By Travis Kondratuk
www.moosehockey.com
Hamilton battled back from a 2-0 third period deficit to win 3-2 in OT and move on to the Western Conference Final. Despite outshooting Hamilton 42-25, Manitoba could not finish off the visiting Bulldogs thanks to 40 saves by Carey Price. Eric Manlow was the hero of the day for Hamilton as he scored both the game-tying goal and then potted the game-winner to finish off Manitoba at 5:31 of overtime. Although Manitoba had home-ice advantage for the series they failed to win a single game at home in the North Final. Hamilton now moves on to face the Chicago Wolves in the next round.
>> Click to view photos of tonight's game.
>> Click here to see official scorer's sheet
First Period
The Moose wasted no time jumping out to the early lead, as Brad Moran buried his fifth of the post-season to put the home side up 1-0. Prestin Ryan fired the puck behind the Bulldogs net where Jason Jaffray picked it up. Jaffray then turned around and fed the puck out front to Brad Moran who was left all alone at the top of the crease where he one-timed it home.
Nathan Smith took the first penalty of the game when he was called for hooking at 1:53. Mikhail Grabovski fanned on not-one-but-two cross-ice one-timers at the left face-off circle. The Moose were able to limit their chances from there and killed off the remainder of the minor.
Shaun Heshka took penalty #2 for the Moose, a holding infraction at 5:59. Once again the Moose were able to kill off the man-advantage for the Bulldogs, leaving them 0-for-2.
Then the Bulldogs took their first penalty of the game as the team was assessed a bench minor for too many men. Mikhail Grabovski served the penalty for Hamilton.
The Moose had steady pressure in the Bulldogs zone but failed to score.
As the period wore on the Moose started to turn up the pressure, peppering Carey Price with point shots. However the young goaltender looked sharp as he smothered them all.
Nathan Smith came close to extending the Moose lead as the puck came to him at the right post. Smith had a wide open net as Price lost sight of the puck, but Smith's shot went off the defender's skate and into the corner.
Andrew Archer took an interference penalty at 17:39 as the line of Brandon Reid, Mason Raymond and Mike Keane were all over the Bulldogs in their end.
The Moose did a good job of working the puck around in the Hamilton zone, but once again they failed to beat Price with the man-advantage.
The period came to an end with the Moose holding the one goal lead and a 13-4 advantage in shots.
Second Period
The Bulldogs got into penalty trouble early in the period when first Danny Groulx took an interference penalty and then just 0:13 later, Andre Benoit was called for hooking to give the Moose a 5-on-3.
This time Manitoba would make them pay, as Brandon Reid notched his second goal of the series to extend the lead to 2-0. Nathan Smith did a great job of saving the puck from leaving the zone at the blueline and then skated it deep into the Bulldogs zone. There, he turned and fed Reid who was playing the point on the powerplay, where he stopped it and then blasted the shot high over the glove of Price at 4:07 of period two.
Hamilton killed off the remainder of the man-advantage and then came ever-so-close to getting on the board themselves as Mikhail Grabovski fed Matt D'Agostini out front, but Wade Flaherty came up with a huge glove save to rob him point blank.
Max Fortunus was called for hooking at 10:11 of the period to give the Bulldogs their third powerplay chance.
Mathieu Biron blew a tire as he skated the puck out of his own zone which allowed Mike Brown to pick up the puck shorthanded in the Bulldogs end. Biron got back where he proceeded to mug Brown in the corner. Biron was given 2:00 for hooking on the play.
However skating 4-on-4 Brandon Reid put the Dogs right back on the powerplay as he was called for holding at 11:37 to give Hamilton a brief 4-on-3 advantage.
with Flaherty down-and-out, Jonathan Ferland missed a wide open cage before the period ended as he fired the puck off the outside of the post under pressure from the defence.
After dominating the first 15:00 of the period Manitoba had to hang on in the last 5:00 as the Bulldogs tried to find a way to get back in the game.
The period came to an end with the Moose hanging on to their 2-0 lead outshooting the visitors 28-16 through 40:00. The Moose have yet to lose when leading after two periods in these playoffs, going a perfect 5-0.
Third Period
The Moose clamped down defensively in the first half of the period as the Bulldogs forced the play in Manitoba's end.
Then J.J. Hunter got his stick up on Mikhail Grabovski at centre ice, earning a trip to the penalty box.
Hamilton would claw back into the game as Corey Locke blasted a point shot that went off the post - off Wade Flaherty - and in, cutting the Moose lead to one goal. Dan Jancevski and Andre Benoit assisted on the powerplay marker at 11:11 to cut the Moose lead to one goal.
Then the Bulldogs battled all the way back as Eric Manlow pounced on a loose puck in the slot and fired it into top of the net as Flaherty sprawled to try and make the save. Michael Lambert fired the initial point shot that bounced out to Manlow. The game-tying goal came at 13:58 of the third period.
Manitoba got two late powerplay opportunities in the period but could not pot the game-winner as Hamilton did an amazing job of frustrating the Moose powerplay by getting in the shooting lanes and blocking shot-after-shot.
Period three would end with the teams tied at two goals apiece, as overtime would be required in the North Division Final for the first time. Manitoba led 39-22 after regulation in shots.
Overtime
The Moose had the first good scoring chance in OT as Prestin Ryan fired a shot from the point. Carey Price bobbled the shot initially as Mike Keane was waiting for the rebound to fall in the crease, but Price swiped it out of the air to make the save.
Jannik Hansen took a hooking penalty at 3:25 to give the Bulldogs a glorious chance to end the series.
Nathan Smith had a nice chance shorthanded as he used the defender as a screen firing a shot high on Carey Price who just got his glove on it.
Eric Manlow would end Manitoba's season as he buried a wrist shot through the legs of Wade Flaherty from the high slot at 5:31 of overtime. The building fell completely silent as all you could hear was the jubilation of the Hamilton bench as they poured onto the MTS Centre ice. Andrew Archer and Ryan O'Byrne assisted on the series ending goal.
Moose scratches: Alex Edler, Daniel Rahimi, Nathan McIver, Marc Chouinard, Michael Grabner, Jesse Schultz, Tyler Bouck, Patrick Coulombe
Bulldogs scratches: Philip Sauve, Jon Gleed, Troy Bodie, Jean-Philippe Cote, Sergei Kostitsyn, Andrei Kostitsyn, Francis Lemieux, Mathieu Carle
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| SCORING |
1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| Hamilton |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
| Manitoba |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
May 14, 2007 - MTS Centre FIRST PERIOD:1. Manitoba, B. Moran (5) (J. Jaffray, P. Ryan) 1:38 Penalties - N. Smith Mtb (hooking) 1:53, S. Heshka Mtb (holding) 5:59, Served by M. Grabovski Ham (bench minor - too many men) 7:45, A. Archer Ham (interference) 17:39 SECOND PERIOD:2. Manitoba, B. Reid (2) (N. Smith, J. Jaffray) 4:07 PP Penalties - D. Groulx Ham (interference) 2:35, A. Benoit Ham (hooking) 2:48, M. Fortunus Mtb (hooking) 10:11, M. Biron Ham (hooking) 11:13, B. Reid Mtb (holding the stick) 11:37 THIRD PERIOD:3. Hamilton, C. Locke (7) (D. Jancevski, A. Benoit) 11:11 PP 4. Hamilton, E. Manlow (3) (M. Lambert) 13:58 Penalties - J. Hunter Mtb (high-sticking) 10:01, R. O'Byrne Ham (elbowing) 14:44, M. Grabovski Ham (hooking) 16:54 OT PERIOD:5. Hamilton, E. Manlow (4) (A. Archer, R. O'Byrne) 5:31 Penalties - J. Hansen Mtb (hooking) 3:25
| SHOTS |
1 |
2 |
3 |
OT |
T |
| Hamilton |
4 |
12 |
6 |
3 |
25 |
| Manitoba |
13 |
15 |
11 |
3 |
42 |
POWER PLAYS:Hamilton Bulldogs 1-6. Manitoba Moose 1-6. GOALTENDERS:Hamilton Bulldogs Price 15-6-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 65:31 SV: 40 GA: 2 [W] Manitoba Moose Flaherty 2-1-0 Start: 1st 0:00 Min: 65:31 SV: 22 GA: 3 [L]
Attendance:
6055
- HAM - #7 Eric Manlow
- MTB - #10 Brandon Reid
- HAM - #29 Carey Price
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Updated: May. 14, 2007 at 10:43 PM CDT
