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Post by Stripe on Apr 22, 2009 14:30:51 GMT -5
As if we didn't have enough forwards riding the pine. I fully expect to see Charleston, Torquato, and maybe Raedeke cut loose at some point in the near future as they are unlikely to play in post-season. Axelsson should be ready to go anytime from a "slight groin pull" further adding to the glut.
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Post by Stripe on Apr 22, 2009 8:57:22 GMT -5
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Post by Stripe on Apr 22, 2009 8:52:16 GMT -5
Just from other posts, I think the criticism of Howard is unjust. Heyfolks, I criticised Howard and the defensive effort in front of him. I gave credit where credit was due in recognizing that Jimmy made some super stops, but the truth is he was not at the top of his game all night. A few of the goals he gave up, he probably should have had. That is one of the differences between watching the game live and getting the information from a different source. The numbers don't tell the whole story, and neither do the highlights. The defense did not make his job easier, but we have seen him be sharper than he was. He played very well in spurts, but much more is expected of him if he is to make the move to the NHL. Every year a player is in the organization, the bar is raised on expectations, and as I have often said with Howard, he has not consistently met those expectations. Having said that, I fully expect him to rebound with a solid 60 minute effort tonight to help his team win Game 4 and take a 3-1 lead on the series.
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Post by Stripe on Apr 20, 2009 22:33:12 GMT -5
Bulldogs Back In Series With 5-4 Win Griffins defensive gaffes give away game... By Jason Kasiorek www.griffinscentral.comThe Griffins fell back to their old ways upon returning to the friendly confines of the Van Andel arena. A poor defensive outing and a shaky start by Jimmy Howard sunk the Griffins despite getting 4 goals from the offense in a 5-4 loss in Game three of their first round series against the Hamilton Bulldogs. Grand Rapids got goals from Darren McCarty, Ville Leino, Justin Abdelkader, and rookie Brian Lashoff in the loss. Abdelkader (1 goal), Haydar (3 assists) and Leino (1g + 1a) are tied for 1st in AHL playoff scoring with 6 points each. Jimmy Howard, who was strong in the first two games of the post-season gave up 5 goals on 26 shots, and couldn't seem to close the door in game three. Grand Rapids defense was stifling right from the start of the period. Hamilton was very frustrated trying to get chances as the Griffins broke up several good chances including one where Galvin, in the crease, deflected a sure goal away. Lots of hitting early with GR finishing checks all over the place. Halfway through the period Hamilton ended up with a 5 on 3 powerplay. Just after the first griffins player exited the box, Lehoux chipped the puck over Howard from the circle to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Downey was really hustling in the first, drawing a penalty as he kept his feet moving. He tried to drop the gloves with Henry who skated away. Then off the next faceoff, Flinn knocked Downey down and tried to instigate a fight but Aaron skated away. Leino was blindsided by Russell setting off a big scrum with several players trying to get at each other. Abdelkader crosschecked Chipchura in the face and tried to fight him. Hamilton slowly took over the second half of the period until McCarty evened the score late in the period. McCarty came out of the box and smoked a Bulldogs player in the corner, stripping him of the puck. The veteran winger then went to the front of the net where he was hit with a Darren Haydar pass that he roofed over Denis with 25 seconds left in the period. Shots on Goal: GR 8 - Ham 10. The Bulldogs took the lead again early in the first when a defensive breakdown led to Chipchura shooting the puck around Howard (who was way out of the net) for a goal. Less than two minutes later, Maxwell walked around Galvin and in on Howard who gave up a weak goal to make it 3-1. Leino had a great chance, pulling off a spin-o-rama that just went wide. Rookie Brian Lashoff cut the lead to one just past the eight minute mark when he was the late man on the power play, drifting in and rifling a shot past Denis. The Griffins had some unbelievable pressure and chances on the powerplay late in the period. Lashoff and Stafford did a great job keeping the puck in play while on the cycle. Gagnon tried to pick the puck out from under Denis, touching off another scrum. The period ended with a huge sprawling save by Howard. Shots on Goal: GR 9 - Ham 11. Abdelkader stickhandled through the entire Hamilton team to get a good scoring chance. Kolosov fired a rocket from the line that probably looked more dangerous than it was. Anderson let a shot go from the line that was partially screened by a diving Emmerton. The puck was redirected by Russell to restore the 2 goal lead for another shaky goal. Leino pulled the Griffins to within one, tipping a Lashoff point blast past Denis for a powerplay goal. Galvin turned over the puck at the line for another Bulldogs breakaway that got by Howard to make it 5-3. Off the next faceoff Haydar took a shot that Abdelkader buried to make it 5-4. Howard was pulled for the extra skater with 1:08 on the clock, but it was too little too late. Shots on Goal: GR 14 - Ham 5. For the Game: GR 31 - Ham 26. Lines: Leino - Abdelkader - Haydar Ritola - #26 Andersson - McCarty Lemieux - Pare - Tardif Emmerton - Gagnon - Downey Pairings: Kindl - Galvin Kolosov - Jozsa Lashoff - Stafford Starter: Howard Backup: Larsson Scratches: Oulahen - Hip McGrath - Shoulder Axelsson Raedeke Torquato Charleston Pyett Peterson Pearce PP: Leino - Abdelkader - Haydar Lashoff - Stafford Ritola - Andersson - McCarty Kindl - Stafford PK: Ritola - Andersson Kindl - Galvin Emmerton/Leino - Gagnon - Leino Kolosov - Stafford Abdelkader - Haydar Observations: A few notes from a very intense playoff game. The Griffins had a hard time keeping their intensity/energy level up for the whole game. They were absolutley dominant at times, and then seemed to peter out. Blueliner Tom Galvin had a rough night, turning over the puck twice in his own end and then watching them end up behind Howard. Speaking of Jimmy, he didn't turn in a stellar performance tonight. He made some super stops, but also gave up a couple of softies, and could not seem to close the door. Abdelkader was ramped up for the game and really stood out for his physical play. He may have been the best Griffin on the ice. I was also impressed by the play of Joakim Andersson who looks like a gamer. He was not afraid to get his nose dirty to get the puck, and balnced out his physical play with some good speed and puck handling. Lashoff had a strong game along with partner Garrett Stafford who in my opinion played his best game as a Griffin. Lashoff needs to add some size and get his shot off faster, but he looked good on the powerplay. McCarty may not have the speed or stamina he once had, but he gets by with good positioning and is still dangerous. Kolosov had a good game and showed a little bit of an edge to go with his size. He moved the puck well, and won some big battles in the corner and along the boards. Frankie Pare did not have much in the way of dangerous scoring chances, but was a dogged and relentless forechecker, creating havoc with Frankie Lemieux. Cory Emmerton was underpowered and didn't have much of an impact all night. I didn't get a chance to catch up with him, but I sat a few seats away from Dick Axelsson, and he had no cast on his fingers/hands and seemed to be having no difficulty using his fingers on the phone, adding to the mystery of his absence from the lineup. Official Game Sheet
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Post by Stripe on Apr 19, 2009 7:52:48 GMT -5
Summary from Hamilton: HAMILTON 1 GRAND RAPIDS 3 BULLDOGS FALL SHORT IN 3-1 LOSS TO GRIFFINS Saturday, April 18th, 2009 Hamilton, ON – The Hamilton Bulldogs were defeated by the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-1 on Saturday night in front of 2,296 fans at Copps Coliseum. Justin Abdelkader had two goals and an assist in a second star performance for Grand Rapids as the Griffins took a 2-0 series lead. Neither team could get on the scoreboard in the first period as the Griffins fired 15 shots on Hamilton starting goaltender Marc Denis while the Bulldogs sent seven shots on Grand Rapids starting goaltender Jimmy Howard. Hamilton scored the first goal of the game at 3:39 of the middle frame. Ryan White grabbed the loose puck following a faceoff before releasing a shot from the right faceoff dot. The puck sailed over the shoulder of Howard to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. The Griffins tied the game 1-1 at 5:39 of the final frame. While on the power play, Daren Haydar fed a pass to Ville Leino who was positioned in front of Denis. Leino stopped the puck with his backhand before banging the puck past Denis with a forehand shot. Abdelkader gave Grand Rapids a 2-1 lead at 8:50. A Bulldogs defenceman was shoved into Denis knocking the goaltender over. Abdelkader grabbed the loose puck and flicked it into the open net. Abdelkader scored his second goal at 19:54 when he shot the puck into the empty net after the Bulldogs pulled Marc Denis in favour of an extra skater. The Bulldogs travel to Grand Rapids to battle the Griffins in Game 3 of their first-round series on Monday, April 20th for a 7:00 p.m. game. All home playoff games can be seen on Cable 14. Fans can listen to every ‘Dogs game on the flagship station of the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Network, TALK 820. Fans can also listen or watch at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com by clicking on the ‘AHL Live’ or ‘TALK 820’ icons on the Bulldogs website. All post-season radio and online broadcasts will begin with a pre-game show 30 minutes prior to each scheduled game-time. Hamilton Bulldogs tickets for the American Hockey League's 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs are on sale now! Purchase your tickets at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, any Ticketmaster Outlet, online at ticketmaster.ca, or through charge-by-phone at 905-527-7666. Scoring Summary: 1st Period: No scoring 2nd Period: 1. HAM – Ryan White - 1 (Unassisted) – 3:39 3rd Period: 2. GR – Ville Leino – 1 (Darren Haydar, Justin Abdelkader) – 5:39 PP 3. GR – Justin Abdelkader – 2 (Ville Leino, Darren Haydar) – 8:50 4. GR – Justin Abdelkader – 3 (Unassisted) – 19:54 EN Scoring: Hamilton: 0-1-0—1 Grand Rapids: 0-0-3—3 Shots: Hamilton: 7-12-4—23 Grand Rapids: 15-5-9—29 Goaltending: Hamilton: Marc Denis (28 shots, 26 saves) Grand Rapids: Jimmy Howard (23 shots, 22 saves) Power Play: Hamilton: 0-for-5 Grand Rapids: 1-for-4 Attendance: 2,296 Three Stars: 1. GR – Ville Leino (1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 4 shots) 2. GR – Justin Abdelkader (2 goal, 1 assist, +2, 8 shots) 3. HAM – Ryan White (1 goal, +1, 2 shots)
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Post by Stripe on Apr 18, 2009 20:27:47 GMT -5
What a comeback by the Griffins to win the game in third. The line of Abdelkader, Leino and Haydar was red hot, but McCarty's line sounded like it was doing a great job defensively. Up 2-0 in the series coming home for three in a row in GR is good position. stats.theahl.com/stats/official-game-report.php?game_id=1005960
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Post by Stripe on Apr 18, 2009 18:03:18 GMT -5
Outoftowner,
Thanks for the birds eye view report, it always helps to have someone see what is going on vs the radio reports. I just wanted to point out that Ritola and Emmerton are still both nursing injuries and are trying to play through them, Ritola especially may be playing on the outside trying to protect his shoulder.
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Post by Stripe on Apr 18, 2009 8:08:55 GMT -5
From the Hamilton Press Release: HAMILTON 3 GRAND RAPIDS 4 BULLDOGS DROP GAME ONE 4-3 TO GRIFFINS Friday, April 17th, 2009 Hamilton, ON – The Hamilton Bulldogs were defeated by the Grand Rapids Griffins 4-3 on Friday night in front of 2,830 fans at Copps Coliseum. Darren McCarty had a goal and an assist to give the Griffins a 1-0 series lead over the Bulldogs. Grand Rapids opened the game’s scoring at 5:01 of the first period. Mattias Ritola fired a shot towards the net. McCarty deflected the puck past Hamilton starting goaltender Marc Denis. The Bulldogs tied the game 1-1 at 5:59 of the opening stanza. Kyle Chipchura skated into the Griffins’ zone on a 3-on-2 alongside Ryan Russell and J.T. Wyman. Chipchura received a pass from Russell before sending the puck to Wyman. Wyman blasted a shot that beat Grand Rapids starting goaltender Jimmy Howard. The Griffins regained their lead at 6:50 of the first frame. McCarty grabbed a loose puck that was turned over by a Hamilton defenceman. McCarty fired a shot that was saved by Denis. The rebound bounced onto the stick of Joakim Andersson, who one-timed the puck into the net. At 9:47 of the opening stanza Shawn Belle scored to tie the game 2-2. Brock Trotter fed a pass to David Desharnais but the puck bounced off Desharnais’ skate and slid to the blue line. Shawn Belle proceeded to hammer a slapshot from the point that sailed past Howard and into the back of the net. 19 seconds into the third stanza Grand Rapids took a 3-2 lead. Ville Leino skated behind Hamilton’s net before sending a pass to Justin Abdelkader who was stationed in front of the net. Abdelkader fired a one-time shot past Denis. Tom Galvin also earned an assist on the goal. The Griffins took a 4-2 lead at 13:06. Abdelkader skated down the left side before releasing a shot towards the net. Darren Haydar tipped the shot out of mid-air and past Denis. The Bulldogs cut the lead to one goal at 18:08. Dan Jancevski blasted a shot towards the net that was deflected by Desharnais. The puck trickled past Howard and over the goal line. Mike Glumac also earned an assist on the goal. The Bulldogs host Game 2 of their first round series against Grand Rapids tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. at Copps Coliseum. All home playoff games can be seen on Cable 14. Fans can listen to every ‘Dogs game on the flagship station of the Hamilton Bulldogs Hockey Network, TALK 820. Fans can also listen or watch at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com by clicking on the ‘AHL Live’ or ‘TALK 820’ icons on the Bulldogs website. All post-season radio and online broadcasts will begin with a pre-game show 30 minutes prior to each scheduled game-time. Hamilton Bulldogs tickets for the American Hockey League's 2009 Calder Cup Playoffs are on sale now! Purchase your tickets at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, any Ticketmaster Outlet, online at ticketmaster.ca, or through charge-by-phone at 905-527-7666. Scoring Summary: 1st Period: 1. GR – Darren McCarty – 1 (Mattias Ritola) – 5:01 2. HAM – J.T. Wyman – 1 (Kyle Chipchura, Ryan Russell) – 5:59 3. GR – Joakim Andersson – 1 (Darren McCarty) – 6:50 4. HAM – Shawn Belle – 1 (David Desharnais, Brock Trotter) – 9:47 2nd Period: No scoring 3rd Period: 5. GR – Justin Abdelkader – 1 (Ville Leino, Tom Galvin) – 0:19 6. GR – Darren Haydar – 1 (Justin Abdelkader, Ville Leino) – 13:06 7. HAM – David Desharnais – 1 (Dan Jancevski, Mike Glumac) – 18:08 Scoring: Hamilton: 2-0-1--3 Grand Rapids: 2-0-2—4 Shots: Hamilton: 10-10-6—26 Grand Rapids: 13-14-8—35 Goaltending: Hamilton: Marc Denis (35 shots, 31 saves) Grand Rapids: Jimmy Howard (26 shots, 23 saves) Power Play: Hamilton: 0-for-2 Grand Rapids: 0-for-2 Attendance: 2,830 Three Stars: 1. GR – Darren McCarty (1 goal, 1 assist, 6 shots) 2. GR – Justin Abdelkader (1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 4 shots) 3. HAM – Shawn Belle (1 goal, 1 shot) Flamboro Downs Workhorse: J.T. Wyman
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Post by Stripe on Apr 18, 2009 7:53:03 GMT -5
Axelsson returned from the broken finger to play the last couple of games in the SEL finals, so it has either gotten worse or there are other concerns.
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Post by Stripe on Apr 17, 2009 21:02:29 GMT -5
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Post by Stripe on Apr 15, 2009 10:00:09 GMT -5
The Grand Rapids Griffins today announced the signing of LW Dick Axelsson to an ATO. This is great news as he is a tremendously gifted prospect and should help to make up for some of the Griffins losses up front. Dick Axelsson www.griffinscentral.com/players/daxelsson.html
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Post by Stripe on Apr 13, 2009 15:57:01 GMT -5
As expected, Helm was recalled by Detroit.
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Post by Stripe on Apr 11, 2009 11:03:28 GMT -5
I talked to Ryan last night and he was getting around pretty good. He said his dislocation was expected to heal quickly and he would be ready to go before next season. Too bad he can't come back sooner, they do miss him.
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Post by Stripe on Apr 10, 2009 9:48:32 GMT -5
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Post by Stripe on Apr 6, 2009 14:02:07 GMT -5
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