miklin

8th NHL game for Dustin..................

they survived the head hunting rather well. One referee game is hard to explain. Not sure if a lot of the other officials auditioning earlier in the season didn't make the cut or what. Ironic that they have played well without Tinordi......................

-started off really oddly. The choir of college students did an absolutely horrible job on the Cdn Anthem. They changed it to sound like a funeral dirge. The end of period siren went off twice in the first period while play was on. Referee Darcy Burchell got a puck in the beak and had to leave the game with 2 1/2 minutes left in the period so the two linesmen did everything up to the end of the period. I had mentioned to Brian previously re a couple of people being let go at the Copps. The catering manager employed by Compass is back but he now has to look after the "Aud" in Kitchener as well as the Copps.

Bulldogs have signed 23 year old Jordon Southorn from Fort Wayne of the ECHL to a PTO. 6'3" 205 D man-native of Mtl-interesting spelling of Jordon. Also played in Elmira this season

-unfortunately, Marc Boria, VP of Sales and Marketing got the chop this week along with Kirk Thompson, who although not a Dogs employee, looked after the arena catering

glad you picked that up Brian re the shots

3-2 loss

well the broadcast crew is complaining about the three games in three days and travel (Montreal-Rochester-Hamilton) but didn't the Dogs organization agree to playing a home game in Montreal????? Friday could have been a home game in Hamilton. Maybe they'll think twice next season re home games in Montreal if the crowd size doesn't outweigh expenses and bus fatigue.

sorry guys but it's getting too discouraging to even post. A fellow STH mentioned in Oct that we weren't making the playoffs and I guess I should believe him. Sorry to see this organization ruin Tokarksi-now 3.00 gaa for the last five or six games. Sly has to go.........................Guess I can look forward to the Allan Cup in Dundas in April. Wish someone could ask DW to cut down on the meaningless stats while play is on

Random Thoughts: well I can't say referee Dave Lewis was against us today. We had four PP chances compared to San Antonio's one. Seemed to lose every faceoff in the visitors zone at the start of the power play. Holland's goal was just a deflection off his skate from a Marty St. Pierre shot. Really questioning what the heck is going on with Nats on the 4th line. Dietz appeared to have trouble finding the puck in his feet with the full cage. I think the San Antonio goalie (Markstrom) started the season as the #1 in Florida and seems to be working his way back up. Saw Don Lever there today scouting and asked him if he every considered coming back to coaching. Boston scouts (McNab) in the crowd too. Carriere and Dudley there again too. -ps-second period let down is becoming all too common-I believe the Dogs only had 12 shots on goal by the end of the second period. Too little too late in the third

Tokarski was really upset at the end of the game. Team mates had to restrain him from going after one of the referees. Late in the game a Dogs goal was disallowed by a quick whistle. (The usual waved call off as the referee was in the process of blowing the whistle) In OT, Dustin had the puck, was bumped and Texas scored. Dustin stayed on the ice applauding the referee until he exited via the Zamboni tunnel. One total rookie ref tonight and one with a part season under his belt. Missed offsides too as a couple of our regular linesmen like Jesse Wilmot are in Sochi. Dogs powerplay was non existant thought. Had almost a full two man for two minutes and couldn't do anything. Sorry to say Thomas still looks too small to be of any significance. Don-Texas definitely much stronger-the guys that scored tonight had 27, 17 and 22 goals I believe. Our top scorer has 12. What I find frustrating with the officiating is that the obstruction that was so closely called a few years ago is pretty well ignored. I watch Holland get cleaned out by a cross check in front of the net nowhere near the puck then seconds later our D gets an interference penalty for pinning a player against the boards

Time to get rid of Sly. And we got letters this week wanting us to renew early. Three years of crap. Centre seats have increased again. If we renew and pay in full, you get a day with Sly at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Maybe it will be someone new by then

I'd give my right nut to see Dawes and Boyd together in the Hammer again. I think they are playing with ex Dog Maxim Spirodonov in the KHL.

It's frustrating though as I've watched so many AHL games this year where the same crap is happening. Guys are getting decked in front of the net nowhere near the puck and it is simply not being called. A few years ago it was, and the league wonders why goals are down again. Kerry Fraser's statement is based on the way he was taught to officiate (The Ray Charles School of Refereeing). Honestly I only watched half of today's game as CBC's Bob Cole seems to be inventing the game as it went along and said the stupidest things-77 years old-please retire Bob. A little worried that the success of the whole organization (including the Dogs) seems to be based on riding a hot goalie

regarding Thomas-in the games I've seen him play in Hamilton, he seems to be on his keester a lot. Maybe this is a problem with so many AHL games only having one referee, thus there still seems to still be a lot of interference behind the play. Beaulieu will be great if he can learn to be a little more humble but he will disappoint by being reckless at times and getting caught out of positon

I was hearing on CHML yesterday that somehow Victor Copps name will still be enshrined in some part of the arena name. The box office was renamed the First Ontario Credit Union box office early in the fall so we could see the writing on the wall. It gets to the point of overkill-power plays and penalty kills announced as sponsored by Pepsi; the Pizza Pizza press box in the Bill Stirrup gondola. Last year a local plumber had targets in the urinals! Somehow the abbreviation of the sponsor isn't going to work, as in " I'm going to the FOC U arena". Right now, think about how many of us still call the Rogers Centre "the Skydome".

looked like a bad case of bus legs too! Chicago was fortunate to be staying in Hamilton last night and were in town at dinner time after beating Toronto. Unfortunate though that one goal went in about 1/2 second after the green light came on and a friend who sits four rows behind the goalie in 114 (we were in 125) said it appeared the disallowed high sticked goal was actually missed entirely by the player who supposedly high sticked it in. (No review though as the AHL review seems to be a downward view on the net only). He did review the second Chicago goal which appeared to be kicked in but the review was inconclusive so the goal stood. Honestly though, they were running around like the Keystone Cops and not clearing it out of our end. I think it is a little crass, maybe I'll think of a better word later, for the organization to be asking for season ticket renewals already and the price has gone up for a couple areas. The product has been so-so now for three seasons and it just seems that rather than investing in the season ticket holder base, they are going after the groups whose long term interest in the team is casual at best. The new organization has not improved things considerably and after a while folks are not impressed with shiny things like the power ring. Frustrated that Tinordi had Climie dead to rights a couple times and shot over the net! St. Pierre still making too many goofs for a player of his experience. Dumont looked tired and was doing dumb stuff to instigate Thinking openly too that we are getting out coached. Although Mayer wasn't to blame for a couple of the team screw ups, I think a goalie change after the Wolves' 3rd goal might have done something to try and get the team out of their funk. (I miss Nigel Daws and Dustin Boyd who are doing well in the KHL)

hopefully Beaulieu is a little more humble now than he was in Hamilton. PS-good post by Don previously. If MT is dismissed, I am not sure Sly is ready to take over but I think the Hamilton assistants are more than capable re taking over an AHL head coaching job

too bad though, they always seem to tank in front of a big crowd. Also, rarely win at home when Dave Lewis officiates (just coincidence I guess)

they played like they had been off a week, Pateryn's penalty for a head check on Friesen kind of stymied any chance of a come back. Breaking in two new officals tonight and I think Friesen losing his helmet sold the call. Honestly I'm getting tired of seeing Dumont dumped time after time in front of the net with no penalty. Tonights theme seemed to be hooking. St. Pierre seems to be making a lot of errors that I didn't see coming previously..........................Saw Dudley and Carriere in the candy stand line along with the common folks. No pampering for those guys. Rare to see only Quailer in the upper deck non dressed player seats-looked lonely

I think we have to start looking at the top-maybe Sly isn't head coach material

Dogs running around giving Tokarski no help. Beaulieu still giving up the puck way too much

they had myriad chances but couldn't put it away. Dominated in the first. Nick T had a couple ideal chances and couldn't control a fluttering puck on one and then got a clanger off the post on another. Pateryn and Louie both flubbed shots with open nets. Made the backup goalie for the Ice Caps a hero as he was flopping around like a fish most of the first period. Second period couldn't get much over the St. Johns blue line. Praying Thomas, Courtnall and Sven are back soon. -crowd was bad because of the ongoing winter storm-nice gesture by the club was to tell everyone that their ticket stub from tonight is good for another ticket for the game vs Abbotsford Dec 22. as a thank you -well on to Chicago and it's a school kids game Wed 12 noon our time. -game sheet showed attendance over 3000 but that must have been tickets sold with a lot of no shows due to the storm

there were a few really frustrating things about this game besides the Dogs not icing their #1 lineup due to injury and the veteran rule. Fans wearing the blue and white and cheap beer are not a good mix-too many glass beaters. Toys were tossed on the ice when the Marlies scored goals! The PA announcer made an announcement that Hamilton would receive a delay of game penalty if this happened again. It was the freaking Leaf (I hesitate to say Marlie fans as there were very few) fans throwing the toys on the ice during the Marlie goals. This only encouraged them! The Marlie games really bring out a different kind of fan and I don't mean it in a good way. A lot of folks who don't appear to have two nickels to rub together making numerous runs of $9.75 tall boys -the mind boggles. Hockey etiquette like waiting for a whistle just goes out the window and the ushers are powerless. I wonder sometimes if the whole vision is to sell hockey or sell beer? Rumour which Brian may have previously mentioned to the effect that Mayer got the start as he will be soon departing for the Spengler Cup. We left with a few minutes to go so heard the end of the play by play. They were going on about how four teams now tied for first with 27 points. I;m not sure if it indicates parity or a weak division.

final Cleveland goal came with one of our D getting tripped (would have been a call earlier in the game). Hanson's 4 minute spearing call on Blunden is right up there with the 4 minute butt ending call he gave Nick T yesterday in Toronto. Odd to say the least. Blunden's penalty came out of frustration-getting chopped down in front of the net with no calls will tend to test one's patience. Dogs were impressive considering Cleveland didn't play Saturday and spent the night in Hamilton. Still wondering why we are seeing so many games referried by one official. To his credit, I believe linesman Jesse Wilmot (who is going to Sochi!) mentioned to Hanson re Monster's goalie Pickard shooting the puck down the ice into an empty Hamilton net during a break which ended up with Calvin getting an unsportsmanlike call. Hanson was at the timekeeper reporting a really lame tripping call he gave Naatinen on an icing. Yoonas was ahead of the player he supposedly tripped. Yikes