Belleville Bulls defencemen were in the spotlight in two weekend wins, then the entire team D went AWOL in Ottawa.
Bulls opened a 3-in-3 weekend on a roll with back-to-back wins, Friday at Kingston and Saturday at home to Guelph. Jake Worrad scored the O.T. winner against the Frontenacs while fellow blueliner, Stephen Silas, notched the deciding tally against the visiting Storm.
But it all fell apart Sunday afternoon in Ottawa where the hometown 67’s, smarting after losing a rare three games in a row, blistered the Bulls 9-0.
Only just recently knocked out of the Eastern Conference lead, the 67’s took it out on the Bulls, scoring early and often in the first period and chasing Belleville starter Malcolm Subban out of the cage after three goals on 10 shots in the opening nine minutes. Ottawa led 4-0 after 20 minutes, 8-0 at the second intermission and added a ninth goal late in the final frame to compete the wipeout.
Bulls had no answer for a fierce Ottawa forecheck that led to Belleville turnovers on the 67’s first two goals. Bulls GM-coach George Burnett removed Subban after Ottawa’s Tyler Toffoli scored on his own rebound to make it 3-0 and rookie Charlie Graham was sent in to face the music the rest of the way.
Shane Prince, who opened the scoring, added two more in the second stanza for a hat trick. Sean Callaghan (2), Marc Zanetti, Brett Gustavsen and Sean Monahan had the other Ottawa markers. Mike Cazzola was top playmaker with three assists.
Petr Mrazek blocked 35 shots for the shutout while Ottawa sent a total of 33 pucks at the Belleville net.
Special teams were equally dismal for Belleville, going 0-for-7 on the power play while Ottawa converted twice on four tries with the extra man.
Attendance at the Civic Centre was announced at 9,411.
Bulls drop to 26-25-1 while Ottawa, at least temporarily, regained possession of first place overall in the conference ahead of Niagara with a 33-14-6 mark for 72 points.Manufacturers and exporters of impact socket,
Bulls and 67’s meet again Wednesday at Yardmen Arena. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Silas couldn't remember the last time he scored such an important goal.
"It probably dates back to my first or second year," said the veteran Bulls defenceman, just minutes after breaking a 1-1 tie with a power play point blast at 15:19 of the third period that lifted Belleville to a 3-1 win over the Guelph Storm Saturday night at Yardmen Arena.
Joseph Cramarossa, with a nifty backhand deke around Guelph goalie Garret Sparks, provided insurance at 19:01, also on a Belleville power play. Cramarossa's 11th goal of the season — his fifth since joining the Bulls at the Jan. 10 trade deadline — allowed Silas to reward himself with a smile as his third tally of the season stood as the game-winner.
"It's nice to get going," said Silas. "I haven't put up the numbers I've wanted to this year, so maybe this'll get me going down the stretch. I got to the middle before the defender, and had a lane. I decided to line it up and I got lucky."
Up until the late conversions by Silas and Cramarossa, the Belleville power play had been a non-factor in the game. Bulls were 0-for-4 earlier in the contest but 2-for-2 when it counted most.
Following a scoreless first frame, Bulls trailed 1-0 when Guelph's Jason Dickinson used Silas as a screen, wristing a puck between the defenceman's legs and over the left shoulder of Malcolm Subban at 1:39 of the second stanza.
That score stood until Brendan Gaunce showed great determination on a breakaway in the third period to tie the tilt. Tripped as he broke away past centre-ice, Gaunce regained his composure — and, more importantly, his feet — and fired a high glove-side shot past Sparks, who had already dropped to his knees.
Bulls forward Michael Curtis, like everybody else in the building, was anticipating a penalty shot on the foul, but said Gaunce's desire to finish the play was no surprise.
"He's been doing that for us all year — scoring big goals," said Curtis. "He didn't give up on the play. He got back up and finished it."
Gaunce's goal, assisted by Austen Brassard, was his 24th of the season and came at 6:44. He added an assist on the game-winner by Silas. Team captain Luke Judson, who saw double duty on D and at forward, also assisted. Adam Payerl picked up a helper on the Cramarossa capper.
Payerl was among three Bulls who hit the post earlier in the game. Jordan Subban and Payerl both rang shots off the left post late in the first period, then Danny Zharkov clanked one off the iron with 3:30 to go in Period 2.
"We just talked about getting more aggressive between the second and third periods," said Curtis. "Sparks had been playing well, but we'd hit some posts."
At Kingston Friday night, Worrad made amends for turning over the puck that led to the game-tying goal by Kingston’s Conor Stokes, shorthanded, at 10:42 of the third period. Worrad scored the game-winner, at 26 seconds of overtime, to give the Bulls their first victory against arch-rival Kingston in three tries.
Gaunce and Brassard had the earlier Belleville goals while Curtis earned two assists. Ryan Kujawinski had the other Kingston goal.
Malcolm Subban made 29 saves for the win; Igor Bobkov faced 42 Belleville shots.
BULL BITS ... Bulls wore special white jerseys with a hospital theme Satudray in support of a fundraising project for BGH and the purchase of laser equipment that deals with kidney stones. Jerseys were auctioned off after the game ... Bulls were without homegrown defenceman JASON SHAW (upper body injury) while forward CARTER SANDLAK (broken ankle) is reportedly well ahead of schedule in his rehab.
Bulls opened a 3-in-3 weekend on a roll with back-to-back wins, Friday at Kingston and Saturday at home to Guelph. Jake Worrad scored the O.T. winner against the Frontenacs while fellow blueliner, Stephen Silas, notched the deciding tally against the visiting Storm.
But it all fell apart Sunday afternoon in Ottawa where the hometown 67’s, smarting after losing a rare three games in a row, blistered the Bulls 9-0.
Only just recently knocked out of the Eastern Conference lead, the 67’s took it out on the Bulls, scoring early and often in the first period and chasing Belleville starter Malcolm Subban out of the cage after three goals on 10 shots in the opening nine minutes. Ottawa led 4-0 after 20 minutes, 8-0 at the second intermission and added a ninth goal late in the final frame to compete the wipeout.
Bulls had no answer for a fierce Ottawa forecheck that led to Belleville turnovers on the 67’s first two goals. Bulls GM-coach George Burnett removed Subban after Ottawa’s Tyler Toffoli scored on his own rebound to make it 3-0 and rookie Charlie Graham was sent in to face the music the rest of the way.
Shane Prince, who opened the scoring, added two more in the second stanza for a hat trick. Sean Callaghan (2), Marc Zanetti, Brett Gustavsen and Sean Monahan had the other Ottawa markers. Mike Cazzola was top playmaker with three assists.
Petr Mrazek blocked 35 shots for the shutout while Ottawa sent a total of 33 pucks at the Belleville net.
Special teams were equally dismal for Belleville, going 0-for-7 on the power play while Ottawa converted twice on four tries with the extra man.
Attendance at the Civic Centre was announced at 9,411.
Bulls drop to 26-25-1 while Ottawa, at least temporarily, regained possession of first place overall in the conference ahead of Niagara with a 33-14-6 mark for 72 points.Manufacturers and exporters of impact socket,
Bulls and 67’s meet again Wednesday at Yardmen Arena. Game time is 7:05 p.m.
Silas couldn't remember the last time he scored such an important goal.
"It probably dates back to my first or second year," said the veteran Bulls defenceman, just minutes after breaking a 1-1 tie with a power play point blast at 15:19 of the third period that lifted Belleville to a 3-1 win over the Guelph Storm Saturday night at Yardmen Arena.
Joseph Cramarossa, with a nifty backhand deke around Guelph goalie Garret Sparks, provided insurance at 19:01, also on a Belleville power play. Cramarossa's 11th goal of the season — his fifth since joining the Bulls at the Jan. 10 trade deadline — allowed Silas to reward himself with a smile as his third tally of the season stood as the game-winner.
"It's nice to get going," said Silas. "I haven't put up the numbers I've wanted to this year, so maybe this'll get me going down the stretch. I got to the middle before the defender, and had a lane. I decided to line it up and I got lucky."
Up until the late conversions by Silas and Cramarossa, the Belleville power play had been a non-factor in the game. Bulls were 0-for-4 earlier in the contest but 2-for-2 when it counted most.
Following a scoreless first frame, Bulls trailed 1-0 when Guelph's Jason Dickinson used Silas as a screen, wristing a puck between the defenceman's legs and over the left shoulder of Malcolm Subban at 1:39 of the second stanza.
That score stood until Brendan Gaunce showed great determination on a breakaway in the third period to tie the tilt. Tripped as he broke away past centre-ice, Gaunce regained his composure — and, more importantly, his feet — and fired a high glove-side shot past Sparks, who had already dropped to his knees.
Bulls forward Michael Curtis, like everybody else in the building, was anticipating a penalty shot on the foul, but said Gaunce's desire to finish the play was no surprise.
"He's been doing that for us all year — scoring big goals," said Curtis. "He didn't give up on the play. He got back up and finished it."
Gaunce's goal, assisted by Austen Brassard, was his 24th of the season and came at 6:44. He added an assist on the game-winner by Silas. Team captain Luke Judson, who saw double duty on D and at forward, also assisted. Adam Payerl picked up a helper on the Cramarossa capper.
Payerl was among three Bulls who hit the post earlier in the game. Jordan Subban and Payerl both rang shots off the left post late in the first period, then Danny Zharkov clanked one off the iron with 3:30 to go in Period 2.
"We just talked about getting more aggressive between the second and third periods," said Curtis. "Sparks had been playing well, but we'd hit some posts."
At Kingston Friday night, Worrad made amends for turning over the puck that led to the game-tying goal by Kingston’s Conor Stokes, shorthanded, at 10:42 of the third period. Worrad scored the game-winner, at 26 seconds of overtime, to give the Bulls their first victory against arch-rival Kingston in three tries.
Gaunce and Brassard had the earlier Belleville goals while Curtis earned two assists. Ryan Kujawinski had the other Kingston goal.
Malcolm Subban made 29 saves for the win; Igor Bobkov faced 42 Belleville shots.
BULL BITS ... Bulls wore special white jerseys with a hospital theme Satudray in support of a fundraising project for BGH and the purchase of laser equipment that deals with kidney stones. Jerseys were auctioned off after the game ... Bulls were without homegrown defenceman JASON SHAW (upper body injury) while forward CARTER SANDLAK (broken ankle) is reportedly well ahead of schedule in his rehab.
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