Just when you’re ready to give up on the Bulldogs they pull off something like this. When you think it can’t get any worse, Gabriel Dumont scores 5 points to give the Bulldogs their first win since December 15th when the Bulldogs beat the Rockford Ice Hogs. Yes, you read the right. Gabriel Dumont had a Hat Trick and added two assists. Dumont has been buzzing lately scoring 6 goals in his last 7 games. (Last nights five point game is a career high for Dumont … but it almost seems too obvious to mention)
Despite the win the Bulldogs still seem to be a Jekyll and Hyde team. One period they are fantastic and the next they leave you scratching your head and wondering what happened.
In the first period the Bulldogs jumped out to a 3 goal lead. Dumont opened the scoring on the Power Play by tipping in a Patrick Holland shot in front of the net for his 7th of the season. Mike Blunden was also awarded an assist on the play. Next it was Louis Leblanc, who snapped a 10 game goal-less streak, from Alexander Avtsin and Dumont.
Avtsin has 3 points in 5 games this season, and another fun fact is all three of these points have come after long absences from the lineup. He scored his first two points in his first game of the season on November 16 after being a healthy scratch for the first 11 games. He hasn’t played since November 25th, and his first game back he had a gorgeous set up for Leblanc. Avtsin did take some time away from the Bulldogs after his wife gave birth to his first child, but it does not explain the extent of the games he has missed.
Dumont was bumped up to the first Power Play unit and he made the most of the opportunity by notching his second goal of the period also on the Power Play. Dumont once again went to the dirty areas and scored from his knees for his 8th of the season. Stefan Chaput and Nathan Beaulieu were awarded assists on the play.
In the second the ‘Dogs went to Michael Vick (that’s bad). Their 3-goal lead was quickly erased. Jason Jaffray beat Robert Mayer 2:27 into the period. Next Patrice Cormier buried a Spencer Machacek rebound on a shorthanded opportunity. In the final 3 minutes of the period Jaffray added his second of the game to tie the game. Just like that, in the blink of an eye the Bulldogs had blown a 3 goal lead.
In true Jekyll and Hyde fashion the Bulldogs came out in the third as a new team, similar to the team we saw in the first. Morgan Ellis gave the Bulldogs the lead with his 3rd of the season, on the play Dumont got his 4th point of the night, and Chaput his second assist.
At the 18:30 mark of the third period Gabriel Dumont completed his Hat Trick (yep, a regular Hat Trick, not even a Gordie Howe Hat Trick). In true Dumont fashion, he scored it in front of the net after picking up a Jarred Tinordi rebound in front of the net. Brendan Gallagher was given the second assist on the play.
Brendon Nash scored an unassisted empty netter to clinch the 6-3 win. Nash’s goal was his first goal since March 6, 2011. Funny enough, it was the only goal of the game that Gabriel Dumont did not figure in on.
We learned today that there is a possibility the NHL season will begin in January (fingers crossed). If that happens I wouldn’t be surprised to see Gabriel Dumont fill one of the bottom six roster spots on the Canadiens. He provides some grit and is developing more of a scoring touch at the professional level. I wouldn’t say he’s much better than someone like Ryan White, but Dumont is in game shape, while White isn’t playing right now, and only played 24 games combined in the NHL and AHL last season. When/If the NHL comes back, there will likely be a fitness problem with players not being in game shape, (groin pulls will probably be common) I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few of these Bulldogs get an opportunity to play a few games.
Scoring Summary:
1st Period:
1. HAM – Gabriel Dumont – 7 – (Patrick Holland, Mike Blunden) – 3:14 (PP)
2. HAM – Louis Leblanc – 4 – (Alexander Avtsin, Gabriel Dumont) – 6:38
3. HAM – Gabriel Dumont – 8 – (Stephane Chaput, Nathan Beaulieu) – 12:32 (PP)
2nd Period:
4. STJ – Jason Jaffray – 4 – (Raymond Sawada, Maxime Macenauer) – 2:27
5. STJ – Patrice Cormier – 1 – (Spencer Machacek) – 5:34 (SH)
6. STJ – Jason Jaffray – 5 – (Ben Chiarot, Will O’Neill) – 17:02
3rd period:
7. HAM – Morgan Ellis – 3 – (Gabriel Dumont, Stefan Chaput) – 1:39
8. HAM – Gabriel Dumont – 9 – (Jarred Tinordi, Brendan Gallagher) – 18:30
9. HAM – Brendon Nash – 1 – 19:30 (EN)
Scoring:
St. John’s: 0-3-0-3
Hamilton: 3-0-3-6
Shots:
St. John’s: 7-14-8-29
Hamilton: 14-11-12-37
Goaltending:
St. John’s: Mark Dekanich (10 shots, 7 saves), Eddie Pasquale (L – 26 shots, 24 saves)
Hamilton: Robert Mayer (W – 29 shots, 26 saves)
Power Play:
St. John’s: 0-for-5
Hamilton: 2-for-5
Attendance: 5,957
Three Stars:
1. HAM- Gabriel Dumont (3 goals, 2 assists, +2, 5 shots)
2. STJ- Jason Jaffray (2 goals, 5 shots)
3. HAM- Morgan Ellis (1 goal, +1, 3 shots)
