The Brantford Bulldogs kept pace with the Oshawa Generals for top spot in the Eastern Division after they defeated the Peterborough Petes 7-2 on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
The Bulldogs started the game hot in the first period. At only 34 seconds, right winger Adrian Rebelo made the quick pass to defenceman Owen Protz, who then made a cross-ice feed from the blue line to defenceman Daniil Sobolev, fired a shot that got past Petes netminder Liam Sztuska for his sixth goal of the season. Rebelo and Protz with the assists.
In the first 5:44, the Bulldogs outshot the Petes 7-0 before Petes left winger Joseph Cadorin gave the Petes their first shot on goal. But with 5:02 left in the period, the Petes would even the score at one apiece. Right winger Ryder McIntyre set up a two-on-one breakaway down to their attacking zone and fed the puck to left winger Cayden Taylor, who shot backhand past the sprawling Bulldogs netminder Matteo Drobac.
The Bulldogs regained the lead with 2:45 remaining in the opening frame. From their zone, right winger Zakary Lavoie passed the puck to left winger Marek Vanacker, who exchanged passes with centreman Patrick Thomas, finishing with a wrist shot that got through the stick side of Petes netminder Sztuska for his 33rd of the season.
After twenty minutes of play, the Bulldogs heavily outshot the reigning OHL Champions 20-6 and leading 2-1.
In the second period, the Bulldogs would add to their lead on the powerplay at 8:12. Centreman Thomas circled the puck at centre ice and passed the puck to the left winger Vanacker, who then rifled the shot at the Petes goal that was redirected by the right winger Lavoie and past Petes netminder Sztuska for his career-high 30th goal. Vanacker and Thomas with the assists. Late in the period, physicality went up a notch as Bulldogs defenceman Daniil Sobolev was struck on the chin by Petes centreman Braydon McCallum, leading to a scrum between the two teams.
Besides the late-period scrum, the middle frame was relatively quiet. The Bulldogs only outshot the Petes 9-5 but led 3-1.
In the third period, they started optimistic for the home side. At 2:09, Petes centreman Brody Partridge’s clearing attempt from their zone was intercepted by Bulldogs defenceman Lucas Moore. Moore then fired a rocket, which got past the left shoulder of Sztuska for his fourth of the season.
Peterborough cut the Bulldogs’ lead to two with 10:54 remaining. Right-winger Nico Addy shot the puck from the left side of their attacking zone, redirected by left-winger Chase Lefebvre and past Bulldogs netminder Drobac’s left side.
But 37 seconds later, the Bulldogs restored their three-goal lead, courtesy of the rookie left winger Joshua Avery. Fresh off the bench, Centreman Lawson Sherk quickly fed the rookie, who rifled a shot past Sztuska for his career OHL goal and point: Sherk and right winger Dylan Tsherna with the assist.
Bulldogs increased their lead with 7:04 remaining. Right winger Cole Brown passed the puck to the left winger Avery, who then made an excellent pass behind the net to the streaking Vanacker, whose shot went through Petes netminder Sztuska for his second goal of the game and 34th of the season. Avery and Brown with the assists.
The Bulldogs added one more for good measure with 3:13 left. Left winger Luca Testa and Joshua Avery won the battle for the puck at the back end of the Petes zone. Avery then made the pass to Brown, who then dazzled past Sztuska and tucked the puck into the net for his 13th of the season. Avery tallied his third point of the game with the assist, while Testa was also credited.
