The Hamilton Bulldogs crushed the Kingston Frontenacs 7-1 Friday night to grab a 2-0 lead in the OHL’s Eastern Conference Final.
Hamilton broke the game open in the first period by scoring four goals in just over five minutes.
The Dogs netted three goals in a three-minute span in Game One en route to a 6-2 win in the series opener on Wednesday.
Bulldogs head coach John Gruden says he loves his team’s focus right now. “It’s not something you just turn on and off. We’ve done it with a lot of consistency this year. Now we’re doing it at a high level when it really matters,” said Gruden.
It didn’t take long for Hamilton to get on the scoreboard. Nicholas Caamano slotted the puck past Kingston goalie Jeremy Helvig just 2:35 into the contest.
The four-goal onslaught began at 10:45 of the first period when Brandon Saigeon zipped a rebound into the next to double Hamilton’s lead.
2:22 later, Will Bitten scored on a shorthanded breakaway when he took a pass from Jack Hanley, who was celebrating his 20th birthday, and beat Helvig on a nifty deke.
Robert Thomas made it 4-0 Hamilton just 93 seconds later and Ryan Moore finished off the first-period scoring spree when the puck deflected off his leg and into the net.
Helvig, who was pulled in Game One after giving up six goals on 22 shots, made 30 saves in the Game Two loss.
Ryan Cranford broke Kingston’s goose egg and ended Kaden Fulcher’s shutout bid with the only goal of the second period.
Hamilton added two more tallies in the third frame on goals by MacKenzie Entwhistle and Riley Stillman.
The Frontenacs will host Game Three on Sunday and Gruden isn’t expecting them to lay down. “A lot of good players with a lot of pride over on that side. We are not going to take anything lightly. Whatever they bring, they bring. We’ll be ready for whatever it is.”
Fulcher turned aside 19 shots as 5,644 fans look on at FirstOntario Centre.