The Cleveland Barons and Hamilton Bulldogs will meet in this years ICHF Playoffs.
Cleveland won the Eastern Conference going away, while it looked touch and go whether Hamilton was even going to make it. However, they got relatively hot down the stretch (6-2-2) and were able to lock down eighth place. Their reward is to faceoff against the mighty Barons.
No. 1 Cleveland Barons vs. No. 8 Hamilton Bulldogs
Barons: 53-21-8, 114 points
Bulldogs: 41-32-9, 91 points
The Cleveland Barons and Hamilton Bulldogs will meet in this years ICHF Playoffs.
Cleveland won the Eastern Conference going away, while it looked touch and go whether Hamilton was even going to make it. However, they got relatively hot down the stretch (6-2-2) and were able to lock down eighth place. Their reward is to faceoff against the mighty Barons.
"We are going to play against a Cleveland team that is running on all cylinders. We know everyone expects us to get swept, but all that counts is that we believe in ourselves," Bulldogs coach Scott Arniel said. "The guys buckled down and worked their a$$es off to make the playoffs and they aren’t going to just roll over now that they are in it."
Game breakers
Bulldogs: Logan Brown (82gp, 26-43-69) has taken time to adjust to his new surroundings after being traded, but there’s high hopes that he can be a difference maker. Martin Necas (70gp, 31-34-65) has been lights out since being acquired. Frederic Allard (82gp, 17-43-60) has been an offensive force for Hamilton.
Goaltending
Bulldogs: Calvin Pickard (10-8-6) appears to be the main man in net, with rookie free agent Jaxson Stauber (6-7-1) backing up the veteran Pickard if he faulters.
Will win if …
Bulldogs: While the opponents are good defensively, where they really stand out is on offense. Hamilton was 21st overall in offense with 243 goals while Cleveland was first overall with nearly 300 goals. If Hamilton hopes to extend this series, they need excellent goaltending and they need to slow the Barons down. Can someone say clutch and grab hockey? Hamilton does not have the horses to keep up with Cleveland in a run-and-gun style, so greasy goals will be the name of the game for Hamilton.
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