MANITOBA 1, HAMILTON 0
Alexandre Bolduc’s unassisted shorthanded goal at 3:40 of the second period stood up as the game-winner, and goaltender Eddie Lack pitched a 25-save shutout as Manitoba extended the North Division Finals to Game 7 with a 1-0 road win over Hamilton on Sunday at Copps Coliseum.
The Moose, who improved to 4-0 in elimination games this spring – including 3-0 on the road – will look to complete a comeback from a 3-2 series deficit when Game 7 goes on Monday in Hamilton.
Manitoba is coming off a division semifinals series vs. Lake Erie in which it rallied from a 3-1 deficit in the series and captured Games 6 and 7 in Cleveland.
The game’s only goal resulted from a Hamilton turnover on the power play. Bolduc picked up the puck and converted a shorthanded breakaway for his fourth goal of the postseason and third of this series.
The 22-year-old Lack did the rest for the Moose. The AHL’s All-Rookie goaltender for 2010-11, Lack posted his second shutout of the playoffs and has surrendered only two total goals in Manitoba’s four elimination games this postseason (4-0, .050, .982).
Ex-Moose goaltender Drew MacIntyre was solid in net for the Bulldogs as well, stopping 33 of 34 shots in the losing effort.
Hamilton suffered its first home-ice loss of the playoffs after beginning a perfect 5-0 at Copps Coliseum.
North Division Finals – Series “K” (best-of-7)
N1-Hamilton Bulldogs vs. N3-Manitoba Moose || Preview
Game 1 – Thu., Apr. 28 – HAMILTON 4, Manitoba 1
Game 2 – Sun., May 1 – HAMILTON 4, Manitoba 2
Game 3 – Tue., May 3 – MANITOBA 5, Hamilton 4
Game 4 – Wed., May 4 – MANITOBA 2, Hamilton 1 (2OT)
Game 5 – Fri., May 6 – Hamilton 5, MANITOBA 1
Game 6 – Sun., May 8 – Manitoba 1, HAMILTON 0
Game 7 – Mon., May 9 – Manitoba at Hamilton, 7:30