SAINT JOHN, NB – Mason McTavish scored twice and made an assist for the Hamilton Bulldogs in the 4-2 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings in the Memorial Cup on Friday.
Ontario Hockey League champion Bulldogs advanced to Monday’s semifinal with a 1-0-0-2 record and eliminated the Western Hockey League Oil Kings from the competition (0- 2-0-1).
Host Saint John Sea Dogs (1-0-1-0) will face undefeated Quebec Youth Hockey League champion Shawinigan Cataracts (2-0-0-0) on Saturday to determine which team finishes first in the tournament and wins a farewell to Wednesday’s championship game.
The new Canadian Hockey League points system for the Memorial Cup offers three points for a regular win, two points for a win in overtime and one point for a loss in overtime in the preliminary round.
Edmonton got two points from an OT win over the Sea Dogs on Wednesday, but had to avoid a loss by regulation on Friday to continue playing for a CHL title.
McTavish, the third overall pick in the Anaheim Ducks’ 2021 NHL draft entry, scored the game’s winner in the third period and also added a goal in the empty net for Hamilton.
Avery Hayes scored a goal and an assist and Ryan Winterton also scored for Hamilton.
Bulldogs defender Arber Xhekaj made two assists. Goalkeeper Marco Costantini stopped 40 of 42 shots for victory,
The Bulldogs scored two power goals in the first period to advance 2-0 after two periods, but Jalen Luypen of Edmonton halved the deficit with a short-handed goal at 2:03 of the third.
McTavish restored Hamilton’s two-goal lead at 13:26 before Oil Kings winger Jake Neighbors drew Edmonton to a goal again at 17:14.
“We were like overtaking there in the third,” McTavish said. “We expected them to have a big push there. It was their season on the line. We expected it, but it was nice (scoring) that one.”
Oil Kings goalkeeper Sebastian Cossa stopped 32 of the 35 shots in the loss.
“I thought it was the best match of the tournament for us,” Neighbors said. “I couldn’t finish early. Proud of the boys. We never quit.”
This report from The Canadian Press was first published on June 24, 2022.