The intensity was high in the opening minutes, and both sides of the puck pushed the pace. The Bulldogs had a good cycle shift early and the Capitals got several pucks on net on John Hawthorne. The Bulldogs would earn a power play early in the game on a great stretch pass by Grayson Valente that sent Jackson Doucet in on a partial breakaway that he just missed the net on but was tripped up. The Bulldog power play looked sharp, earning several great chances before making it 1-0 5:45 into the first as Keaton Mastrodonato made a pretty move to make a defender miss before putting a cross-ice saucer pass onto the tape of Ryan Miotto at the top of the right circle. He would place a perfectly placed pass to the paint onto the stick of Dawson Tritt to deflected it past Pierce Diamond to run his goal scoring streak to four games. The Bulldogs kept pushing the pace and creating opportunities, and made it 2-0 at 10:46 of the period as Jackson Doucet brought a puck from behind the net up the right wing before finding Ethan McLaughlin at the left point where he put a low shot on goal that was deflected home inside the far post by Keaton Mastrodonato. The Bulldogs were penalized late in the period, but built their lead as they initially defended well before going up 3-0 on a highlight reel shorthanded goal that saw Marcus Walter win a battle in the Dogs zone on the right wall free for Austin Spiridakis who flipped it high up the left wing through centre and into the Capitals zone. Dawson Tritt would chase it down, and make a pretty move through the left circle to make a defender miss before walking in on goal where he got Diamond down before sliding it home for his second of the game at 18:05 of the first. He wasn't done there, as Jackson Doucet drew another penalty on the following shift. The Bulldogs made it count with another pretty set up as Keaton Mastrodonato set up Ryan Miotto at the bottom of the left circle, where he one-touched it to Tritt inside the hashmarks where he buried it top corner, high far-side to make it 4-0 as hats rained onto the ice at 19:20 of the first. Shots in the period were 15-14 Bulldogs.
The Capitals earned a power play early in the second, and connected on it to make it 4-1 as Olivier Gauthier beat a screened Hawthorne high far-side from the top of the right circle at 2:26 of the second from Cruz Cote and Jordan Robert. The Bulldogs failed to respond on a power play soon afterwards, but made it 5-1 seconds later as John Hawthorne got half out of his net late to force a shot wide out of the penalty box. Grayson Valente would then force it out at the Bulldog line and drive the Capitals net up the right wing and in on goal where Diamond made the save, and a follow up rebound stop on the line on Josh Zary, but still couldn't get help as Austin Spiridakis poked it home to make it 5-1 at 8:27 of the second. The Bulldogs added another seconds after a power play chance had elapsed as Mitchel Deelstra drove wide around a defender and got Diamond down and out at the side of his net before throwing it to the crease. An initial great save by a defender on the goal line kept a first chance out off Isaac Tonkin-Palmer, but Stephen Castagna fought the rebound on goal off a Capital and inside the far post to make it 6-1 at 11:28 of the period. The Bulldogs had several chances to build their lead on another power play later in the period, but couldn't beat Diamond to pad their lead. Shots in the period were 17-11 Bulldogs, for a 32-25 advantage after 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs began the third playing well, spending the better part of the opening three minutes forcing the Capitals into repeated icings and getting a plethora of pucks on net from face off wins. Things got a little loose short of five minutes into the frame though, and a bad change led to a breakaway for Vincent Millette that he snapped short-side from the slot past the blocker of Hawthorne to make it 6-2, with assists to Preston Broadziak and Boo Grist at 4:16 of the third. That would do it for the scoring, as the Bulldogs killed off three power play opportunities for the Capitals to the buzzer to defend the lead.
Third period shots were
14-8 Capitals, for a game total of 40-39 Bulldogs with John Hawthorne earning the win while Pierce Diamond took the loss. The Bulldogs went 2 for 5 on the power play and also scored once while shorthanded while the Capitals went 1 for 5.
The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow night when they face the Grizzlies in Victoria.
Hammer
There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *
*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around
No comments:
Post a Comment