Amazing comeback comes up short, Caps 5 Dogs 4 double OT

Wow, what a finish!


Unfortunately it didn't go the Dogs favour, but with two goals in the final minute to tie it up when all looked lost, they should be proud of their effort and the never-say-die attitude.


The Dogs opened the scoring just short of eight minutes in when Evan Tironese sped over the line down the right wing and blew a slap shot far-side past Derek Dun. The Dogs almost made it 2-0 just seconds later but Dun made a circus save as he came across and stacked the pads to keep it out. The Caps then caught fire late in the period, tying the game on the power play with Brett Knowles scoring on a high short-side shot off the right half wall past a screened Max Fenkell. Another power play goal four minutes later made it 2-1 Caps when Jacob Charles one-timed a faceoff win off the crossbar and in. One more goal with two minutes to go in the frame made it 3-1 Caps after one when Matt Grant walked into the high slot and beat Fenkell glove side.


The second period saw the Capitals have the better of the chances thoughout, but Fenkell was spectacular to keep the Dogs in the game until Brandon Halls made it 3-2 on a pretty three-way passing play on the power play just over nine minutes into the period. Fenkell was again fantastic late in the period to keep it 3-2 with several big stops as the Capitals generated several great chances.


The trend continued into the third as the Caps carried the play with Fenkell again coming up big to keep it 3-2. It looked like the Caps had put the game away with eight minutes to play when Logan Proulx converted a breakaway to make it 4-2, as the Dogs struggled to get anything going. Anyone that left the game early missed a finish for the ages though, as a late penalty to the Caps proved huge as the Dogs made it 4-3 on an Evan Tironese banker (that was initially waved off before it was then counted) with just 45 seconds to go in regulation. It would be Tironese again finding the net to complete his first hat trick of his career with just 17.2 seconds to play as he blew a slapper home from the top of the point to make it 4-4 and send the Dog Pound into a frenzy.


Overtime was exciting with both teams having great chances but the goalies coming up big to keep the game going into double OT. The Caps would break the Dogs hearts less than a minute to play in 3 on 3 double OT as Darrin Robak made a perfect pass on a 2 on 1 rush to Mikael Jung who one-timed it through the legs of Fenkell for the 5-4 final.


Shots favoured the Capitals 43-38. The Dogs went 2 for 5 on the power play while the Caps went 2 for 3.


Three Stars:
3rd) Matt Grant
2nd) Josh Mitchell
1st) Evan Tironese


The Dogs are next in action Friday at the Dog Pound as they begin a double header against the Surrey Eagles, who are also in town the next night to make up the game that was postponed in November.


Hammer