Here's the video highlights from last night. Please accept my apologies for not getting this posted as quick as I usually do. I had a family dinner immediately after the game last night!
Hammer
There was a flurry of scoring chances both ways through the first three minutes of the game, with Nolan Hildebrand tested first on a deflected point shot, before John Hawthorne turned aside a Brett Willits breakaway a minute later. Another in alone Chief chance saw Hawthorne stare down Cameron MacDonald on a breakaway with a right toe save, before Hildebrand came up with a sparking glove save on a Keaton Mastrodonato one-timer from a couple feet off the crease on a set up from behind the goal line. The pace would stay high, but the chances slowed somewhat through the remainder of the period, with the Bulldogs threatening but being unable to score on a power play opportunity. Shots in the period were 14-9 Bulldogs.
The second period began with a great Chiefs chance in the opening second with Hawthorne diving forward to keep a loose puck out, with the next five minutes being somewhat disjointed. The Bulldogs generated a couple good chances near the midway point of the period, with both Dawson Tritt and Mitchel Deelstra being denied on the doorstep by Hildebrand. At the other end, Hawthorne was solid with a trio of saves on a scramble sequence around his net to keep it scoreless. The Chiefs would earn a power play on contact at the front of the Bulldog net later in the period, and they would open the scoring on it after a full minute and a half of pressure and a handful of saves by Hawthorne. The Chiefs kept the pressure on, and after an initial save by Hawthorne, and a follow up rebound, and a pile of bodies in the paint the puck crossed the line with Kevin Wall getting credit for it, unassisted at 14:17 of the second. The Officials would have an extended discussion afterwards, but the goal stood. The Bulldogs earned a power play late in the period of their own, and worked it around crisply to tie the game as Aaron Bohlinger put it into the right corner for Keaton Mastrodonato. He found Jackson Doucet walking up the middle from the point, where he put a perfect backdoor feed onto the tape of former Chief Ryan Miotto, who made no mistake in one-timing it into the open side to tie it at 1-1 at 19:25 of the second. The Bulldogs earned another power play seconds later on a trip at centre that might have denied a breakaway, to begin the third on the power play. Shots in the second were 20-11 for a 29-25 Chiefs advantage after 40 minutes
The Bulldogs threatened on the power play to open the period, but couldn't generate a Grade A chance to take the lead. Just past the five minute mark the Bulldogs took their first lead of the game, as a Chief defender misplayed the puck at their line, allowing Mitchel Deelstra to steal it and race in alone into the left circle where he beat Hildebrand with a high shot that he got a piece of, but not enough of it, to make it 2-1, unassisted at 5:39 of the third. The Chiefs would push back, but Hawthorne was solid with a couple of saves to protect the lead. The Bulldogs found some insurance just a minute later when a turnover to the slot was found by Jackson Doucet. His initial shot was blocked, but it ended up on the tape of Ryan Miotto on the right wing, where he put a quick release on net that was deflected off the post and in by Keaton Mastrodonato to make it 3-1 at 8:17 of the third. The score would stay that way until the late stages when the Chiefs pulled their goalie while on the power play to create a 6 on 4 scenario. The Bulldogs held on, with back-to-back shot blocks by Jackson Doucet and Mackenzie Wight resulting in a loose puck that was one-timed home down ice dead centre by Grayson Valente for the shorthanded empty netter for some final insurance to seal the deal for the 4-1 final at 19:24 of the third.
Third period shots were 13-12 Bulldogs, for a game total of 41-38 Chilliwack. John Hawthorne earned 2nd star honours with the win, while Nolan Hildebrand took the loss. The Bulldogs went 1 for 4 on the power play while also scoring once while shorthanded. The Chiefs went 1 for 3.
The Bulldogs are next in action Tuesday night when they visit the Kings in Powell River.
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