Here's some highlights to check out from tonight.
Hammer
The Grizzlies had a good opportunity on the rush off the opening puck drop, before the Bulldogs pushed back with a good shift in the attacking zone. Seconds later, the Bulldogs ended up in the penalty box when Marcus Walter finished a check on Alex Newhook. The Bulldogs killed it off, with Cole Demers tested but turning away a couple of shots. The Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead 7:04 into the first when Carter Berger took a Alex Newhook pass at centre ice up the left wing and carried it over the Bulldog line into the left circle where he pulled the puck back and put a quick release on net that went off the tip of the glove of Demers and in to make it 1-0 Grizzlies at 7:04 of the first. Just 19 seconds later it was 2-0 on what is best described as an odd goal, as Berger put a wrister on goal from the left point that was head high, where it hit something and bounced skyward before ending up in the back of the net. The Bulldogs protested, the Officials conferenced, but the initial call of good goal stood as it was 2-0, with Jeremie Bucheler and Lach Hadley assisting at 7:23 of the period. The Bulldogs showed zero signs of letting the quick two-goal hole deflate them, as they instantly pushed back and put a plethora of pucks on Kurtis Chapman in the Victoria net. They would be rewarded for their efforts in the back half of the period when Tanner Pochipinski succeeded with a determined effort to dump a puck out of mid air at neutral ice into the Victoria zone. They would quickly turn it over, as Ethan Jones skated onto it and put a high shot on Chapman that resulted in a rebound that Dawson Tritt ripped high far-side over the glove of Chapman to make it 2-1 at 13:11 of the first. Just 1:01 later it was a tie game, as Jackson Doucet retrieved a loose puck and sped up the right wall in the Victoria zone before finding Darren Rizzolo entering the zone at the left point. He would make a perfect cross-ice pass onto the tape of Keaton Mastrodonato, who fired it into the open side to make it 2-2 at 14:12 of the period. The Bulldogs ended up in the penalty box a minute later, but again manged to kill it off to keep it tied. Shots in the first were 18-13 Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs came out strong to open the second, carrying the play and spending extended periods of the Victoria zone in opening up a 9-0 advantage of shorts just short of five minutes into the period. They continued to push and control the game, and finally got the go-ahead goal thanks to solid defence in their zone as Spencer Hora checked Ryan Nolan three times and finally manged to knock the puck loose high in the zone for Stephen Castagna. He would make a perfect head-man pass onto the tape of a speeding Mitchel Deelstra, who wouldn't be caught as he raced in alone where he lifted a shot high past the blocker of Chapman to make it 3-2 at 7:55 of the second. The Dogs finally earned their first power play chance of the game less than two minutes later, and took just four seconds to make it count as Evan Googins won a face off to the front of the net where Keaton Mastrodonato out-waited Chapman to get him down and out before lifting it home high on the forehand to make it 4-2 at 9:16 of the second on the power play. The Grizzlies were awarded a power play late in the period, but again the Dogs killed it to protect their lead. Shots in the period were 18-8 Bulldogs, for a 38-21 advantage after 40 minutes.
The Grizzlies earned a power play early in the third, with the Dogs protecting their lead with Cole Demers coming up with a couple big saves in tight to keep it a two goal game. The Dogs then had a couple of power play chances of their own, but they couldn't make them count to further pad their lead. The Grizzlies would make a game of it at the conclusion of the second penalty, as Ryan Nolan exited the box and picked up a perfect stretch pass from Nico Somerville to skate in alone where he beat Demers inside the post blocker side to make it 4-3, with Riley Hughes also drawing an assist at 13:18 of the third. The Bulldogs showed no panic in defending their lead, with the Grizzlies pulling their goalie in the final minute. Keaton Mastrodonato would hustle hard to negate an icing, and Cole Demers would come up with a huge save on a broken play that ended up in the hashmarks for Alex Campbell, who one-timed it on net only to be denied by Demers. Darren Rizzolo would poke it ahead for Keaton Mastrodonato, who put a perfect pass onto the tape on Ryan Miotto, who gained the red line before hitting the empty net to seal the deal for the 5-3 final at 19:34 of the third.
Shots in the period were 13-6 Grizzlies, for a final total of 42-34 Bulldogs, with Cole Demers picking up the win while Kurtis Chapman took the loss. The Dogs went 1 for 3 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 0 for 5.
With the win, the Dogs have now won two in a row, and the Grizzlies have lost two in a row.
These teams meet again tomorrow night at the Multiplex to conclude this home and home set.
Hammer
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