Game Preview: Barrie Colts vs Hamilton Bulldogs. #OHL

Tonight, the Hamilton Bulldogs are at BMC to face the Barrie Colts for the fourth and final meeting of the 2016-17 regular season. 

Hamilton VS. Barrie this season.

Hamilton has won 2 of 3 meetings so far, this season. Over those games, Hamilton has out scored Barrie 12 to 10. The last meeting took place 20 days ago today at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton and saw the home team take the 3-2 win.

Hamilton came out the stronger team generating a few good chances before getting on the board just after the 4 minute mark on a Brandon Saigeon power play goal. The goal was late in a Christopher Cameron holding penalty. 5 minutes later the team would get back on the board with another power play goal scored by Marian Studenic. Saigeon got an assist on the goal for his 2nd goal of the night. Anthony would score shortly after to cute the Dogs lead in half at 2-1. Lucas Chiodo and Kade Landry both assisted on the goal. The 1st would end with the Dogs beating the Ponies 2-1. Hamilton heavily outshot Barrie 12-5.

The 2nd period was REALLY BORING. Hamilton out shot Barrie 7-5. There was a fight.. Some penalties.. Not much hockey though. Anthony Stefano would score his second of the night to tie the game 2-2 which is how the period would end.

Marian Studenic got his 2nd of the night and ultimately would be the game winner. Bulldogs win 3-2. Barrie was terrible in the last period only generating 4 shots on goal. Hamilton out shot them 33-14. Ruan Badenhorst had a strong night for the Colts making 30 saves. The team was able to go 1 for 4 on the power play but allowed 2 goals on 3 penalty kills.

Dogs rinse Rags.

Hamilton is coming off a 5-2 win over the Kitchener Rangers. Brandon Saigeon cored first to give Hamilton the 1-0 lead. Kitchener would tie things up but before the end of the period Connor Roberts would score his 5th of the year to give Hamilton the 2-1 lead to end the period.

Hamilton came out strong in the 2nd period. Production wise anyways. Shots were tied 8 to 8 in the period but Hamilton would score on 3 of them. Studenic, Strome and Bitten all scored to give the team the 5-2 lead to end the 2nd.

That is how things would end with Hamilton taking the 5-2 win to extend their win streak to 5 games.

Fronts leave Barrie behind.

Barrie was coming off a huge 6-1 win over North Bay, then Kingston would come and roll over them 5-1 2 nights later.

Roy Radke got the lone goal for the Colts. The goal was his 16th of the season and Kirill Nizhnikov got an assist.

Barrie was out shot 32 to 23. Badenhorst got the start but was pulled during the 1st intermission after allowing 3 goals on 14 shots. Christian Propp went in to relieve him and allowed a pair of goals on 18 shots.

Special teams were nothing special for the Colts. 0 for 1 on the power play and they killed off all 3 penalties.

Final thoughts.

Barrie has lost their last game and are 2-8-0-0 in their last 10 games. They are in last place still in the OHL trailing Guelph by 6 points. Hamilton is riding a 5 game win streak which they could easily extend to 6 games tonight against a struggling Colts team. Hamilton is looking for as many wins as they can get on this final stretch as they sit in 4th in the Eastern Conference. Both them and Kingston have 61 points and are fighting for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

Right now, is a good chance for the Colts to just role with their rookies. Maybe give them some opportunities they wouldn’t normally get weather it be on the power play or killing penalties. So many guys have stepped up during this struggling season for the team and they have time still to see what some of these kids can really do. You know, since the team is probably finishing in last place anyway.

I would look for Christian Propp to get the start tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:30 tonight.