The Bulldogs found themselves chasing the game early as they headed to the penalty box just over a minute into the game. They would successfully kill it off, but the Grizzlies earned momentum. Another penalty to the Bulldogs a minute and a half later put the Grizzlies back on the power play again. While the Dogs did a good job killing the bulk of the penalty off, the Grizzlies would connect in the dying seconds of the advantage as Chris Harpur put the puck down the left wing for Kevin Massy, who then put a perfect pass on the tape of Shawn McBride in the slot where he roofed one with a quick release top corner, far side over the glove of Christopolous to make it 1-0 at 6:40 of the first. The Bulldogs would be awarded a power play just 20 seconds later, but they couldn't connect on it. The Grizzlies would double their lead as the penalty expired as Cody Van Lierop existed the penalty box and chased down a loose puck to skate in on a breakaway where he scored with a quick wrister, low past the blocker of Christopolous from the right side of the slot to make it 2-0. PJ Conlon and Mitch Meek picked up the assists at 9:07 of the first. Before the puck even dropped at centre ice to resume play, the crowd got right behind the Bulldogs, starting a Go Dogs Go chant. The team would respond immediately as it was a 2-1 game 53 seconds later as Dylan Haugen worked the puck loose to Josh Adkins on the left wing wall, where he put a perfect cross-ice pass onto the tape of Garrett Halls at the top of the right point where he put a quick wrister on goal that beat Stiliadis low stick-side at the 10:00 mark. The Bulldogs would go to another power play shortly afterwards drawn by good hard work, and they would connect on it to tie the game at 2-2. Kurt Gosselin made a great play to get the puck out of the Dogs zone, and then from his knees head-manned the puck for Chris Schutz. He would find Mitch Makin over the Grizzlies line, who then dished off to Scott Clark wide open down the left wing where he ripped one low, far-side past the glove of Stiliadis to make it 2-2 at 14:53 of the first and into the room after 20 minutes. The Grizzlies led the shots on goal 11-10.
After all the goals in the first period, the second saw only one marker as the game tighened up considerably. The Grizzlies would have a good chance to take the lead back, but Billy Christopolous made a great stick save. Garrett Halls would find the loose puck and lift the puck high in the air through centre and over the Grizzlies line where Eric Margo chased it down and drove the net down the left wing where he fired one low past the glove of Stiliadis to make it 3-2 Dogs with Kurt Gosselin and Billy Christopolous picking up the assists at 12:15 of the second. While that was the only goal of the period, it wasn't for a lack of chances as both Stiliadis and Christopolous were full marks as the Dogs outshot the Grizzlies on the period 12-11 for a two period total of 22 shots a side.
The third period saw a plethora of penalties, and not a lot in the way of flow. An early Grizzlies power play chance was killed off by the Dogs to protect the lead, before the Dogs got a chance on the man advantage seven minutes into the period. The Bulldogs appeared out of sorts and without a lot of urgency, and it would come back to bite them when they conceded the game tying goal as Dane Gibson drove the net where he was stopped by Christopolous, but he was knocked across the net by his own defenseman and Gibson, allowing PJ Conlon to score into the open side to make it 3-3 at 8:51 of the third. The Dogs again went to the power play, and once again conceded what proved to be the winner as a turnover from behind the Dogs net ended up out front and right onto the tape of Jay Mackie right in front who one-timed a slap shot top corner over the glove of Christopolous to make it 4-3, un-assisted at 13:19. The Grizzlies would do a good job to control the play for the bulk of the remainder of regulation, with the Dogs unable to generate much of the way in chances to try and find the equalizer.
With the win, the Grizzlies snap a three game losing streak, and the Dogs have their win streak stopped at two. Billy Christopolous took third star honours with the loss, while Michael Stiliadis picked up the win. The Dogs went 1 for 8 on the power play - but also conceded their first two shorthanded goals of the season on the night, while the Grizzlies went 1 for 5.
The Dogs won't have much time to dwell on this one, as they are right back at it tomorrow afternoon in Powell River, a 2pm start time.
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