A good start to the game for the Bulldogs, as they generated a great chance on the opening shift as Chris Schutz was stopped on the doorstep by Christian Short. The Dogs would turn the puck over in their zone shortly afterwards, as the Eagles opened the scoring when Darius Davidson put a wrist shot off the far post and in past the blocker of Nathan Warren. Nicholas Beck would draw the only assist on the play at 5:02 of the first. The Eagles didn't have a lead for long though, as the Dogs answered back just 49 seconds later as Garrett Halls kept the puck in at the line and dumped it down the left wing. Chris Schutz would let the puck slide by him, as it ended up back of the Eagles net on the tape of Scottie Clark. He would skate behind the net and then throw a beautiful backhand pass against the grain onto the tape of Mitch Makin who one-timed it into an open side to make it 1-1 at 5:51. The score stayed that way until the late stages of the first when the Dogs took the lead for the first time in the game on the power play as Nathan Warren left the puck for Kurt Gosselin, who head-manned it up the right wing for Brett Stewart. Gosselin took a return pass and carried it over the Eagles line down the left wing where he blew a slap shot from the left face off dot short-side past the blocker of Short to make it 2-1 at 15:30 of the first. The Dogs led the shots 14-7 after 20 minutes.
A hotly contested back and forth second period didn't see any scoring through the first 10 minutes, but the Bulldogs would connect just past the midway point on the power play after a nasty check to the head on Brett Stewart. Kurt Gosselin would put the puck up the right wing for Mitch Makin, who battled the puck past Darius Davidson and over the Eagles line before feeding Scottie Clark through the right circle. He would slide a perfect cross-slot back-door pass onto the tape of Chris Schutz who blew a one-timer home into the open side before Short could get over to make it 3-1 at 10:45 of the second. The Dogs would have several chances to build the lead, but they couldn't connect as Short stood tall (haha, I kill me) in the Eagles net. It would be a one goal game five minutes later when the Eagles connected on the rush as Ben Vikitch sent Joseph Drapluk with a step into the slot where he put a perfect backhand top corner, far side, over the blocker of Warren. Darius Davidson also drew an assist on the play at 15:01 of the second for a 3-2 Dogs lead after two, with the Dogs outshooting the Eagles 14-8 in the period for a two period total of 28-15.
The third period started with a bang, as the Dogs took a 4-2 lead just 40 seconds in when Josh Adkins raced the puck into the Eagles zone up the right wing. Dylan Haugen would join the play and find the puck at the bottom of the right circle, where he threw a quick sharp angle shot on net that went through the legs of Short. Everett Putz also picked up an assist on the play. The Dogs continued to push, and connected on the back-half of a double minor to Eagles goalie Christian Short, as Eric Therrien put a hard pass to the slot for Mitch Makin who one-timed it home stick side at 6:15 of the third to make it 5-2. The Eagles would answer right back however, as Sam Young snapped one home top corner past the glove of Warren from the slot. Assists on the play went to Nolan Wallinger and Darius Davidson at 8:42 of the third to make it 5-3. The score would stay that way until the late stages of the third after several good stops by Warren, when the Dogs went up 6-3 on the rush as Tyler Povelofskie fought the puck out of the zone and raced up the left wing on a 3 on 1 rush. He would drop the puck to Eric Margo in the slot and go to the net where he buried the rebound off the Margo shot for his first as a Bulldog. Drew Blackmun also picked up an assist on the play at 14:51 of the third. The Eagles would pull their goalie for the extra attacker with over a minute to play, but they couldn't find the net before the Dogs erased all doubt as Josh Adkins found Kurt Gosselin in front where he wristed it home for his second of the game, and the franchise record for goals by a defenceman with his 25th career marker, eclipsing the old record held by Maury Edwards. Assists went to Josh Adkins and Everett Putz at the 19:45 mark of the third for the 7-3 final.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 45-26 with Nathan Warren picking up the win and Christian Short taking the loss. The Dogs went 3 for 6 on the power play while the Eagles went 0 for 1.
The Dogs are next in action Sunday afternoon at 2pm when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
Hammer
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