HabsWorld.net --
The Habs may be locked out but that doesn’t
stop the HW Recap for returning for its eighth year. While the lockout is
ongoing, the focus will shift to the Hamilton Bulldogs, a team that split a
home-and-home with the Marlies this past week. The Habs’ ECHL affiliate,
the Wheeling Nailers, did not have a good week as they are winless in four games
now. Plus, my Final Thought looks at what the expectations should be for
the Bulldogs this season.
The Dog |
The Bulldogs followed up a solid win in Grand
Rapids with a win in their home opener but couldn’t get anything going the
following night in Toronto.
News and |
– Is it too early to say, "Here we go again"
when it comes to injuries? Starting netminder Cedrick Desjardins is out
for a couple more weeks while Louis Leblanc suffered a right ankle injury on
Saturday night. Morgan Ellis and Joonas Nattinen were also not 100% to
kick off the season.
– Alexander Avtsin and Alain Berger, both
regulars last season, have been healthy scratches in all three games so far this
season.
– Line combos from the most recent game:
Forwards:
Quailer-Geoffrion-Gallagher
Palushaj-Bournival-Holland
Blunden-Boyce-Leblanc
Hagel-Dumont-Stortini
Defence:
Tinordi-Pateryn
Beaulieu-St. Denis
Corbin-Nash
Results: |
October 19:
Hamilton 4, Toronto 1
October 20:
Toronto 5, Hamilton 0
StatPack: |
It was the ‘young veterans’ who
carried the offence for the most part this week.
SKATERS |
# |
Player |
GP |
G |
A |
+/- |
SH |
PIMS |
2 | Greg Pateryn | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 4 | 0 |
3 | Antoine Corbin | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 4 | 2 |
4 | Brendon Nash | 2 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | 6 |
5 | Jarred Tinordi | 2 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 1 | 0 |
8 | Nathan Beaulieu | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 3 | 2 |
12 | Zack Stortini | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 2 |
13 | Steve Quailer | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 2 |
14 | Michael Blunden | 2 | 0 | 1 | E | 3 | 13 |
15 | Kyle Hagel | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 1 | 5 |
17 | Brendan Gallagher | 2 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 6 | 2 |
18 | Michael Bournival | 2 | 0 | 0 | E | 2 | 2 |
20 | Louis Leblanc | 2 | 2 | 0 | +1 | 8 | 9 |
28 | Aaron Palushaj | 2 | 1 | 1 | E | 8 | 2 |
32 | Frederic St-Denis | 2 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 2 | 2 |
37 | Patrick Holland | 2 | 1 | 1 | -1 | 4 | 0 |
40 | Gabriel Dumont | 2 | 0 | 1 | E | 5 | 7 |
47 | Darryl Boyce | 2 | 0 | 2 | E | 1 | 0 |
57 | Blake Geoffrion | 2 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 7 | 0 |
GOALIES |
# |
Player |
Record |
SV% |
GAA |
29 | Robert Mayer | 1-1-0 | .913 | 3.42 |
39 | Peter Delmas | 0-0-0 | .889 | 2.42 |
Scoring |
Goals: Palushaj/Leblanc
(2)
Assists: Darryl Boyce (2)
Points: Aaron Palushaj (3)
+/-: Brendon Nash (+2)
PIMS: Michael Blunden (13)
Shots: Aaron Palushaj (15)
Schedule: |
October 23:
Hamilton vs Rochester
October 26: Toronto vs Hamilton
October 28: Abbotsford vs Hamilton
The |
It was not a good week to say the least for the
Nailers as they managed a whopping two goals in three straight losses. In
fact, they have just four goals on the season in as many games. Rather
than track the stats for all of the players, just those who are under contract
to Montreal or Hamilton will be covered here.
# |
Player |
GP |
G |
A |
+/- |
SH |
PIMS |
3 | Stefan Chaput | 3 | 0 | 0 | E | 15 | 2 |
20 | Joe Stejskal | 3 | 0 | 0 | -3 | 4 | 0 |
21 | Ian Schultz | 3 | 0 | 0 | E | 6 | 5 |
25 | Phillipe Lefebvre | 3 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 6 | 4 |
27 | Daultan Leveille | 3 | 0 | 0 | E | 3 | 0 |
– Chaput is the team leader in shots with 18 on
the season.
Schedule: |
October 26: Reading vs
Wheeling
October 27: Reading vs Wheeling
Final |
The Bulldogs’ home-and-home this past week I
think will stand for a good microcosm of what’s to come this year. Without
a lot of proven scoring depth, I believe they will need to be opportunistic
above all else to win, especially early on in the year as the rookies find their
bearings. On Friday night, they withstood early pressure and then
capitalized on their chances. The next night, in a game that wasn’t all
that one sided despite what the score would tell you, they whiffed on numerous
chances which really killed them. Hamilton doesn’t look like they’re going
to be a team that is going to dominate the play and out chance their opponents
on a game-to-game basis. As a result they will need to be structurally
sound which is something they are a far away away from being. There are
always highs and lows in a season but with a core as young as this group, I
think we’re in for even more than usual. It’s going to make for quite the
interesting ride.
If you have any questions/comments, please feel
free to drop me a line at [email protected].