By Dan Kramer, Senior Writer, All Habs Hockey Magazine

POST-GAME AUDIO: Jarred Tinordi | Gabriel Dumont | Sylvain Lefebvre

HAMILTON, ON – If the key to Hamilton’s victory over the Abbotsford Heat on Wednesday night was getting out to a quick start, someone must have changed the locks Friday.

Starting from goaltender Robert Mayer right on out, the Bulldogs – despite gaining reinforcements in the form of Gabriel Dumont and Jarred Tinordi – were sloppy, and the Heat capitalized to avenge their prior 5-3 loss with a 4-2 victory.

Michael Bournival had the game’s first scoring chance right off the opening face-off, but was turned aside by netminder Danny Taylor. Heat forward Ben Walter was more opportunistic, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead at just the 1:04 mark.

Abbotsford would then extend their lead on the powerplay, when Jarred Tinordi got his stick on a Max Reinhart point shot – a mistake coach Sylvain Lefebvre most certainly would have let him know about – and it got through Mayer. It was a whirlwind day for Tinordi, being sent down from Montreal in the morning, but unfortunately the deflection would be only the start of his troubles on the night.

Hamilton clawed back to within one on a powerplay marker of their own, with Morgan Ellis ending a 34-game pointless streak, slapping a pass from Frederic St. Denis past Taylor. Ellis earned time on the second powerplay unit with Nathan Beaulieu in Montreal on a call-up.

The goal seemed to wake the ‘Dogs up, but back-to-back penalties taken by St. Denis gave the momentum right back to the Heat. After a first call, it wouldn’t take long for the second call to prove costly, with Sven Baertschi‘s tough angle shot bouncing off Tinordi’s skate at the side of the net and beating Mayer up high, restoring a two-goal advantage.

The second period would see the Bulldogs get back within one again, this time on a solo effort by Gabriel Dumont – also sent down from the Canadiens that very morning. Dumont’s first shot was blocked in front, but the grinder went hard to the net, collected his own rebound, and snapped it to the back of the goal.

That Dumont’s goal came from going hard to the net was no coincidence, as the hardnosed forward benefited from some strong role models during his time in Montreal. “I learned a lot of things. You watch guys play. Guys like Brandon Prust. Guys like Colby Armstrong. They’ve been around for a while. Kind of the same player as me too. Travis Moen. Ryan White you know. Look at these guys, see what they’re doing everyday. They have great work ethic. Learn from these guys and try to do the same thing here,” he summed up after the game.

Unfortunately for the home side, history would repeat itself. Any gains in momentum from Dumont’s marker were quickly erased when Mayer – who seemed to have a lack of focus throughout the game despite also making numerous highlight reel stops – mishandled a puck behind the net, forcing Greg Pateryn into a penalty call. And again the Abbotsford powerplay would make Hamilton pay, as Ben Street caught Mayer cheating sliding across the goal, slipping a shot along the ice through Tinordi’s legs – yes him again – and in shortside.

“It’s frustrating,” said Tinordi. “It happens. I didn’t see a shot coming, it went off my stick and in. One went off my skate. Obviously those goals were my fault, so I just try to tell Mayer we’ll get it back for him.”

Danny Taylor stood tall in the third stanza as Hamilton had its chances to reduce the Heat lead, notably an opportunity for Dumont that greatly resembled his earlier goal. A save on his first shot popped the puck up, and Dumont would show hunger for the puck, skating through the defensemen to bat it out of midair, but Taylor was ready with a second stop.

It would take a weird bounce to provide an exciting finish, as Alex Belzile couldn’t control a pass, but it would be accidentally put on net by Zach McKelvie and squeak through Taylor, some puck luck going the right away after Tinordi’s series of unfortunate events through the first two periods.

That was as close as the ‘Dogs would get, as despite buzzing in the offensive zone for the final minute with Mayer on the bench, the team couldn’t get much on goal in their attempt to force overtime. The playoffs seem like an unreachable target tonight, but a roster full of tryouts looking for job security for next season is back in action Saturday night hosting the Rochester Americans.