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Hamilton Bulldogs beat Manitoba Moose in longest Game 7 in AHL history

Tampa Bay Lightning v Montreal Canadiens

MONTREAL- OCTOBER 13: Dustin Boyd #17 of the Montreal Canadiens skates during the NHL game against the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Bell Centre on October 13, 2010 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Lightning defeated the Canadiens 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Richard Wolowicz/Getty Images)

Richard Wolowicz

We don’t consider ourselves a go-to source of information on the American Hockey League, but every once in a while, something special happens. Maybe it’s an amazing goal, a ridiculous save or a coach losing his mind, but if it’s interesting to the greater hockey public, we’ll give you the 4-1-1.

While the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs are the biggest game in town and the 2011 World Championships are a refuge for players who aren’t ready for vacation, the 2011 Calder Cup playoffs are also taking place. Tonight marked a historic moment in AHL history, as the Hamilton Bulldogs earned a 2-1 win over the Manitoba Moose in triple overtime, the longest Game 7 in the AHL’s history.

An AHL press release reveals that this was the first AHL Game 7 playoff contest to go into the second overtime, let alone a third one.

Dustin Boyd (pictured) scored the game-winning goal, thwarting a 55-save effort by AHL all-rookie goalie Eddie Lack. (Ron Tugnutt might know Lack’s pain.) Drew McIntyre was the winning goalie for the Bulldogs after facing a comparatively paltry 30 shots.

The Bulldogs are the top affiliate for the Montreal Canadiens while the Moose are the top farm team for the Vancouver Canucks. Here are a few more details from the Winnipeg Free Press.

Hamilton earned a berth in the AHL’s Western Conference final, beating the Moose for the fourth consecutive time in the playoffs.

And with all the uncertainty over the NHL possible future in Winnipeg, there are also questions about the Moose’s future in that equation.

If the Moose era is over, it will have ended with no championships in 15 years.

Overall since goalie Danny Lorenz outfoxed them in the shootout in their very first game Oct. 4, 1996 in Milwaukee, the Moose played 1,342 games (1,210 regular-season and 131 playoff) and earned 679 wins.