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Saturday, October 10, 2015

Dogs pull off dramatic 4-3 overtime win over Capitals





An energetic start to the game from both sides, with neither side controlling more play than the other through the early minutes of the game. In the early seconds, the Dogs had a fantastic chance when a horrible giveaway ended up on the tape of Quinn Syrydiuk walking down the middle of the Capitals zone, but his shot missed high and wide. As the period wore on, a back and forth penalty parade broke out with each side having their chances on the power play. The Dogs got lots of pucks on net, but couldn't capitalize on Capitals replacement goaltender Michael Lenko, who was forced into the game in the first minute after a skate issue for Storm Phaneuf. The Capitals would open the scoring late in the period on the power play on the rush, after Eric Margo was given a roughing penalty - questionable in my opinion, even more so that the obvious retaliation cross check after the hit wasn't called. On the scoring play, Jarid Domin drove the net and deflected a centering pass to the crease up and over the shoulder of Carson Schamerhorn. Assists on the play went to Ryan Burton and Carter Cochrane at 17:17 of the first for a 1-0 Capitals lead after one, and the Dogs up in the shots 12-3.

The Officiating would control the game to start the second, with the Bulldogs penalized off the opening puck drop. They would kill that one off, but tempers continued to be high. On a stoppage a couple of minutes later, three or four separate skirmishes broke out, with a fight eventually happening between Scott Clark and Ayden MacDonald. The Dogs, unsurprisingly were handed the extra penalty by the Referee after a 10 minute delay to sort everything out. The boo birds would be out in full force just 17 seconds later, when the Capitals went ahead 2-0 on a shot and a rebound on the power play as Kade Kehoe found a loose puck off the right toe of Schamerhorn and fired it home. Chris Harpur picked up the only assist on the play at 3:53 of the second. Not surprisingly, the Bulldogs would earn a power play just seconds later, but the damage was done on the scoreboard already and the Dogs couldn't capitalize on their chance. As much as the way the calls came about that led to the scoreline, credit has to be given to the Capitals for making the most of their opportunities, while the Dogs did not, even if chances at the time favoured the Capitals 6-2. There wouldn't be any scoring throughout the remainder of the period, but there was another lengthy delay with just a minute remaining in the frame after another dust-up at the benches resulted in punches thrown. The original penalty was coming to the Capitals when it broke out, and after the dust settled the Dogs remained a man up. Shots favoured the Capitals 11-9 in the period, for a 21-14 Dogs advantage after 40 minutes. 

The third period started with the Dogs finally breaking the goose-egg and getting on the board as Josh Adkins showed great determination to drive the net down the left wing and fire the puck on goal that was stopped by Lenko. He couldn't control the rebound as Nathan Dingmann drove the net and poked it home to make it 2-1 at 33 seconds of the period with Garrett Halls also drawing an assist, on the pwer play. The Officiating would again rear it's ugly head just minutes later, as first Logan Savard went to throw a check, and Ben Verall attempted to dodge it. As a result, their legs would hit each other. The Referee would watch the play, and didn't initially call a penalty. One he saw Verall on the ice, he then raised his arm. Seconds later Adam Donnelly would drive the net shorthanded. He would take a stick and or arm around his waist from the Capitals defender - nothing I thought warranted a penalty - and while cutting through the crease he avoided any major contact with the goalie, but appeared to accidentally clip skates with Lenko, resulting in a penalty call and a 5 on 3 power play for the Capitals. They would capitalize on it, and take a 3-1 lead when Kade Kehoe one-timed a cross-ice drop pass at the top of the left circle short-side high past Schamerhorn. Mitch Meek and Carter Cochrane drew the assists at 3:32 of the third period. The Dogs didn't lay down and die despite the odds and calls seemingly against them, as they kept to the grindstone and just kept working, and made it a one-goal game with just under nine minutes to play on a pretty power play set up as Jordan Sandhu put a pretty pass to Josh Adkins in the right circle where he showed some deft hands to lift it top corner, short-side on Lenko at 11:28 of the third period with Garrett Halls also drawing an assist to make it 3-2. The Dogs would push hard throughout the late stages of the game for the equalizer, and finally got it with less than a minute to play and the goalie out while on the man advantage to make it a 6 on 4 situation as Paul Meyer made a great play not to shoot and instead dumped the puck off to Quinn Syrydiuk in the right circle where he softly put the puck to the front of the net where Adam Donnelly made a beautiful spin move to his forehand where he roofed it top corner, far-side past Lenko to make it 3-3 with 48 seconds to play to force overtime.

The Dogs would win it in the sudden death frame when Nathan Dingmann and Jordan Sandhu teamed up to steal the puck in the Capitals zone on the left wing. Dingmann would drive the net where Sandhu hit him with a perfect pass. Dingmann would cut across the crease from left to right before sliding it home five hole to kick off a wild celebration in the Pound for a 4-3 final at 2:23 of overtime.

Shots favoured the Bulldogs 44-23 - including 21-8 in the third period, with Carson Schamerhorn picking up the win in net while Michael Lenko took the loss. The Dogs went 3 for 8 on the power play while the Capitals went 3 for 10. Those are unofficial numbers - it was a bit of a circus at times!

With the win, the Dogs have won consecutive games for the first time this season. Next up - the Dogs host the Wenatchee Wild on Friday night.

Have a great Thanksgiving, and don't forget to head to the rink and support the Atom Development and Pee Wee Bulldogs in their tournament!  

Hammer

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