Tonight's Game Report is brought to you courtesy of the Best Western Plus Barclay Hotel
The BEST WESTERN PLUS Barclay Hotel, the largest full facility hotel in Port Alberni, BC. When staying with us there is no need to give up conveniences you are used to. You can discover treasures to take home at the Alberni Harbour Quay, and then browse our onsite Cold Beer, Wine Store and liquor store or retreat to our Stamps Cafe or Pastimes Sports Bar and Grill to enjoy a snack or to watch the game on our big screen TV. Then, relax in our sauna or pool before settling in our luxurious accommodations to enjoy the vintage wine picked up earlier. That's when you will truly understand why the tranquil setting of our hotel has been called the perfect place to call home. If traveling on business, our Port Alberni Hotel boasts over 4500 square feet of meeting space in four rooms that are perfect for small conventions, banquets, parties, meetings and weddings. AV equipment and catering are also available.
The Bulldogs got off to the start they wanted, drawing an early power play and connecting on it in the first minute of the advantage when Garrett Halls took a hit to keep the puck in at the left point with his skate before jamming it down the boards for Ryan Finnegan. He would walk into the left circle to the slot and then go back against the grain and onto the tape of Chris Schutz who snapped it home far-side past Stefan Wornig to make it 1-0 at 3:13 of the first on the power play. The Kings would have some great chances around the Bulldog net in the following minutes but couldn't get a bounce to go as it stayed 1-0. The Dogs would double their lead at the midway point of the period when Tristan Bukovec pursued the puck into the Kings zone after failing to squeeze a pass, but battled to find it and split the defence before being pulled off the puck. He would get it back a third time before finding Jordan Sandhu who sent Chris Schutz to the slot where he again fired one home far-side past the blocker of Wornig to make it 2-0 at 10:59 of the first. Just 23 seconds later it was a 3-0 Bulldogs lead when Nathan Dingmann put the puck down the right wing boards to Adam Donnelly, who threw the puck to the slot where it was deflected in by Ryan Finnegan. The Referee would initially wave it off, before a split second later ruling a goal saying that it wasn't a high stick - I didn't personally see a high stick. After a long discussion, the goal would stand, with Donnelly and Dingmann assisting at 11:22 of the first. Mere seconds later it was a 4-0 Bulldog lead - or so it appeared - when Stefan Wornig failed to cover the puck, allowing Tristan Bukovec to find it and fire it into an open net. The Referee at the net would rule goal, and the Bulldogs would go and celebrate. The second Referee would then approach the first one in the Kings zone and bring about a discussion that led to the goal not being allowed due to incidental contact with the goalie. This certainly felt like a manufactured call, perhaps due to a controversial goal being allowed just seconds earlier. Any contact was at best marginal, and due to a King defender contacting a Bulldog. In the end it was no goal as the Dogs carried the 3-0 lead into the second. Shots favoured Powell River 12-11 after the first.
The Bulldogs built their lead to 4-0 before the five minute mark of the second when Jordan Sandhu found a loose puck off a draw in the Powell River end and set up Chris Schutz in the hashmarks where he snapped one home top corner over the glove of Wornig at 4:54 of the second. The Bulldogs would have a handful of chances throughout the period on pucks to the crease on cross-ice passes that resulted in some promising looking moments on open nets but none of them found the net as there was no further scoring throughout the period. The Kings out shot the Bulldogs 11-9 in the period for a 23-20 advantage after 40 minutes.
The Kings got on the board to trim the gap before the two minute mark of the third when Nick Halagian walked over the Bulldog line and stole the puck after initially losing it to skate in alone on a quick breakaway where he cut across the crease and put it home five hole on Claeys. The goal was unassisted at 1:44 of the third to make it a 4-1 game. The Bulldogs would answer back in short order to restore their lead as Garrett Halls put a shot on net from the right point low along the ice where it was deftly deflected by Eric Margo through the legs of Wornig to make it 5-1 at 3:02 of the third. The Kings would push, but the Dogs would push back to make it a 6-1 game on a nice cycle by Eric Margo out of the right corner and up the wall before dropping it to Owen Johnson who came down from the right point and walked deep before putting a hard cross-crease pass to Rhett Willcox who one-timed it home into the open side at 11:17 of the third. Before the celebration died off, the Kings silenced it by making it a 6-2 game as Johnny Evans went to the net and found a broken up pass off a Bulldog back checker and walked in tight where he lifted it high past the glove of Claeys. Assists on the play went to Curtis McCarrick and Nick Halagian, just 17 seconds after the Dogs goal at 11:34 of the third. The Dogs would control the better of the play the rest of the way, but the best chance might have went to the Kings on a giveaway at the Dogs line resulting in a breakaway for Curtis McCarrick late in the contest that Claeys kept out to make it a 6-2 final.
Third period shots favoured the Kings 12-11 for a game total favouring Powell River of 35-31 with Brody Claeys picking up the win while Stefan Wornig took the loss. The Dogs went 1 for 3 on the power play while the Kings went 0 for 2.
With the win, the Dogs have won two in a row and have run their points streak to five games in overtaking the Grizzlies for 4th place in the Island Division by two points . They can clinch a spot with a single point tomorrow when they host the Kings at 2:00pm.
Hammer
No comments:
Post a Comment