HAMILTON, ONTARIO. Friday night presented both a tremendous opportunity and challenge for the Hamilton Bulldogs, trailing the Windsor Spitfires 2-1 in the OHL Finals and playing at a sold out WFCU Centre, Hamilton needed to come out with their best effort of the series while bolstered by the return of OHL Most Outstanding defensemen Nathan Staios.
The Bulldogs got the exact start they were looking for, with Mason McTavish joining Avery Hayes and Logan Morrison for the game opening shift, the tremendously talented centre drew a power-play just seconds in. With the Bulldogs buzzing the Windsor goal, it was Logan Morrison who struck for his 15th of the playoffs as Arber Xhekaj got the puck to the bumper position for Jan Mysak in turn rolling the puck to Morrison at the side of the goal to give Hamilton the 1-0 lead at 2:20. Marco Costantini then took over the period, as the Bulldogs were flagged for 3 minor penalties, killing off all 3 with Costantini stopping a left-wing break from Cuylle and brilliant back door play to Michael Renwick keeping the Bulldogs up 1-0 through 20 minutes.
The Spitfires mounted a comeback in the middle frame, assisted by a full 2-minute 5-on-3 that the Bulldogs were able to kill off, the Spitfires capitalized on a short spurt of zone time shortly after. Jacob Mailet’s initial opportunity wouldn’t find the net but Josh Currie on the second chance at an open net side knotted the game 1-1 at 5:29 of the second period. Will Cuylle with an excellent individual effort staked the Spits to a 2-1 lead at 12:41 curling off the bottom of the right circle and lifting a shot that rolled through Costantini’s arm and in. Mathias Onuska matched his counterpart’s work from the first period, stopping both Mason McTavish and Jan Mysak on breakaway opportunities to keep Windsor ahead. Despite a heavy advantage 5-on-5 in scoring chances and shots, 27-15, and killing 6 Windsor power-plays the Bulldogs headed down the tunnel through 40 minutes down 2-1 but with a touch of momentum from a spirited Ryan Humphrey/Nathan Ribeau bout.
The Bulldogs fed off the earned momentum, owning the final period, continuously storming Mathias Onuska’s goal and earning what they believed was the game tying goal through Ryan Humphrey after Gavin White had been shoved into the Windsor netminder only for the play to be ruled no goal after a lengthy review, defying the replays shown. Hamilton did find the tying goal at 18:03 as Nathan Staios wrote a brilliant script for his return to the lineup, firing a shot from the middle of the line that got through Onuska and into the back of the Windsor goal tying the game 2-2 and sending us to overtime for the second time in the OHL Finals.
After a Bulldogs power-play early in overtime was unsuccessful in finding a decisive goal, the next group on the ice would prove decisive. After George Diaco ran the puck to the left point, Gavin White fired a shot to the Windsor goal that may have deflected off Jan Mysak and past Mathias Onuska to give Hamilton a stunning 3-2 overtime comeback victory.
The Hamilton Bulldogs return to FirstOntario Centre to host Game 5 of the OHL Finals on Sunday afternoon at 2:00pm with a chance to take a 3-2 series lead.
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