GDT Feb. 6, Bulldogs vs You Know Who, 7 PM

[dlbalr]

The Bulldogs (14-23-1-5) travel to Toronto tonight to once again lose to play the Marlies (24-14-2-2) in the second last matchup this season between the teams (hallelujah). Kyle Hagel is eligible to return after missing the last game with a suspension.

Projected Hamilton Lines:

Bournival - Dumont - Leblanc

Quailer - Tenute - Blunden

Lefebvre - Holland - Murovich

Hagel - Fortier - Stortini

St. Denis - DeSantis

Beaulieu - Ellis

Tinordi - Pateryn

Desjardins

Projected Toronto Lines:

(based on previous +/- data)

Scott - Zigomanis - D'Amigo

Deschamps - Connolly - Abbott

Ashton - Colborne - Ryan

Ross - Devane - McKegg

Gardiner - Gysbers

Yeo - Blacker

Mottau - Grimshaw

Owuya

Puck drop is at 7:00 PM, Funny820 as always will have the play-by-play, click the banner below to listen.

[bbp]

Leblanc has made it out of the doghouse to the top line?

[dlbalr]

Leblanc has made it out of the doghouse to the top line?

I don't think it's so much the doghouse now rather than it is the realization that with 4 goals on the season, he is one of the higher active goal leaders on the team and thus should play more.

[Lammy]

GO DOGS GO

[miklin]

end of first period: Dogs 2-Marlies 1 (Beaulieu and Pateryn score-first goal may be changed). Got careless at the end of a PP and Marlies Devane got a breakaway goal

[dlbalr]

Leblanc and Murovich have goals in the 2nd, it's 4-1 Bulldogs.

There was an interesting moment in the first, the Marlies had 3 separate penalties on the same play...

1 - TOR Devane, 16:12 - Hooking, 2 min (PP)

1 - TOR Ryan, 16:12 - Interference, 2 min (PP)

1 - TOR Syvret, 16:12 - High-sticking, 2 min (PP)

[miklin]

guess they must have bought Al Craig a Go Ticket to Toronto . Late call in the second period on Beaulieu is a make up call plain and simple. Just wish Derek would lay off the "Hamilton Native" before every mention of Tenute or Hagel---------------------we know, we know

[miklin]

sorry if I sounded like a smart ass above but what I meant is that I always feel the Dogs broadcasts likely get the biggest listenership for the away games and that's when Derek seems to work solo. Al goes to nearby Toronto and occasionally Rochester but that's it! I like how he can keep his eyes on the play when Derek is reading his starting lineups, left to right bit, and myriad of stats. Perhaps a non dressed player could be drafted to help with colour on the road.

officials tonight: Rookie Kendric Nicholson and Darcey (Darse the Arse) Burchell (to quote Derek a "Hamilton Native") who we used to watch in Senior AAA a couple years ago. I sure Darse doesn't want to be perceived as showing Hamilton any favouritism but sometimes his non-calls are questionable. And the Marlies have two Hamilton Natives-Abbott and Syvret!

[miklin]

merde-now 4-3 at 6:06 of the third. They're killing me

[miklin]

Dogs win 6-4 Leblanc scores again (shortly after the Marlies had tied it) and Dumont e/n. Score sheet is not correct-Blacker goal was PP. And regardless of what Derek says, as a fan, I can believe we only see the Marlies one more time. Good for attendance but I think we hardcore would like to see a bit more variety-Providence, Worcester, Portland-anyone east of Syracuse on I-90 would do

-box score on AHL website is screwed up and also shows final 6-3 as of 10pm

[dlbalr]

merde-now 4-3 at 6:06 of the third. They're killing me

They tried the old fashioned 'sit back and hope for the best' strategy, the same one that killed them last game. At least they pulled this one out though.

http://theahl.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1010544

[miklin]

yep-the AHL has corrected the goals and score sheet except the Blacker goal still doesn't show as a PP.(we get a penalty at 19:58 and they score at 1:02) Radio crew was marvelling at the attendance but there were a number of two for one deals available. They reported some spectators did show up at 11:00 am so I guess the word didn't get out too well about the time change.

[Commandant]

Nice to see Louis Leblanc break out.

[dlbalr]

yep-the AHL has corrected the goals and score sheet except the Blacker goal still doesn't show as a PP.(we get a penalty at 19:58 and they score at 1:02)

Devane for Toronto took a penalty 14 seconds before Beaulieu did so it wasn't a PPG, it was 4-on-4.

[BlueKross]

We will take the win. We only have to go on a 10 & 0 run to get back to relevance. I wonder if the Dogs were stationed at Bergevin's back door (LAVAL), would he have paid more attention to whats going on here?

[dlbalr]

We will take the win. We only have to go on a 10 & 0 run to get back to relevance. I wonder if the Dogs were stationed at Bergevin's back door (LAVAL), would he have paid more attention to whats going on here?

I think they're paying attention (the day-to-day player management has been better than last year), I just think they over-estimated the ability for the young players to shoulder the load. (Most of us could see it coming a mile away though...) At this point, there's not much they can do, short of dealing a late draft pick or unsigned prospect to get a Palushaj replacement and given that they're 15 points out of 8th, I'm not sure that's justifiable. At this stage, I figure the plan is to simply hope for the best and then try to pick up some college free agents (either on tryouts or through ELC's with the Habs). Hopefully management has learned their lesson from this season and that we see some 'supplemental veterans' signed next year.

[Commandant]

Just keep playing the kids and don't worry too much about it.

College FAs are nice too...

[BlueKross]

dlbalr, on 07 Feb 2013 - 11:37, said:

I think they're paying attention (the day-to-day player management has been better than last year), I just think they over-estimated the ability for the young players to shoulder the load. (Most of us could see it coming a mile away though...) At this point, there's not much they can do, short of dealing a late draft pick or unsigned prospect to get a Palushaj replacement and given that they're 15 points out of 8th, I'm not sure that's justifiable. At this stage, I figure the plan is to simply hope for the best and then try to pick up some college free agents (either on tryouts or through ELC's with the Habs). Hopefully management has learned their lesson from this season and that we see some 'supplemental veterans' signed next year.

I wonder when the last time we ever ended up with a bonifided NHLer out of the college ranks. For the most part it has just been AHL fodder.

[dlbalr]

I wonder when the last time we ever ended up with a bonifided NHLer out of the college ranks. For the most part it has just been AHL fodder.

In terms of undrafted UFA's? That's about all they've had although most of the time that's the case for other teams as well. Only one or two college UFA's per year see more than a sniff of NHL action in their careers.

[BlueKross]

Correct. So the draw would be? I suppose you could control them a little longer with an entery level contract as opposed to just signing career AHLers. I suppose you can sign them in the middle of the spring. But we(Bulldogs) are out of it, do we need help for a playoff run? These guys have already been passed over. I would be more inclined to bring in my own draft picks and supplement the roster with players that are borderline and have completed their entery level contract for this year anyway. Maybe cost enters this conversation?

[Lammy]

The way they are winning games this season, there will be no playoff run.

[Commandant]

There are usually 2 or 3 per year that end up making the NHL for meaningful games... you try to find one of those guys... a tyler bozak, or a Dustin Penner, or something can be a useful piece.

I'd like to find a goalie.

[dlbalr]

Correct. So the draw would be? I suppose you could control them a little longer with an entery level contract as opposed to just signing career AHLers. I suppose you can sign them in the middle of the spring. But we(Bulldogs) are out of it, do we need help for a playoff run? These guys have already been passed over. I would be more inclined to bring in my own draft picks and supplement the roster with players that are borderline and have completed their entery level contract for this year anyway. Maybe cost enters this conversation?

They may not need help for a playoff run, but they may need bodies by then. Nattinen and Geoffrion are both done for the year, Murovich probably won't be around much longer, and there likely will be other injuries for the Habs and Bulldogs. There's also nothing wrong with finding good career AHL'ers, I'd be thrilled if one of the players the Habs sign (if they sign any) could be another Trotter, a quality top six AHL forward. Those players have uses even if their NHL potential is limited.

In the past they have brought in players solely on AHL tryouts to fill out the roster at the end of the year (Jesse Todd, Ryan Flanigan, and Paul Zanette are all recent ones) since CHL-based draft picks can't sign ATO's until their junior team is out of the playoffs. Regardless of what they do at the NHL level (and with 5 open contract spots, I could see them trying to pluck one or two), I suspect they'll try to give one or two of these types of players a shot.

Like Commandant, I'm of the belief a goalie would really be nice. Not so much for this year (they have enough depth to get through this season) but improving their minor pro depth there is necessary.