There was no rink rust evident from either side through the opening minutes of the game, as the pace was high. The Bulldogs had a good attacking zone shift in the first minute. The Capitals would earn a power play a few minutes later, and made good on it in the dying seconds as Luc Wilson accepted a David Melaragni pass and walked into the top of the left circle and put a perfectly placed shot top corner, far-side over the glove of a screened John Hawthorne to make it 1-0 Capitals at 5:52 of the first. The Capitals were sent to the penalty box seconds later, where 23 seconds later another minor penalty was given to the player in the box leading to a 5 on 3 for the Bulldogs that they made quick work on with a pretty passing play that saw Aaron Bohlinger dish off to Ryan Miotto in the left circle. He would cross ice to the top of the right circle, before putting a cross-ice feed on the tape of Keaton Mastrodonato, who set up Jackson Doucet with a cross-crease feed that he jammed home through Jack Grant to make it 1-1 at 7:10 of the first. The score stayed that way through to the late minutes of a fairly nastily played period, when the Capitals scored on the rush to lead 2-1 as Luc Wilson set up an un-checked David Melaragni walking down the slot where he snapped a shot through the blocker arm of Hawthorne to make it 2-1 at 17:34 of the first. Just 20 seconds later it was 3-1 when a turnover ended up right in front on the tape of Adam Conquest, who ripped it by Hawthorne, un-assisted to make it 3-1 at 17:58 of the first. Shots were 10-8 Capitals after 20 minutes.
The Capitals had a different gear to start the second, and had no less than half a dozen Grade A chance in tight on Hawthorne, who came up repeatedly with big saves to keep his team in it, The Bulldogs responded to make it a one-goal game just past the midway point of the period on the rush, as Tanner Pochipinski accepted an Aaron Bohlinger pass up the left wing and walked in tight on Grant and got him down and out before walking around him and putting a pass to the crease that was deflected in under the crossbar to make it 3-2 at 10:43 of the second. The Bulldogs pushed for the equalizer on the next shift and drew a penalty, but Grant made two good saves to protect the lead. The Capitals would restore their two-goal lead late in the period when Timber Lewis one-timed a Jordan Robert pass on net from the left point that deflected off the ice and over Hawthorne from the slot by Preston Brodziak at 16:39 of the second to make it 4-2 Caps after 40 minutes. Shots in the second were 12-6 Capitals, for a two-period total in their favour of 22-14.
The Bulldogs killed off a Capital power play of 1:45 in duration to open the third, with Hawthorne making two good saves in tight on a deflection and a rebound. They would earn a power power play a minute and change later and made good on it when Ryan Miotto ripped a shot from the deep slot high over the glove of Grant to make it 4-3 at 3:00 of the third, with assists to Aaron Bohlinger and Keaton Mastrodonato. The Bulldogs pushed throughout the period, and finally got the equalizer with under six minutes to play as Jackson Doucet and Ryan Miotto played catch on the left side of the Capitals zone before finding Keaton Mastrodonato in the left corner where he walked up the wall to the top of the blue line where he threw a quick release on goal that got through Grant who was screened by Ryan Miotto at 14:19 of the third. The Bulldogs earned a power play a minute later, which turned into a 5 on 3 less than a minute afterwards when Jackson Doucet was taken down after chipping the puck through two Capital defenders. The Bulldogs capitalized on it when Aaron Bohlinger took a Dawson Tritt pass and set up Ryan Miotto in the left circle. His one-timer was blocked, but it caromed right back to him where he beat Grant with a quick release short-side inside the post blocker side to make it 5-4 at 16:54 of the third to complete the scoring.
Third period shots were 11-7 Bulldogs, for a game total of 29-25 Capitals with John Hawthorne earning 3rd star honours with the win while Jack Grant took the loss. The Bulldogs went 3 for 6 on the power play, while the Capitals went 1 for 4.
The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow at 2:00pm when they host the Nanaimo Clippers.
Hammer
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