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.