped Game 1 of the North Division final 2-1 to the visiting Bulldogs.
>> Click to view photos of tonight's game.
>> Click here to see official scorer's sheet
First Period
The Bulldogs are starting Kyle Chipchura, Jonathan Ferland, and Ajay Baines at forward, while Dan Jancevski and Mathieu Biron get the start in Game 1 on defence. Carey Price will make his seventh straight start in goal for the Bulldogs in the playoffs.
J.J. Hunter, Colby Genoway, and Mike Brown get the starting assignment on forward for the Moose, while Prestin Ryan and rookie Shaun Heshka start on defence. Drew MacIntyre gets the call once again in goal for Manitoba.
Manitoba got an early chance to take control of Game 1, when the Bulldogs took back-to-back hooking minors to give the Moose a 2-man advantage. Yannick Tremblay just missed giving the homeside the opening goal, as he rang a stinging slapper off the left post. Manitoba could make little else of their opportunity as they failed to register an official shot on goal with the advantage.
Manitoba had a chance to test their penalty killing skills soon after as Nathan Smith, playing his first game in the post-season for the Moose, took a roughing penalty behind the Moose net. The Moose were able to kill off the penalty, and had the best chance shorthanded when Mike Brown picked off a pass and took off, but the Bulldogs defender caught up and made a nice play with his stick to break up the opportunity.
Shaun Heshka took the second penalty for the Moose, a hooking call at 10:24. However just seconds into the penalty kill Matt D'Agostini slashed the stick out of Prestin Ryan's hand drawing a slashing call to end the powerplay for the Dogs.
Manitoba finally earned their first shot on goal at the 12:50 mark of the period.
The game started to open up after the midway point of the period as both teams shook off the rust of a few days rest. However neither team would find the back of the net as they played to a scorless first period.
Second Period
Alex Edler and Kyle Chipchura took coincidental minor penalties when Edler interfered with the Bulldogs #17, but the Hamilton forward flopped to the ice and was called for unsportsmanlike diving, leaving the teams 4-on-4.
Just before the penalized players came back on the ice, Ajay Baines opened the scoring for the visitors. Baines picked off a pass and broke in on a clear-cut breakaway from the Moose blueline, where he roofed a shot over the blocker of Drew MacIntyre. The unassisted goal came at 6:55 of the period.
Mike Keane hit the second post of the night for the Moose as he was set up neatly in the middle of the ice by Brandon Reid.
Colby Genoway took a hooking penalty at 9:50 of the period but a minute into the powerplay, Hamilton winger Eric Manlow took an interference penalty to cut their man-advantage short.
Danny Groulx gave the Moose their fifth powerplay of the game when he was called for hooking at 13:05. However, Prestin Ryan was called for tripping to end the Manitoba powerplay.
Mikhail Grabovski, Hamilton's leading scorer against the Moose in the regular season, redirected a shot off the left post that would have given the visitors a 2-0 lead but the puck stayed out to leave Hamilton's lead at one. Manitoba was able to kill off the remainder of the penalty unscathed.
Manitoba still could not bet Price in period two as he made several good saves, but more importantly his team-mates continued to block shots from ever getting to the net. The Moose head to period three, down 1-0.
Third Period
Brad Moran came inches from tying the game when his shot rattled off the glove and trickled over the shoulder of Carey Price. Ajay Baines swooped in to save the day as he brushed the puck under his goaltender's pads before it could cross the line.
Carey Price almost made a major 'oopsy' when he came way out of his net to play the puck. Unfortunatley for him he played it right on the stick of Lee Goren who fired a shot at the open net but it was blocked by the Hamilton defence to keep the score at 1-0.
Then Mikhail Grabovski almost got away on a partial breakaway but the defensive pairing of Prestin Ryan and Dustin Wood did a nice job of stripping him of the puck just as he was gaining the Moose blueline.
The Moose put on some good pressure in the Dogs zone which led to another Hamilton penalty. Zack Stortini was the guilty party this time as he was sent to the box for tripping at the 12:00 mark.
The Moose worked the puck around nicely, getting a few good shots through on Price, who was able to make the saves. Then Brad Moran was called for holding behind the Bulldogs net, cutting the Moose man-advantage short once again.
Hamilton would take advantage on their abbreviated powerplay when Mikhail Grabovski fed a beautiful cross-ice-back-door pass to Andre Benoit who roofed the one-time effortto put the Bulldogs up 2-0 at 14:52 of period three.
Manitoba hit their third post of the game as they pressed to get a goal. Lee Goren spotted Yannick Tremblay streaking to the back post and hit him right on the tape. Unfortunately Tremblay's redirection went through Carey Price - off the opposite post - and out to leave teh Moose scoreless.
Then as Manitoba continued to apply the pressure Prestin Ryan was given a 5:00 boarding penalty and a game-misconduct at 19:03 to all but destroy the home-sides chances of getting back in the game, or so you would think.
Lee Goren finished off a nice pass from Yannick Tremblay to break the goose-egg and get the Moose on the board. Tremblat fed a pass out to Goren in the high-slot where he whistled a one-timer over the blocker shoulder of Price to break his shutout and get the Moose within a goal with 0:25 to play.
Unfortunately that was as close as the Moose would get as they dropped Game 1 of teh North Division Final to the Bulldogs.
Game 2 goes tomorrow night, a 7:30pm start at the MTS Centre.
Moose scratches: Wade Flaherty, Julien Ellis, Matt Kelly, Luc Bourdon, Daniel Rahimi, Nathan McIver, Marc Chouinard, Michael Grabner, Brendan Brooks, Tyler Bouck, Patrick Coulombe, Alexandre Bolduc
Bulldogs scratches: Philippe Sauve, Troy Bodie, Jean Philippe Cote, Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Kostitsyn, Michael Lambert
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| SCORING |
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| Hamilton |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Manitoba |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
May 5, 2007 - MTS Centre FIRST PERIOD:No Scoring Penalties - J. Ferland Ham (hooking) 3:33, K. Chipchura Ham (hooking) 4:04, N. Smith Mtb (roughing) 6:20, S. Heshka Mtb (hooking) 10:24, M. D'Agostini Ham (slashing) 10:46 SECOND PERIOD:1. Hamilton, A. Baines (2) 6:55 Penalties - K. Chipchura Ham (unsportsmanlike conduct) 4:57, A. Edler Mtb (interference) 4:57, C. Genoway Mtb (hooking) 9:50, E. Manlow Ham (interference) 10:51, D. Groulx Ham (hooking) 13:05, P. Ryan Mtb (tripping) 14:30 THIRD PERIOD:2. Hamilton, A. Benoit (1) (M. Grabovski, D. Groulx) 14:52 PP 3. Manitoba, L. Goren (2) (Y. Tremblay, J. Jaffray) 19:35 SH Penalties - Z. Stortini Ham (tripping) 12:00, B. Moran Mtb (holding) 13:40, P. Ryan Mtb (major - boarding, game misconduct - boarding 42.5) 19:03
| SHOTS |
1 |
2 |
3 |
T |
| Hamilton |
5 |
8 |
11 |
24 |
| Manitoba |
8 |
8 |
9 |
25 |
POWER PLAYS:Hamilton Bulldogs 1-6. Manitoba Moose 0-6. GOALTENDERS:Hamilton Bulldogs Price 15-6-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 60:00 SV: 24 GA: 1 [W] Manitoba Moose MacIntyre 4-6-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 59:30 SV: 22 GA: 2 [L]
Attendance:
6965
- HAM- #29 Carey Price
- MTB- #1 Drew MacIntyre
- HAM- #31 Mikhail Grabovski
- The Moose host the Bulldogs for Game 2 of the North Division Final tomorrow night at the MTS Centre before heading to Hamilton for Games 3, 4 & 5 starting Tuesday, May 8th at Copps Coliseum.
- If necessary the Moose will return home for Game 6 on Monday, May 14th - 7:30pm at the MTS Centre.
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Updated: May. 5, 2007 at 10:20 PM CDT
