After a classy tribute featuring a performance of the last post and a moment of silence, the game began with a fantastic pace, with no whistles through the first 3:17 off the opening puck drop. The Bulldogs had an obvious edge to their game, as they pushed and drew a four-minute power play with a high stick that drew blood. It didn't take long to open the scoring, as Aaron Bohlinger took a Keaton Mastrodonato pass and walked down the left wing where he put a rink-wide pass to the top of the right side to Ryan Miotto, who walked in a put a low shot on goal that was deflected in past the blocker of Hayden Missler by Dawson Tritt at the top of the crease to make it 1-0 at 6:27 of the first. The Bulldogs couldn't build their lead on the back-half of the power play, but kept pushing the pace, running up a 12-1 edge in shots at the midway point of the period. The Kings would get their game going in the back half of it, while the Bulldogs didn't give up any solid chances it was a more even game through the remainder of the period. Shots were 13-6 Bulldogs.
The Kings began the second period with a power play, but it was the Bulldogs that found the net as Isaac Tonkin-Palmer read a chip back to the line and deflected it out of the zone and out-raced the backcheck to skate in alone on Hayden Missler where he beat him short-side past his blocker to make it 2-0, unassisted and shorthanded at 55 seconds of period two. The Bulldogs were penalized again soon afterwards, and again were dangerous while shorthanded with at least two odd-man rushes ending up on net. The Bulldogs killed it off and pushed past past the midway point of the period, and at the end of an extended hard working shift in the attacking zone saw the Kings be forced into putting the puck on to their own net. Missler would make the save, but Mitchel Deelstra collected the rebound and pulled it around him crossing the crease to slide it into the gaping cage to make it 3-0, unassisted at 10:53 of the second. While it was an unassisted goal, credit must be given to the other four Bulldogs on the ice in Grayson Valente, Aaron Bohlinger, Issac Tonkin-Palmer, and Stephen Castagna who all made plays on the shift to keep the zone alive. There would be no scoring throughout the remainder of the period, with the Bulldogs having a couple more good chances while also killing off a late period Powell River power play. Shots in the frame were 12-9 Kings for a 22-18 Bulldog advantage into the third.
The Bulldogs kept the pace up in the third period, with the Kings mounting a push but being unable to generate a solid chance to beat John Hawthorne who was solid when called upon to keep it 3-0. Just short of seven minutes into the period it was 4-0 when Dawson Tritt made a great defensive play at the Bulldog line before fighting and flipping the puck ahead up the right wing into the Kings zone. He would chase it down and put a perfect centering pass onto the tape of Austin Spiridakis, who one-timed it far-side through Missler at 6:51 of the third, with Mitchel Deelstra also drawing an assist. There would be no scoring the rest of the way, with Hawthorne being full value for his shut out with a flurry of ridiculous saves in tight, beginning with a right-toe save on a cross-crease pass that was followed by a rebound stop on a jam in attempt that went off the top of his pad and behind him on the goal line where he kept it out with a blocker sweep to the slot that saw him jump up and make one final glove save. The Kings drew a late power play and again pressed to the buzzer, but couldn't crack the shut out bid as time expired.
Third period shots were 17-5 Kings, for a game total of 35-27 in their favour with John Hawthorne earning 1st star honours with the shut out while Hayden Missler took the loss. The Bulldogs went 1 for 3 on the power play, while the Kings were 0 for 4.
The Bulldogs are next in action Tuesday night when they host the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
Hammer
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