A flying start once again to this game for the Bulldogs as they had the jump on the Grizzlies throughout the early minutes of the game. They would draw a penalty early as a result of it, and while they didn't look good on the power play they persevered and were rewarded with 10 seconds left in it when they connected on the rush to go up 1-0 as Troy Dobbs head-manned it up the left wing for Jordan Sandhu. He would gain the Victoria line and make a nice move before throwing a pretty cross-ice pass onto the tape of Josh Adkins driving the net down the right wing. He would make no mistake, firing high past the glove of Matthew Galajda at 3:58 of the first. That would do it for the scoring in the period, but the Dogs certainly had their chances, outshooting the Grizzlies 11-5 over the frame.
The second period saw the Bulldogs get in almost immediate penalty trouble as they looked a step behind. The Grizzlies would tie the game at 1-1 just 17 seconds into a power play chance on a high-low backdoor step up that was one-timed home by Corey Iapalucci as Carson Schamerhorn made a valiant effort but didn't have a chance on it. Assists on the play went to PJ Conlon and Brayen Gelsinger at 3:28 of the second. The Dogs would remain in penalty trouble for the better part of the first half of the period, being handed back-to-back-to-back penalties, but the killers and Carson Schamerhorn stood tall, including an 11 second stretch when they were down two men, to keep it a 1-1 game. Quinn Syrydiuk would have the best chance to give the Dogs the lead as he raced in on a shorthanded breakaway where he deked out Galajda only to ring the puck off the post. The Dogs would earn a couple power play chances of their own later in the period but they couldn't capitalize to take the lead. The best chance might have been when Nathan Dingmann made a pretty move to make a defender miss as he walked in alone, but Galajda made a good shoulder save to keep it 1-1 after 40 minutes. The Grizzlies out shot the Dogs 12-5 in the period, for a 17-16 advantage after two periods.
Before the ice was set in the third period, it was a 2-1 Dogs lead as Josh Adkins read the play in his own zone and deflected a pass to centre ice. He would show great foot speed to out-race everyone to the puck to skate in on the breakaway where he snapped one top corner far-side off the post and in past Galajda for an un-assisted marker 23 seconds into the period. The score stayed that way until the final 10 minutes when the Dogs took a penalty, but built their lead to 3-1 as Garrett Halls wristed a shot up ice that hit a Victoria glove and bounced loose for Quinn Syrydiuk who raced in on the breakaway and made no mistake, ripping a shot with a quick release low glove side on Galajda at 11:11 of the third. The Dogs wouldn't have long to celebrate or enjoy the lead, as just :45 seconds later the Grizzlies scored on a pinball deflection that went cross-crease and onto the tape of JD Falconer who potted it into the open side. Cole Pickup and Cody Van Lierop picked up the assists at 11:56 of the third to make it a 3-2 game. The Dogs would spend the next couple of minutes of the defensive side of the puck, but they held the fort and pushed back throughout the remainder of regulation and didn't give up much as the protected their lead until the dying moments. The Grizzlies would call time out and pull their goalie with 17 seconds to go and the draw in the Dogs end but they couldn't generate a chance before Tyler Cooper and Eric Margo battled it out of the zone for Quinn Syrydiuk, who hit the empty netter for his second of the game and the eventual 4-2 final score.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 27-23, and 11-6 Dogs in the period. Carson Schamerhorn was solid to pick up his first career win, while Matthew Galajda took the loss. The Dogs went 1 for 4 on the power play while also scoring their first shorthanded goal this season. The Grizzlies went 2 for 6. The Bulldogs are next in action Saturday night at home when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals for the first time this season.
Hammer
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