For the third straight game the Dogs drew first blood when Yan Kalashnikov went high glove side from the slot on Billy Faust just short of eight minutes in. The Clippers would answer quickly, shortly after at least two very hard net drives resulting in 15 year old Nathan Alalouf taking some very hard hits as his net seemed off its pegs more than on them. Bulldogs Head Coach Kevin Willison wasn't at all happy with the tactic and the lack of protection provided to his goalie by the Referee, and by his own team, saying its something that the Bulldogs will be taking to the league office and the Coaches would take it to their players. As I said on the broadcast, if it appears to be open season on the goalies, games usually get out of hand...but we will get to that later. It was 1-1 less than a minute after the Dogs had taken the lead as Luke Gordon pounced on a turnover and went high blocker side. Just seconds after another hard hit on Alalouf it was 2-1 Nanaimo went Andrew Gladiuk scored on a beautiful shot down the left wing off the crossbar and in high short-side. It was the Dogs turn to answer quickly this time as Trent Dorais one-timed a loose puck in the slot home for a 2-2 tie after 20 minutes.
The score would stay that way until just past the midway mark of the game when the Clippers went up 3-2 on a shorthanded marker off a draw in their end that saw Dan Correale go end to end in just eight seconds to score on the breakaway. That would open the floodgates as the Dogs appeared to stand around while the Clippers were flying and continuing to drive the net hard and getting rewarded for it with goals from Luke Gordon, Mason Blacklock and Trevor Fitzgerald in a span of three minutes to lead 6-2 after two. Near the end of the second period the game was delayed for a considerable time to sort out a skirmish which was noteworthy for the fact that Tryg Strand was given an instigator penalty on the play - while no fight occurred. That's something I have never seen before.
The fireworks erupted again early in the third resulting in another forever-long delay with the Clippers going up 7-2 as Kyle Kramer drove the net and muscled a rebound through Alalouf. Evan Tironese didn't appear to appreciate Kramer in the crease, as he immediately went with him and simultaneous multiple skirmishes erupted into a melee that saw Josh Mitchell and Jesse Neher fight and Trent Dorais throw a handful of glove on shoves on Josh Phillips. When the dust settled the Dogs were down a man for seven minutes with Mitchell and Neher ejected and Dorais given five for fighting and two for instigating along with Kyle Kramer who was given a fighting major. Evan Tironese sat in the penalty box for a good long time while it was all sorted was was sent free with nothing.The thing I can't understand now, and couldn't during the game as I brought it up at the time is this - how do the Dogs end up down a man for seven minutes when there are five minute majors that are even? Fighting to Dorais and Kramer, fighting to Mitchell and Neher. Maybe just honest mistakes. Tironese deserved something, and at the same time Dorais didn't remove his gloves as he has no fights to give towards his season total without further suspension. A further look at an updated box score now shows Daniel Delbianco receiving a penalty for fighting, and also an instigator penalty while I think originally in the rink he just was announced as being given a ten. Now I just wonder who he fought. It's understandable with that much happening on the ice at once that it is quite hard for the officials to try and keep tabs on everything going on, and for everyone down below to keep everything straight and then pass that info upstairs.
There would be no further scoring for the rest of the game.
Final shots favoured the Clippers 44-26.
Unofficial power play stats - Alberni 0 / 4, Nanaimo 0 / 7 with a shorthanded goal.
Next up, a visit from the Grizzlies tomorrow.
Hammer
Sent from my iPhone
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