The pace wasn't fast initially, with the Capitals icing it on several instances through the opening minutes before the Bulldogs did the same. Each team had their opportunities around the net through the opening minutes, but both Luke Pearson and Zach Borgiel were sharp to keep it scoreless. The Capitals would draw first blood just over nine minutes in when a shot from the right circle was stopped by Pearson, but the rebound caromed off his blocker and out near-side where Josh Kagan made no mistake in burying high short-side into the open net. Assists on the play went to Maxime Dumas and Johnny Howie at 9:05 of the first. The Bulldogs answered just 39 seconds later, as Grayson Valente put an outlet up the left wing for Mitchel Deelstra. He flew through neutral ice and over the Capitals line where he dished off to Ryan Doolin, who dropped it right back to him. Deelstra went to the net un-touched as both defenders hit Doolin, and Deelstra made no mistake in lifting a backhand past the glove of Borgiel from in tight to tie it at 1-1 at 9:44 of the first. Just 2:02 later it was 2-1 Bulldogs, as again Grayson Valente put a pass to centre that was knocked down by Caige Sterzer. He would gain the line up the right side before putting a drop pass onto the tape of Stephen Castagna. He would immediately put a high, hard one on net that went off the glove of Borgiel and in at 11:46 of the first. Luke Pearson would come up with a big save to protect the lead a few minutes later, getting a poke-check on a clear-cut breakaway chance for Zach Brooks, getting just enough to fight it off the post. Shots in the first were 14-7 Capitals.
The second period was played at a breakneck speed for the most part, with both goalies again good when called upon. A third goalie came into the mix, as Zach Borgiel had an equipment issue forcing Ben Howard in for a short spell of relief. Borgiel came back in, and made a huge save to keep it 2-1 as Stephen Castagna forced a turnover that was put on net by Caige Sterzer. Borgiel gave up a rink-wide rebound, but dove across the goal line to get something on an Isaac Pascoal opportunity in tight to keep it out. The Bulldogs kept pushing, and came painfully close to opening up a two-goal lead as Mitchel Deelstra put a shot that hit the crossbar and stayed out. The Capitals would get the equalizer less than two minutes later, in unfortunate fashion from the Bulldog perspective as Pearson made a save and tried to quickly throw the puck ahead to catch the Capitals changing. His defenceman was surprised and couldn't recover to find the pass, resulting in Olivier Gauthier finding the loose puck and sliding it home five-hole from in tight to make it 2-2, un-assisted at 11:40 of the period. The Bulldogs responded well, pushing hard and generating a couple great chances, most notably an in-alone chance for Mitchel Deelstra that saw a deke to his backhand roll off his stick and fail to hit the net. Shots in the period were 11-7 Capitals, for a 25-14 edge after 40 minutes.
The third period was played somewhat cautiously in the opening minutes, but the Bulldogs started to generate a push as it wore on. They had a glorious handful of chances to get the go-ahead goal, with Ryan Doolin appearing to hit the crossbar, preceeded by a Mitchel Deelstra net drive that also stayed out. The Capitals would take the lead on the rush as Cole Broadhurst took a drop pass up the left wing and drove in tight on net where he put a perfectly placed backhand top corner, short-side over the blocker of Pearson to make it 3-2, with assists going to Zach Brooks and Tanner Sidaway at 9:38 of the third. The Bulldogs would come up with a big penalty kill to keep it a one-goal game with just over five minutes to play, before pulling Pearson for an extra attacker into the final minute and change of play. They had a couple glorious chances, the most notable when Jackson Munro threw the puck at the net, only to have it bounce off traffic cross-ice and onto the tape of Jackson Doucet in the right side of the slot. He would put a one-timer on goal but Borgiel reacted and went post to post to get a shoulder on it to protect the lead as the Capitals held on to the buzzer.
Third period shots were 11-5 Bulldogs, for a 30-25 Capitals total. Zach Borgiel earned 3rd star honours with the win while Luke Pearson took the loss. The Bulldogs went 0 for 2 on the power play while the Capitals went 0 for 3.
The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow night when they host the Nanaimo Clippers.
Hammer
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