A spirited start to this one, with the Kings having the better of the play early in the game, and a power play opportunity in the first two minutes. The Kings had an early edge in chances, with Billy Christopoulos making a couple good early saves. The Bulldogs would get some chances of their own as the period wore on, with Dylan Haugen making a King miss and skating in on a partial break but Brett Magnus was equal to the task in the Kings net. The Kings generated a great chance on a 3 on 2 rush late in the period where Nick Halagian walked in as the trailer and took a pass right in the slot but Christopoulos made a fantastic glove save to keep it 0-0 after 20 minutes, with the Kings leading the shots 10-7.
The pace picked up as the second period started, with each side coming out like they had something to prove. The Bulldogs earned a power play early this time, and the BCHL's best power play connected to make it a 1-0 game when Brett Stewart blasted a one-timer on goal from the left circle off a Kurt Gosselin pass that was tipped and then went off the post behind Magnus. Josh Adkins would tap the loose puck over the line at the 1:55 mark with Dylan Haugen and Brett Stewart picking up the assists. The Bulldogs would take a 2-0 lead at the 12:28 mark of the period when Josh Adkins worked the puck out of the right corner and back to Drew Weich at the right point. He would slide it across the line for Drake Brown, who put a quick wrister at the net that was deflected past Magnus by Everett Putz. The only assist on the play went to Josh Adkins. The Dogs would end up in the penalty box shortly afterwards, and that would allow the Kings to find the back of the net as a faceoff was won back to the line to Jeremy Leclerc, who put a quick wrister at the net that was tipped home by JJ Coleshaw to make it 2-1, with Liam Lawson also drawing an assist at the 14:37 mark of the second. The Dogs would be penalized again almost immediately afterwards when Dylan Haugen was somehow given the only penalty for digging at a puck on the side of the net before the whistle sounded, only to be roughed up big time by the Kings after the whistle. The Kings would come close on a goalmouth scramble and celebrated like they had scored, but after not making a call on the play the Referee would talk to his Linesman and wave it off as it stayed 2-1 Dogs after 40 minutes, with the Dogs out-shooting the Kings over the period 14-11 for a two period total of 21 aside.
The Bulldogs were again penalized at the 20:00 mark of the second, as the Kings started the third period with another power play. The Dogs penalty killers were equal to the task though, as they killed it off to protect the lead. The Dogs would earn their second power play of the game later in the period, and had several great looks around the net but couldn't get the insurance marker, with Brett Magnus coming up with a fantastic right pad save off a Mitch Makin rebound in front to keep it 2-1. The Dogs would do a great job to protect the lead through the late stages, but the Kings would push and get the equalizer with just 30 seconds left in the third period when a puck was thrown on net from the goal line by Kurt Keats. It would go off traffic in the crease and a mad scramble ensued that saw Carmine Buono jam the puck home to make it 2-2 at 19:30 with Jarid Lukosevicius also drawing an assist on the play to force overtime with the Kings outshooting the Dogs 13-9 in the period for a 60 minute total of 34-30 in favour of the Kings.
Each side would get their chances in the first OT, with the best one going to Brett Lashuk as a Bulldog defender stepped up at centre ice and missed and Lashuk skated in alone on a clear-cut breakaway. He couldn't bury it though as Christopoulos came up with a game saving blocker save as the game went to 3 on 3 double OT. The double OT wouldn't last long as Drew Blackmun stole the puck from Jeremy Leclerc. Drew Weich would find it and put a hard pass up the left wing to a streaking Everett Putz, who raced over the Kings line and blew a slap shot top corner, short-side under the bar and over the glove of Magnus for his second of the game and the game winner as the Dogs raced off the bench to celebrate. Weich and Blackmun would pick up the assists at 31 seconds of double OT.
Final shots favoured the Kings 36-34 with Billy Christopoulos picking up the win while Brett Magnus took the loss. The Dogs went 1 for 2 on the power play while the Kings went 1 for 5.
The Dogs open up 2015 Friday night at home when they host the Surrey Eagles.
Hammer
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