There isn\u2019t a roller-coaster in the world that has more ups and downs than the Brantford Bulldogs<\/p>\n
Published Feb 25, 2026 \u00a0\u2022\u00a0 3 minute read<\/p>\n
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Charlie Paquette of the Brantford Bulldogs watches his shot ring off the iron against the Brampton Steelheads during OHL action at the TD Civic Centre on Wednesday, Feb. 25. Photo by Jacob RobinsonArticle content<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t a roller-coaster in the world that has more ups and downs than the Brantford Bulldogs.<\/p>\n
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Brantford\u2019s latest game \u2013 a 5-4 win against the Brampton Steelheads (15-32-6-3) on Wednesday at the TD Civic Centre \u2013 was a microcosm of the issues surrounding the league\u2019s pre-season favourite.<\/p>\n
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To be fair, there\u2019s no complaint with the team\u2019s record \u2013 Brantford (40-9-7-2) remains in first place in the OHL and has only lost twice in regulation since the end of the World Junior Hockey Championship. It\u2019s the way they\u2019re playing that has baffled fans on social media.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not looking at (social) media too much,\u201d Bulldogs defenceman Zack Sandhu said while shrugging off the buzz.<\/p>\n
\u201cCoach talks about not getting too high on the highs and too low on the lows. Ultimately we just have to play our game, stick to the structure and take things game by game.\u201d<\/p>\n
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For an example of what ails the Bulldogs, lets rewind to Brantford\u2019s past two games against the team chasing them for an OHL championship \u2013 the Barrie Colts.<\/p>\n
At home on Jan. 25 against the Colts, Brantford put together one of its best efforts in a 7-1 victory. Less than a month later, on the road on Feb. 21, the Bulldogs had one of their worst efforts in a 7-4 loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t bring our best,\u201d Sandhu admitted when talking about the loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought we came out strong . . . but we were losing 50\/50 puck battles that we shouldn\u2019t. We had a really hard practice (Tuesday) and we were looking to turn the ship around.\u201d<\/p>\n
On Wednesday things got better, then worse, and on cue, better.<\/p>\n
In an opening 20 minutes that saw the Bulldogs register a season-high first-period shot total of 20, Brantford went to the room leading 2-0 on goals from Sandhu, his first of the season and first as a Bulldog, and Adam Jiricek, on the power play.<\/p>\n
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Things then fell apart in the second period as Brampton scored three times before adding one more early in the third to take a 4-2 lead. Faced with a two-goal deficit, the Bulldogs showed an urgency that has been evident but highly inconsistent.<\/p>\n
This time around, the urgency led to power-play goals from Jake O\u2019Brien, Marek Vanacker and Jiricek, whose 15th goal of the season tied Nathan Staios\u2019 single-season goals record for a defenceman.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have to focus on having a full 60,\u201d Sandhu said. \u201cWe did that in the first and kind of lost a bit of juice in the second.<\/p>\n
\u201cI believe we\u2019re a great third-period team and we regrouped, talked in the room and came out strong in the third.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanacker\u2019s goal was his OHL-leading 41st goal of the season.<\/p>\n
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O\u2019Brien logged a pair of assists and Benak got three helpers. Caleb Malhotra registered two assists as Jett Luchanko and Gabriel Frasca picked up one each.<\/p>\n
Ryerson Leenders earned the win in goal as Brantford outshot Brampton 43-36. The Bulldogs were 4-for-4 on the power play while the Steelheads were 1-for-5.<\/p>\n
The Bulldogs have 10 games remaining to solve an identity crisis that seems to have plagued the OHL club since at least the start of the new year. Which Bulldogs team will be present when the playoffs start in late March?<\/p>\n
If the fans are worried, the players certainly aren\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re confident it\u2019s only going to get better,\u201d Sandhu said.<\/p>\n
DOG BITES . . . Brantford, which leads Barrie by three points, finishes up its week on Friday with a 7 p.m. game at the TD Civic Centre against the Oshawa Generals . . . The Bulldogs were missing a handful of players on Wednesday. Luca Testa (ill), Vladimir Dravecky (maintenance), Parker Holmes (injured, day-to-day), Ryder Boulton (suspended, two more games) and Dylan Tsherna (injured, week-to-week) are all out of the lineup against the Steelheads . . . Friday\u2019s game against the Generals will include a special ceremony where former owner Michael Andlauer will become the first person inducted into the Bulldogs Hall of Fame . . . Brantford is now fourth in the OHL Power Rankings and seventh \u2013 behind fifth-place Barrie and sixth-place Kitchener \u2013 in the CHL Top-10 Rankings.<\/p>\n
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