The Hamilton Bulldogs took a 5-4 decision over the Mississauga Steelheads, and they needed all of it — a scoreless overtime and then the only conversion of the shootout. Everything before that was a game Hamilton twice had to climb back into.
The Bulldogs opened it 1-0 after twenty minutes, then watched the middle period turn on them: Mississauga scored twice to lead 2-1 going to the third. The final frame was the turning point in both directions — three Hamilton goals against two for the Steelheads, 4-4 at the horn, with neither side able to break the deadlock in the extra period.
The number that frames it is the third period: 3-2 Hamilton, enough to force overtime after trailing. From there the skills competition settled it 1-0, and the one-goal margin in the shootout is the entire difference in the final line.