The Bulldogs got off to a great start, drawing a penalty just over a minute into the game as Julian Benner drove wide past TJ Friedmann in alone where he was hooked up. The Dogs couldn't gain much in the way of momentum on the man advantage though as the Grizzlies killed it off well. While the Dogs continued to push, they still found themselves in a 1-0 hole for a seventh straight game as a series of broken plays saw a shot be deflected wide of the net where it hit the end wall and bounced back to the top of the crease where Finn Withey found it and jammed it home. Assists on the play went to Marty Westhaver and Jordan Guiney at 6:24 of the first. The Bulldogs responded well to the goal against, and later in the period had a series of great chances on the rush as Kurtis Chapman came up with a great right toe save on Christian Simeone and a couple more stops on following rushes. Later in the period John Hawthorne came up with a big save on Alex Newhook on a set up by Jamie Rome to the deep slot to keep it 1-0 Grizzlies after 20 minutes. Shots were 12-11 Bulldogs.
The Grizzlies had a bit of a better push to begin the second, but the Bulldogs quickly pushed back to control the better of the play and generate some fantastic chances both on scrambles and on turnovers in the zone to the slot in the Victoria zone. They continued to be stymied into the back-half of the period, but didn't show any signs of being deflated. The Grizzlies countered later in the period with a series of good shifts, but the Dogs defended well to not give up any Grade A chances. They then created their best chance of the game in the final minute of the period as Mitch Oliver made a perfect stretch pass onto the tape of Jackson Doucet behind the Grizzlies defence where he skated in alone, but Chapman came up with a big left toe save to keep it 1-0 after 40 minutes. Shots in the period were 11-10 Bulldogs, for a 40 minute total in their favour of 23-21.
The Grizzlies got the critical next goal to double their lead just over four minutes into the third period on again somewhat of a broken play that was similar to the first goal in that it was somewhat of a nothing play that was initially broken up but Ethan Nother stuck with it below the goal line and jammed it out front where Cameron Thompson one-timed it in short-side past the glove of Hawthorne to make it 2-0 at 4:12 of the third. The Bulldogs drew an immediate power play, but critically couldn't cash in on it with a couple unforced errors at the attacking blue line giving up the zone. The Grizzlies put the game away just seconds later on a 3 on 3 rush where Cole Noble wasn't picked up driving down the right wing where he tapped a cross-ice feed by Jamie Rome into the open side before Hawthorne could get over. Also drawing an assist on the play was Shawn O'Malley at 6:44 of the third. Somehow, the Bulldogs immediately responded with an inspired push, but couldn't make anything click before the Grizzlies then took over for the middle part of the period to kill the better of the clock. Quite indicative of the Bulldog mindset from top to bottom all year long, they found a way to fight to the bitter end, getting the goalie out for the extra attacker with over a minute to play, and found a way to make 3-1 with a minute to play as Michael Sacco won a draw to the left point to Mitch Oliver. He would walk to the middle and put a quick shot on goal that was tipped on goal by Sacco before Julian Benner tapped it home on the goal line off the near post at 19:00 of the third. That's as close as they could get though, as the Grizzlies killed the remainder of the clock.
Third period shots were 10-9 Grizzlies for a game total of 32-31 Bulldogs. John Hawthorne took the loss, while Kurtis Chapman earned 1st star honours with the win. The Bulldogs went 0 for 2 on the power play while the Grizzlies didn't earn an advantage.
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