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Thursday, December 18, 2014

Dogs drop 3-2 OT decision to Kings to head on Christmas Break



It was obvious that the Bulldogs were very ready to play right off the opening puck drop as they had a noticeable jump to their step as they won all the races and battles early in the game to run up an early 7-1 lead in shots and a 1-0 lead on the scoreboard as Eric Margo drove the net and put a perfect cross-crease pass onto the tape of Marcus Russel off the back post where he one-timed it home. Drew Blackmun also picked up an assist on the play at the 3:15 mark of the first. The Dogs would continue to control the play, running up a 14-1 edge in shots through the Media Time out. It would be all for naught just a minute later however, as JJ Coleshaw threw a put out front from behind the goal line that deflected off a Bulldog defender and in past Billy Christopoulos. There would somehow be two assists given on the own-goal as Colton Sandberg and Brent Lashuk were awarded helpers at the 11:10 mark of the first. The Bulldogs didn't deflate for long after the bad-luck goal as they continued to push the pace and put the puck at the net, although they couldn't beat Magus as it stayed 1-1 after 20 minutes, with the Dogs leading the shots on goal 20 to 7.

The Bulldogs would continue to control the better of the play in the second, out-chancing the Kings but having nothing to show for it on a series of in close one-timers and set up that they failed to convert through either bad luck or the strong play of Brett Magnus who robbed Mitch Makin on a cross-crease set up, and then Dylan Haugen on a partial breakaway right down the middle. Troy Dobbs had a shot from the line hit the bar and stay out, and at the other end the Dogs got caught leaving the zone and turning the puck over at their Blue Line as JJ Coleshaw kept the puck on a 2 on 1 breakaway and snapped one past the blocker arm of Christopoulos to make it 2-1 Powell River at 7:01 of the second on the un-assisted marker. It couldn't have been easy for the Dogs to not feel deflated and that lady luck was against them as they led the shots 26-11, but trailed in the game. They would continue to fight, getting the equalizer three minutes later when Troy Dobbs made a great pass from his own zone to Justin Marreck over the Kings line up the left wing where he walked in on a partial breakaway and snapped one top corner, far-side past the glove of Magnus. Kurt Gosselin also picked up an assist on the play at 10:52 of the second. The teams would trade chances through the remainder of the period, with the Kings failing to convert on back-to-back power plays as the period concluded with a 2-2 tie and the shots even at 15 aside for a 35-22 advantage for the Bulldogs after 40 minutes.

The third period saw the Dogs kill off 1:08 of power play time for the Kings to keep it tied. Each team would have their chances, but the score remained tied through the Media Timeout. The game stayed tied until the final minutes, with the Dogs being penalized with 1:17 to play. They would come up with a solid kill to gain a single point and force overtime, but the Kings would win it just 35 seconds into sudden death when Jacob Pritchard walked out from behind the Dogs net and went short-side high cross-bar and down past the glove of Christopoulos for the 3-2 final.

Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 49-34, with Billy Christopoulos taking the loss while Brett Magnus earned the win and 3rd star honours in the Kings net. The Dogs went 0 for 2 on the power play while the Kings went 1 for 5.

The Dogs head off on the Christmas break on a four game losing streak, with a couple of great efforts ending in tough luck losses. They are next in action on December 27th at home when they again host the Kings.

All the best over the Holidays to you and yours, I'm taking some time off but will post the Bulldogs Christmas special over the break!

Hammer


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