Hamilton Bulldogs

Hamilton, ON - The Hamilton Bulldogs defeated the Abbotsford Heat 4-0 at Copps Coliseum on Monday night. With the victory, the Bulldogs have won the North Division Final Series 4-2 and will now move onto the Western Conference Finals. Curtis Sanford posted 30 saves in the shutout while David Desharnais recorded a goal and an assist.

The Bulldogs opened the game's scoring at 18:30 of the first period. Aaron Palushaj sent a pass to J.T. Wyman, who was positioned in front of the net. Wyman gave the puck to Desharnais, who jammed it underneath Abbotsford starting goaltender David Shantz and across the goal line.

The 'Dogs took a 2-0 lead at 6:14 of the final frame. Desharnais deked past an Abbotsford defender before sliding a pass back to Palushaj. Palushaj backhanded a shot over the glove of Shantz and into the top of the net. Shawn Belle also earned an assist on the goal. Brock Trotter gave Hamilton a 3-0 lead at 17:31. Trotter received the puck from Andre Benoit before snapping a shot that sailed through traffic and past the glove of Shantz. Mike Glumac recorded an empty net goal at 18:43 to seal the win for the Bulldogs.    

The Bulldogs will meet either the Texas Stars or the Chicago Wolves in the Western Conference Final. Game 7 of that series will be played tomorrow night at 8:00 p.m. EST. Fans can listen to every 'Dogs playoff 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.

Tickets for future Hamilton Bulldogs playoffs games will be available at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, any Ticketmaster Outlet, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or through charge-by-phone at 905-527-7666. For more information on 'Dogs season tickets, flex packs, mini packs and group tickets call 905-529-8500 or visit www.hamiltonbulldogs.com.

Scoring Summary:

1st Period:
1. HAM - David Desharnais - 6 (J.T. Wyman, Aaron Palushaj) - 18:30

2nd Period:
No Scoring

3rd Period:
2. HAM - Aaron Palushaj - 2 (David Desharnais, Shawn Belle) - 6:14
3. HAM - Brock Trotter - 5 (Andre Benoit, Aaron Palushaj) - 17:31 (PP)
4. HAM - Mike Glumac - 8 (Andre Benoit) - 18:43 (EN)

Scoring:
Hamilton: 1-0-3-4
Abbotsford: 0-0-0--0

Shots:
Hamilton: 16-7-14--37
Abbotsford: 12-8-10--30

Goaltending:
Hamilton: Curtis Sanford (30 shots, 30 saves)
Abbotsford: David Shantz (36 shots, 33 saves)

Power Play:
Hamilton: 1-for-4
Abbotsford: 0-for-5

Attendance: 2,417

Three Stars:
1. HAM- Curtis Sanford (30 shots, 30 saves)
2. HAM- David Desharnais (1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 3 shots)
3. HAM- Aaron Palushaj (1 goal, 2 assists, +3, 3 shots)

Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game: Andre Benoit