Hamilton 4 Niagara 2
The Hamilton Bulldogs are the first team to make it through to the third round of the Ontario Hockey League playoffs.
For a second straight night, the Bulldogs doubled up the Niagara Ice Dogs 4-2 Thursday to advance to the OHL Eastern Conference Final in five games.
Nicholas Caamano scored the game-winner, while Matthew Strome, Robert Thomas and MacKenzie Entwistle also scored for Hamilton.
Ben Jones and Johnny Corneil tallied for Niagara, which fell behind 3-0 midway through the third period but rallied to cut Hamilton's lead to 3-2 before Entwistle added an empty-netter.
Hamilton will meet the winner of the Barrie/Kingston series in the Eastern Conference Final.
Kingston 7 Barrie 1
Gabriel Vilardi scored twice as part of a five-goal first period for Kingston, as the Frotenacs embarrassed the Colts in front their home crowd 7-1 Thursday night in Barrie.
Kingston leads the best-of-seven 3-2.
Sean Day, Max Jones, Matt Hotchkiss, Jason Robertson and Brett Neumann also scored for Kingston.
Jason Willms had the lone goal for Barrie.
Game 6 goes tonight in Kingston.
Kitchener 5 Sarnia 3
Givani Smith scored the game-winner and Connor Bunnaman added a third-period goal as the Kitchener Rangers beat the Sarnia Sting 5-3 Thursday night to knot their Western Conference semifinal 2-2.
Kole Sherwood, Austin McEneny and Jonathan Yantsis also scored for Kitchener.
Jordan Kyrou, Brayden Guy and Connor Schlichting tallied for the Sting.
Game 6 is set for tonight in Kitchener.