Dogs top Clippers 4-2 in Halloween affair

Tonight's Game Report is brought to you courtesy of the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel 

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A fantastic start to the contest for the Bulldogs, as they spent the first minute of the game on the attack in the Nanaimo zone. The Dogs pushed the pace early, and built up a shots on goal advantage but couldn't find the net to open the scoring. A fantastic save by Carson Schamerhorn on the league's leading scorer in Sheldon Rempal kept it scoreless, before his counterpart in the other net Evan Johnson made a diving highlight reel save of his own on a rebound on a Bulldogs power play chance shortly afterwards. The Clippers went again to the power play shortly afterwards, and moments after a diving defensive play by Will Reilly prevented a shorthanded breakaway the Clippers opened the scoring when Yanni Kaldis made a nice move to make a defender miss before throwing the puck to the slot for Matt Hoover who one-timed it home. Sheldon Rempal also drew an assist on the play at 13:44 on the power play. The period would end on a questionable call, as Corey Renwick drove Tyler Halls from behind into the end boards with no time left on the clock as the period ended. Somehow, the Bulldogs would end up down a man out of the situation. Shots favoured the Bulldogs 15-11 in the period.

The Bulldogs would kill off the power play with a solid effort, and kill off another subsequent Nanaimo power play shortly afterwards to keep the deficit at just 1-0. They would finally earn a power play of their own just past the midway point of the game, and they connected on it as Jordan Sandhu and Paul Meyer worked the puck beautifully between each other before Sandhu set up Chris Schutz in the left circle where he blew a one-timer on goal that looked to hit Johnson square but he had enough on it that it just squeaked over the line to make it 1-1 at 11:14 of the second. As it seems to happen so often at the Multiplex, the Dogs would have a treat in store for the Clippers as just 19 seconds later they found the net again to take their first lead of the game when Chris Sarault got the puck in deep behind the Clipper net for Cayden Kraus. He would set up Liam Conrad in the slot where he blasted a one-timer home past the blocker of Johnson to make it 2-1. With the Dogs continuing to push, the Clippers would respond quickly to tie it up on a pretty goal as Sean Buchanan made a Bulldog defender miss with a pretty move before walking into the circle where he snapped one home top corner, short-side on Schamerhorn to tie it at 2-2 at 13:11 with Zach Court and Adam Pilotte drawing the assists. The Dogs would surge ahead again on the power play just a minute and change later on a reverse set up of the previous goal as Chris Schutz worked the puck to the top of the point for Jordan Sandhu, who dished off to Paul Meyer in the right circle where he blasted a one-timer through the legs of Johnson to make it 3-2 at 14:25 of the second for a 3-2 Dogs lead after two. Shots were 9-8 Bulldogs in the period, for a 40 minute advantage of 24-19.

The Bulldogs would pad their lead early in the third period, when the Clippers defence coughed the puck up in their own zone after a series of hard hits finished by Eric Margo. The loose puck would be found in the deep slot by Jordan Sandhu, who walked in alone on Johnson where he faked cutting across the crease before tucking it in on his backhand, short-side to make it 4-2, unassisted just 3:03 into the third. There would be no scoring the rest of the way, but there was a bunch of fireworks with late calls, missed calls, and a pretty big dust up at the benches when Eric Margo appeared to be the victim of a vicious head shot, that after the dust settled appeared to go uncalled. The Dogs would protect their lead, and look to have a great chance on an empty net into the Nanaimo zone when Tristan Bukovec appeared to fight off what looked like no less than three sticks around his arms and body into the Nanaimo zone but couldn't draw a call from either ref. The Clippers would just seconds later race up ice and come very close to getting within on a goal on an extended scramble around the Bulldog net that looked like someone had thrown a large pile of Halloween candy on the ice. Schamerhorn would make a couple of saves, and appear to get some help from a diving Chris Schutz to keep the puck out.

Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 33-29, with Carson Schamerhorn picking up the win in net while Evan Johnson took the loss. The Dogs went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Clippers went 1 for 6.

With the win, the Dogs snap their losing streak at two, while also snapping the Clippers win streak at four. The Dogs next see action Friday night when they host Vernon.

Hammer