HAMILTON, Ontario- The Manitoba Moose and the top seeded Hamilton Bulldogs opened their second round playoff series at Copps Colliseum. The Moose who were riding a three game winning streak coming into tonight’s game were looking for their good fortune to continue. The Bulldogs on the other half were coming off an easy first round series win and were well rested for game one. The Hamilton Bulldogs and the Manitoba Moose have a storied history when it comes to the American Hockey League just four years ago the Hamilton Bulldogs railroaded the Moose out of the Calder Cup playoffs only to go on and win the Calder Cup that very same 2007 season with the help of rookie goaltender Carey Price (Montreal). The Moose could only hope for sweet revenge. As action started the Moose looked tired from a recent series win and road trip to Hamilton from Ohio, the Bull dogs seemed to be very relaxed and very laid back on their approach to the game being on home ice and all. The action started quick with Alexandre Bolduc who ripped a blistering shot from the Bulldogs high slot and blasted it passed stunned Bulldogs young tender Drew McIntyre at 5:10 of the first period. Bolduc was the hero for the Moose in game seven against the Monsters and got in a groove early. But the Hamilton Bulldogs who hold a 4-2-2 season record against the Moose are alays cool under pressure, and today would be no different. Andreas Enqvist was streaking into the Moose zonr and fed the puck to Ryan Russell who blasted into the Moose net at 9:27 of the first period. When the horn blow at the end of the first period the game was tied but the Bulldogs held an advantage in shots 15-11. The second started and it was to date Manitoba’s worst period for penalties as they drew five penalties, four minors and one major for high sticking on Garth Murray. Aaron Palushaj who had a ton of shot on the Bulldogs first power play was turned away but Eddie Lack as it seemed that Lack would have Palushaj’s number all night. But with Murray in the box for high sticking Hamilton’s first line was not going to be stone walled all night as they put together a great play on their power play of the period. The power play unit goal scoring included Mathieu Carle who wired a puck to the stick of Palushaj who finally beat Eddie Lack to take the Bulldogs first goal of the game. The Moose and their penalties led to a third goal of the goal when they got a penalty at 16:16 of the second period. Nigel Dawes a Winnipeg native who was picked up from the Atlanta Thrashers system that included Brent Sopel going to Montreal in he same deal, was able to connect on a passing play with big Dustin Boyd who got the final shot to Dawes who redirected the puck past Lack for his amazing sixth goal of the playoffs. With Dawes goal the Bulldogs were an amazing 2 for 5 on the power play and gave the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead. Bulldogs Captain Alex Henry was given a two minute penalty for high sticking and the Moose were given a chance on the powerplay. At 18:59 of the second period special teams for Hamilton Dustion Boyd & J.T Wyman helped on the penalty kill by combining for a great shorthanded goal. The second period expired and the Bulldogs found themselves in a great spot up by three goals, all four Hamilton goals unanswered. The Moose on the other hand only had four shots on net in the second period. The third period started with the Moose in the hole and very frustrated, and it showed when they registered seven more penalties in the third period, the most excitement in a scoreless third period came at 11:59 of the third Guillaume Desbiens went toe to toe with big six foot six d man Alex Henry and lost, but not before both players traded punches with each other in about a twenty second bout. At the six minute mark the Moose again lost thier cool when Garth Murray drop the gloves with Ian Schultz the fight did not last long when the linesmen broke them up. The final horn went and the Bulldogs won the game 4-1 and took the all important 1-0 lead in the series. The Moose were given ten penalties in the game for a total of twenty three minutes in the box. The Moose are still playing without Cody Hodgson who enjoying his time playing with the Canucks during their playoff-run. Desbiens who fought in the third had two other minors in the third period. Moose Head Coach is going to be looking for answers before the Moose hit the ice on Sunday in Hamilton, hoping to split the series before going home.
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