The Bulldogs got off to a fantastic start, as Isaac Tonkin-Palmer jumped forward off the opening faceoff to get a shot on goal just 5 seconds into the game. Moments later, the Bulldogs had a fantastic chance with a giveaway in the Nanaimo zone to the slot seeing Jordan Naylor stopping Mitchel Deelstra. The Clippers would counter after fighting off an initial Bulldog push, as John Hawthorne made a good save on a deflection attempt at the crease. The Bulldogs would take the first penalty of the game a few minutes later and did a good job of killing it off. The Clippers created a chance seconds after it ended, with John Hawthorne coming up with a fantastic backdoor save on Daniel Gatenby on a pretty set up by Thomas Samuelsen. The pace slowed over the next few minutes, but the action picked up when Isaac Tonkin-Palmer leveled Mackenzie Merriman at the Bulldog blueline on a suicide pass right up the middle. Matthew Moser would jump Tonkin-Palmer in defence of his teammate, with Tonkin-Palmer showing good discipline to keep his gloves on. The Bulldogs would end up on a five minute power play as a result. They didn't take advantage of it, and didn't look especially good on it, generating just four shots. They did come close to cashing in when Mitchel Deelstra hit the post. As soon as the power play was over, they generated a flurry of chances, with Naylor stopping Dawson Tritt point blank twice from the hashmarks to keep it scoreless. The Clippers went to the power play with less than two minutes to play in the period, but the Dogs again didn't give much in killing it off to the end of the period. Shots in the first were 12-5 Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs came out with a push to start the second and earned a power play, but had that opportunity taken away a minute into it with another penalty. Isaac Tonkin-Palmer would walk out from the corner during four-aside hockey to the slot, but he couldn't get a good shot away while fighting off a stick from behind. The Bulldogs killed off the remainder of the penalty, and again earned a power play five minutes into the period, but again didn't look especially good on it. The next few minutes through the middle of the period were fairly disjointed both ways, with not much flow to speak of. Action would pick up in the back-half of the period, with an increase in physical play, with the Clippers throwing three big hits on one shift, and the Bulldogs hitting back. Neither team would be able to find the net as the period went to the late stages, with the Clippers finally generating their first shot of the frame 15:35 into it, while on the power play. The man-advantage would turn into a 5 on 3 for 41 seconds when the Bulldogs were again penalized. Again, the Bulldogs did a good job of killing it off, with Dawson Tritt battling the initial faceoff out of the zone to kill crucial seconds. The Bulldogs drew a power play in the final seconds of the frame, to open the third on the power play. Shots in the period were 9-2 Bulldogs, for a 40 minute advantage in their favour of 21-7.
The Bulldogs again couldn't make the power play count to open the third, before they were sent to the box 3:30 into the frame. It turned into another 5 on 3 power play a minute later for the Clippers, this one 46 seconds in duration, on another Bulldog penalty. The Bulldogs would again kill it, with Aaron Bohlinger coming up with huge back to back shot blocks on cross-ice one-timer set ups. The second one would break his stick, and the Clippers got a fantastic chance at the side of the net as a result on a rebound off of Hawthorne, but he would come up with a ridiculous diving save across the crease to get a glove on a mid-air puck to steal what looked like a sure goal from Robbie Drazner to keep it scoreless. The Bulldogs would earn a power play a minute later to create another four-aside situation. The Bulldogs would finally open the scoring, as they raced up ice on an odd-man rush. Ryan Miotto would carry the puck left wing over the Nanaimo line before hitting Keaton Mastrodonato in full flight in the slot. He would make a perfect pass to the back post for Aaron Bohlinger, who deflected it into the open side to make it 1-0 at 6:26 of the third. The Bulldogs did a good job of protecting the lead into the late stages, with the Clippers pulling their goalie in the final minute to try and find the equalizer. Mackenzie Wight would get in front of a one-timer to block it ahead for Ryan Miotto, who head-manned it for Wight who showed great patience to gain centre and change the angle before hitting the empty net to seal the deal with 28 seconds left to complete the scoring.
Third period shots were 9-7 Clippers, for a game total of 28-16 Bulldogs, with John Hawthorne earning the win and 2nd star honours with his first career shut out while Jonathan Naylor earned 3rd star honours with the loss. The Bulldogs went 0 for 5 on the power play, while the Clippers went 0 for 7.
With the win, the Bulldogs have now won two straight games. They are next in action tomorrow night when they host the Vernon Vipers.
Hammer
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