The Bulldogs got off to a fantastic start, drawing a penalty before the game was half a minute old, and scoring just 35 seconds into the advantage as Dawson Tritt stepped in and won the draw back to the right point for Aaron Bohlinger. He put a crisp D-to-D pass across the blueline to Jackson Doucet at the left point. He was allowed to walk all the way in to left circle where he put a wrister on net that snuck through Landon Pavlisin to make it 1-0 Bulldogs 50 seconds into the game. The Clippers had great chance to tie it moments later, but John Hawthorne came up with a big glove save on Marcus Mitchell alone in the slot. The Bulldogs were penalized shortly afterwards, but came up with a solid kill to protect their lead. They earned their second power play of the game soon afterwards, and connected on it just four seconds into the advantage as Ryan Miotto won the faceoff clean back to the left point to Jackson Doucet. He would put a quick D-to-D pass across the line to the right point for Aaron Bohlinger, who put a wrist shot on net that was deflected home high past Pavlisin by Ryan Miotto at 6:53 of the first. The Bulldogs again came up with a good penalty kill to protect the lead, and pushed back with a couple good chances later in the period but couldn't further pad their lead. The Clippers would get on the board late in the period on a 4 on 2 rush worked to perfection on a pretty passing play finished off in the right circle by Thomas Samuelsen short-side past the glove of Hawthorne to make it 2-1, with Aiden Hansen-Bukata and Daniel Gatenby drawing the assists at 16:39 of the first. Less than a minute later it was 2-2, with Hawthorne being unable to recover to go post to post to get a toe on a Tyler Williams wrap around, with Aiden Hansen-Bukata drawing the lone assist at 17:19 of the first. Shots in the period were 10-8 Clippers.
The Bulldogs came out inspired to start the second, running up a 6-1 edge in shots in the first five minutes but being unable to beat Pavlisin for the go-ahead goal, with the best chance being when Pavlisin misplayed it from behind the net but just got back into the paint to get his left toe on a Jackson Doucet backhand. The Clippers would take their first lead of the game seven minutes into the period on a crazy scramble sequence around the Bulldog goal that saw Hawthorne make a couple of saves with a couple teammates down in the crease playing net. Marcus Mitchell would collect a rebound behind the net and succeed in tucking it home on a wrap around possibly on a bank shot to make it 3-2 at 7:09 of the period, from Tyler Williams and Joshua Bourne. The teams traded chances throughout the remainder of the period, played somewhat sloppy and disjointed. Neither team could find the net, with the Clippers having a Grade A chance in the dying seconds of the period, with Hawthorne coming up with an in-alone save on Joshua Bourne to keep it 3-2 after two. Shots in the period were 13-11 Clippers, for a 23-19 Nanaimo advantage after 40 minutes.
The third period saw the Clippers have a pair of in-alone chances on Hawthorne in the opening minutes, with two big back-to-back saves on Joshua Bourne and Ethan Scardina keeping it a one-goal game. The Bulldogs were penalized on the second breakaway, and wouldn't just kill it off, but tied the game while shorthanded instead as Stephen Castagna forced a turnover on an errant pass at the Nanaimo line to skate in alone where he beat Pavlisin with a wrist shot glove side to make it 3-3 at 8:01 of the third, shorthanded, unassisted. The Bulldogs would kill off the remainder of the penalty, but couldn't clear the zone before it ended up in the back of their net as Sammy Steele found a pass in the right side of the slot from below the goal line that he finished short-side on Hawthorne to make it 4-3 Clippers at 9:54 of the third, with assists to Ethan Scardina and Tyler Williams. The Bulldogs weren't able to generate much of a push though the rest of the period, but still managed to tie the game in the final minute with the goalie out for the extra attacker as Ryan Miotto fought a lost faceoff out of the left corner of the Clipper zone for Mitchel Deelstra, who walked out from behind the net and snuck one through Pavlisin to make it 4-4 at 19:10 of the third, with Keaton Mastrodonato drawing the lone assist. With overtime looming, the Bulldogs got caught on the wrong side of a stretch pass at their blue line, resulting in a partial breakaway that ended up in a Bulldog penalty. They would win the initial draw cleanly back but Aiden Hansen-Bukata made a fantastic keep at the blue line to keep the zone alive. He would set up Sammy Steele in the right circle, where he completed the hat trick with the game winner with 7.5 seconds to play as he put a shot off the glove of a Bulldog defender past the glove of Hawthorne short side to make it 5-4, with Aiden Hansen-Bukata drawing the lone assist.
Third period shots were 15-6 Clippers, for a 38-25 total in their favour.with Landon Pavlisin earning the win while John Hawthorne taking the loss. The Bulldogs went 2 for 4 on the power play while the Clippers went 1 for 6.
The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow night at home, as they begin a four game home stand by hosting the Powell River Kings.
Hammer
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