Hamilton, ON – The St. John’s IceCaps shutout the Hamilton Bulldogs tonight with a commanding 4-0 win.
The IceCaps took an early lead at 1:13 into the first period when Spencer Machacek knocked a shot off a Bulldogs’ skate and past goaltender Nathan Lawson, who was back in nets following an upper body injury. Then, with 3:31 left in the first, Gagnon took a swing at the puck following a skirmish in front of the ‘Dogs net, giving the IceCaps a 2-0 lead with a power play goal.
The Bulldogs had a few chances in the second period, but St. John’s goaltender David Aebischer played a strong game, with a little help from his posts. The IceCaps took a 3-0 lead midway in the second, when Eric O’Dell’s hard shot from the hash-marks sailed past Lawson, hitting the Bulldogs net just inside the far goal post and under the crossbar.
Spencer Machacek’s backhand shot earned him his second goal of the game, putting the IceCaps up 4-0 at 5:54 in the third period. The IceCaps lead the Eastern Conference with 30 points.
The Bulldogs continue their home stay on Saturday, December 3rd, at 7:00 p.m. when they face the Rochester Americans at Copps Coliseum. Single game tickets for the 2011-2012 season (including the January 21st outdoor game) are available at the Copps Coliseum Box Office, any Ticketmaster Outlet, online at www.ticketmaster.ca or through charge-by-phone at 1-855-872-5000.
All Hamilton Bulldogs’ games can be heard live on AM 820 CHAM or on www.hamiltonbulldogs.com, or seen live on www.ahllive.com beginning with the Pioneer Pre-Game Show 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.
Visit the official website of the Hamilton Bulldogs at www.hamiltonbulldogs.com
Visit the official website of the 2012 Molson AHL Outdoor Classic at www.outdoorclassic.ca
Become a fan of the ‘Dogs on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hamiltonbulldogs
Follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bulldogsahl and www.twitter.com/dogsplaybyplay
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
1. STJ – Spencer Machacek – 6 – (Jake Marto, Marco Rosa) – 1:13
2. STJ – Aaron Gagnon – 3 – (Marco Rosa, Jason DeSantis) – 16:29
2nd Period:
3. STJ – Eric O’Dell – 3 – (Jake Marto) – 8:54
3rd period:
4. STJ – Spencer Machacek – 4 – (Shayne Wiebe) – 5:54
Scoring:
Hamilton: 0-0-0—0
St. John’s: 2-1-1—4
Shots:
Hamilton: 10-6-5—21
St. John’s: 18-10-11—39
Goaltending:
Hamilton: Nathan Lawson (39 shots, 35 saves)
St. John’s: David Aebischer (21 shots, 21 saves)
Power Play:
Hamilton: 0-for-6
St. John’s: 1-for-6
Attendance: 4, 176
Three Stars:
1. STJ – Spencer Machacek (2 goals, 5 shots)
2. STJ – David Aebischer (shutout, 21 saves)
3. STJ – Eric O’Dell (1 goal, 2 shots)
Flamboro Downs Workhorse of the Game: Nathan Lawson
