It was a game filled with twists and turns and for the 11th time this season the Wolves were on the losing end of a one-goal game.
Sudbury was outplayed through the first two and a half periods, trailing 2-0 until Macauley Carson scored for Sudbury which allowed Wolves fans to let the teddy bears rain down on Teddy Bear Toss night in support of the TD Toy Bank and Salvation Army.
It was Carson’s second time scoring on Teddy Bear Toss night.
“It was obviously fun, we’ve had a few in opposing rinks so we know the feeling of getting scored on and I knew that once we get that we can build some momentum from it. Seemed like there was a lot of teddy bears, I know last year we didn’t score so it was kind of like thank god we got one, not wait until the third either,” Carson said.
The pack thought they tied the game up with 5.1 seconds left in the second period but a goal was disallowed as it went off the glove of Troy Lajeunesse.
Then in the third period, Sudbury thought they scored again, but this time the play resumed only to see Dmitry Sokolov score.
The refs went upstairs and ruled that Shane Bulitka scored on the initial shot that looked like it hit the cross-bar.
"The goal called back is a rule, if it hits your glove it’s no goal. But for the other one at least we had scored again, so it wasn’t as bad," Head Coach Cory Stillman said
With the ruling, the clock was set back to the time of the Bulitka shot and goal.
It was a few sequences full of emotion that the team had to keep in check.
Especially shorthanded like the Wolves are, missing Kyle Rhodes, Michael Pezzetta, Reagan O’Grady and David Levin.
“We had some guys battle, Zack Malik goes out eight minutes into the game, we were only dressing five (defencemen) because of injuries next you know we’re playing four defencemen. Out of that four with Emmett(Serensits) and Liam(Ross) playing, they’re now two rookies who played half the game. We’re learning, we’re coming, so for me now it’s over with and let's get ready to play on Sunday,” Stillman said
Brandon Staigeon scored the game-winning goal with 2:10 left in the third leaving the Wolves without a point.
Goalie Mario Culina kept the team in the game when they needed him most and stopped 34 of 37 shots, at one point Hamilton was outshooting Sudbury 30-10.
The game ended 37-22.
It was also a night of returns.
Ben Garagan who was traded from the Wolves last season to Hamilton returned to the Sudbury Arena, and the former Wolves Head Coach Dave Matsos who is now an Associate Coach for the Bulldogs made his first trip up to Sudbury.
He had a chance to see some of his former players.
“At the morning skate I saw a few of them, it was really nice to see them and say hi,” said Matsos.
And some people in the city.
“I’ve been in a lot of places, there was just something different with the people that we connected with in Sudbury. But the transition for us has been amazing, the kids are doing great in school, they’re doing great with their teams. We’re good, we’re moved on and doing really well,” said Matsos.
The Sudbury Wolves now have one game remaining before a short holiday break, in Mississauga on Sunday afternoon, a team they are battling with for one of the final playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
“Every game is important for us where we are in the standings but we’re going to have to learn how to find a way to win hockey games. The guys come, if they battle like that every night, you can’t complain about their effort,” said Stillman.
The break is going to be much needed for the Wolves who will enter the second half of the season.
“I think getting the time off just to kind of reset, is like a new season but shortened. We can’t take games off in January because it will catch up to us in March. We’ve been playing well lately but you can only say so many times we should have come out with two points. I think we’re just trying to learn how to win, some teams in the league they just find ways to win even on off nights. I think that’s what we’re starting to get into our game, I think it will be a fun second half for us,” said Carson.
