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HAMILTON, Ont. -- A sluggish start for the Abbotsford Heat on Saturday, which put them behind two goals very early, was quickly forgotten about because of Joni Ortio. Ortio made 35 saves, and denied all three shootout attempts, as Abbotsford came from behind to defeat the host Hamilton Bulldogs 3-2 in American Hockey League action. Heat forward Blair Jones attributed his teams slow start to its late-night trip from Utica, where Abbotsford played the Comets on Friday. "We played in Utica last night and didnt get to the hotel until about quarter after four this morning," he said. "We called our timeout and coach reminded us that there was a lot of time left to be played and that wed get our chances. "Fortunately, our goalie stood tall early and made some big saves all game." Jones had both goals for Abbotsford (7-4-1) in regulation, while Markus Granlund scored the shootout winner. Justin Courtnall and Martin St. Pierre had goals for Hamilton (5-2-3). Robert Mayer made 34 saves in a losing effort. The Heat scored on all three shootout attempts, with Granlund, Corban Knight and Jones all finding the back of the net to secure the win. The Bulldogs enjoyed a dream start to Saturdays game, scoring twice within the first five minutes of the opening period. Courtnall punished a glaring Heat mistake to score his first goal of the season at 1:46. Abbotsford was hemmed into its own zone, and with Gabriel Dumont pressuring the defenders behind the net, a clearing attempt came straight to Courtnall, who easily swept a shot past Ortio from close range. The Bulldogs doubled their lead less than three minutes later on the power play, after John Ramage was penalized for hooking at3:15. Magnus Nygren slid a pass across the blue line to Nathan Beaulieu, who released a low slap shot that St. Pierre managed to tip on goal. Ortio kicked aside that first attempt, but St. Pierre connected with a second effort as he was falling that slipped past the goaltender. Abbotsford capitalized on a giveaway early in the second period to score its first goal of the night. A routine point shot was kicked aside by Mayer, but defenceman Joel Chouinard struggled to corral the rebound and could only knock it forward to Jones, who snapped a quick shot past Mayer at 1:04. Momentum seemed to have swung in the Heats favour, but Abbotsford wasted an opportunity to level the game with a lengthy two-man advantage minutes later. Hamiltons Gabriel Dumont barged into Ortio and was whistled for goaltender interference at 4:26 of the second, putting the Bulldogs two men down for 1:23. But the Heat mustered very few chances on the ensuing five-on-three power play, and the teams remained tied. Play opened up as the second period wore on, with both teams seeing excellent scoring chances being denied. The most obvious of those fell to the Heat just over ten minutes into the period, when the Bulldogs St. Pierre gave the puck away at his own blue line and Mayer came to his rescue with a sliding pad save on the ensuing breakaway. Abbotsford found its equalizer, and Jones his second goal of the night, on the power play in the closing moments of the period. The forward was on the point with the man advantage, and paused with the puck before firing a low slap shot that moved through a screen and beat Mayer to the short side at 18:57 of the second period. Hamilton head coach Sylvain Lefebvre believed that his team may have taken its situation for granted after jumping out to a two-goal lead. "Maybe we expected the game to be easy after it was 2-0," said Lefebvre. "We cant expect that, especially not against a team thats first in a division and a conference. "We were too casual in the second period." Note: 40-year-old David Harris, a goaltending coach for the Newmarket Hurricanes of the Ontario Junior Hockey League, was Abbotsfords backup goaltender on Saturday. Harris was signed to an emergency contract after regular backup Reto Berra was called up by the Calgary Flames earlier in the day. R.A. Dickey Blue Jays Jersey . - The Denver Broncos kept rookie wide receiver Tavarres King from joining the Green Bay Packers by promoting him to their active roster Tuesday. Jonathan Davis Blue Jays Jersey . 42 sitting next to the bench. The 57-year-old with greying hair couldnt box out or grab a rebound, but owner Ted Leonsis waved his red towel and egged on a cheering crowd that chanted "Free Nene!" The Wizards did just fine without the suspended Brazilian forward. https://www.cheapbluejays.com/2536h-tren...-blue-jays.html. The stress, the waiting, the whispers about whether he doped during his stellar cycling career, all of it ended when - after nearly two years - federal prosecutors closed an investigation of him last week without bringing any charges. Paul Quantrill Jersey . on the 15-day disabled Monday list because of a strained right hamstring. Mike Matheny Jersey . That time around, the cage is as much a part of baseballs daily routine as a beer and a hotdog is to a fan in the stands. Coaches, scouts, broadcasters and other media hover, tossing verbal barbs, telling stories and sharing laughs. Occasionally, especially in spring when the atmosphere is relatively laid back, the list of invited guests expands and on this day, Gibbons welcomed two men strongly influential in his life.WHISTLER, B.C. - Two of the newest Vancouver Canucks have already been introduced to what life will be like playing in a Canadian NHL market. Radim Vrbata got spotted as soon as he landed, while Nick Bonino received some preferential treatment while out shopping. For a pair that most recently plied their trade in the U.S. sunbelt, it might take some getting used to. "When we got in at the airport (I got recognized) at customs. That was surprising," said Vrbata, who signed a two-year deal with the Canucks in July after five seasons with the Phoenix Coyotes. "They knew (who I was) right away." Bonino, meanwhile, arrived in Vancouver as part of the trade that sent Ryan Kelser to the Anaheim Ducks and had a similar welcome-to-Canada moment. "I was at the Apple Store and one of the guys was helping me out. I think I got a little quicker service because of that," he said. "Its definitely going to be a change but it should be fun." The Canucks are putting a lot of faith in Vrbata and Bonino at training camp as the team looks to rebound after missing the playoffs in 2013-14 for the first time in six seasons. Vrbata has been slotted onto the top line with Henrik and Daniel Sedin, while Bonino looks like a good bet to centre the second unit alongside Alexandre Burrows and Zack Kassian. "Its been good trying to learn how (the Sedins) play and what they like to do," said Vrbata, who had 21 goals and 30 assists last season. "Once we start playing games I think that will tell more." Getting a player to succeed on the wing with the Sedins has been difficult at times, but Vrbata said he expects things to click. "The chemistry might take a couple games or it might just take one game," said the 33-year-old Czech. "You can have two all-star players and a lesser known guy and he clicks with those guys. Or you can have three superstars and they dont click together. Chemistry is something you cant put your finger on it." Bonino had 22 goals and 27 assists for Anaheim in 2013-14, but will have an expanded role on the Canucks after bouncing around from line to line with the Ducks. "You want to build on every year. The biggest thing with me is confidence. Every year Ive gained confidence. In this league you need it," said the 26-year-old from Unionville, Conn. "If youre the type of player I am who wants to make plays, wants to make passes, you cant settle into a dump-and-chase game and make the safe play because at the end of the day youre going to get nowhere with it. "Playing with (Burrows and Kassian), we should be able to be creative. I think what you can expect from me is just good two-way hockey, pretty responsible in my end, and when that happens youre usually in the other zone a lot.dddddddddddd" Bonino said getting accustomed to his new teammates in training camp is vital, but added the players know nothing is ever set in stone. "You want to learn tendencies and feel out where theyre going to be on the ice, where they want you on the ice. Thats definitely something to keep in mind," he said. "At the same time, you never want to not get chances with other guys. You want to see what kind of chemistry there is all over the lineup." Vrbata and Bonino have both gotten good reviews from teammates early in camp for their skill, commitment and ability to mesh with the core. "Vrbata is a smart player. Ive liked him from Day 1. Its been really good," said Daniel Sedin. "When we played (the Coyotes) thats one guy we looked out for because hes a great scorer. Hes also a smart two-way player. Hes got no real weaknesses." Added Burrows: "I really like what Ive seen from Nick so far. I think he moves the puck extremely well, hes got good vision, works hard and hes a smart player. Hes going to make plays out there." Those plays will be critical for a team that had difficulty creating offence last season and has undergone a facelift in a number of areas since April. "(Vrbata and the Sedins) have been good. Theyre a real good line," said rookie head coach Willie Desjardins. "Theyve all got skill and theyre all smart players. "Bonino has stepped right in and played well. I think its another line that can play and has some real good ability." Vancouver also got reliable defenceman Luca Sbisa in the Kesler trade, signed veteran goaltender Ryan Miller, and acquired gritty forward Derek Dorsett in a deal with the New York Rangers. "Derek Dorsetts always been a favourite of mine," said first-year general manager Jim Benning. "We like the way he plays. Hes a heart and soul guy. He leaves it all on the ice every shift. Hes a real good teammate. He does everything that he can to help the team win." Bonino said he doesnt think about who he was traded for and wont put pressure on himself to put up similar numbers to the ones Kesler produced during his time in Vancouver. "I think any time youre in a market like this with the media, with the fans, with a team in Canada especially, theres pressure to win," said Bonino. "Whether that means scoring goals or getting a ton of points, I think honestly it comes down to winning. If the teams doing well then there shouldnt be a problem. Thats the only thing Im focusing on right now." But he added: "Definitely the media attention is something to get used to." ' ' '