If the Dogs weren't flat in this one, they were certainly on the wrong end of most races and puck battles more often than not as the Cents looked like the hungrier team.
It was scoreless after one, with the Dogs not doing themselves any favours killing off six minutes in penalties. Merritt took a 1-0 lead three minutes into the second on a point shot from Steve Tresierra off of a faceoff win in the Dogs zone. The Dogs would battle right back though, tying the game just seconds later as Casey Bailey fired a loose puck home from the side of the net. Merritt went up 2-1 three minutes later on a Jeff Jones goal from the slot, and 3-1 exatly three minutes later again off a point shot from Tresierra again, this time on the powerplay.
Frank Slubowski would keep the Dogs in it in the third with a huge save on Jeff Jones who was left all alone in front of the Dogs net. That would be huge as the Dogs battled back to tie it with a 5 on 3 goal and a 5 on 4 powerplay goal, both by Dylan Nowakowski, both just seconds apart, to make it 3-3.
The Centennials would find the winner with just over two minutes to play on a goal similar to the Jones' marker when they just plain outworked the Dogs in their own zone and won an extended battle that saw Evan Stack center the puck to Stephen Wall who one-timed one past the glove of Slubowski for the 4-3 final.
The Dogs return home with zero points from the three game trip - as far as I can remember, this might be the first time this has happened since I started covering the team in 2003-2004.
It was nice to see Nowakowski rewarded with the goals, as I was talking about him throughout the earlier parts of the game as he was far and away the teams hardest working player. Take all the skill away, and its the will that makes the difference, in my humble opinion.
Here's hoping that his effort rubs off on the other guys.
No offence to the other guys, but Nowakowski stood out today like a Fighter Jet in a blimp race.
Don't forget to catch "Around the Pound" on 93.3 The Peak tomorrow from 6pm to 7pm.
Hammer
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
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