After a 15 plus minute delay to start the game due to the induction of Matt Irwin into the Clipper's Wall of Honour, the Bulldogs showed little signs of showing any rust as they pushed the pace early and appeared ready to play. A good defensive play early in the slot prevented a dangerous looking chance by Josh Bourne, with Luke Pearson making a solid stick save in tight a minute afterwards. The Bulldogs pushed and got pucks low and spent time in attacking the zone, but Jordan Naylor made a couple good saves in tight, most notably on an odd-man rush on a delayed penalty 2 on 1 rush. The Clippers would open the scoring late in the period when the Bulldogs appeared to be defending well, but an unlucky bounce ended up behind the defence. Luke Pearson would make the first save, and the second, but he couldn't get any help on the third attempt as Mackenzie Merriman lifted it home to make it 1-0 Clippers at 17:16 of the first. The Bulldogs would again get sloppy in their zone with the puck on the next shift, turning it over behind the net resulting in a set up to the slot that saw Pearson make a highlight reel save off the back post on Tim Washe to keep it 1-0. The Bulldogs would answer back in short order to tie it up, as Jimmy Rayhill put a cross-ice aerial pass from the right side of the Bulldogs zone to the left side of centre ice for Caige Sterzer. He would carry it up the left wing and dump it in, and chase it down himself on the right half-wall. Mitchel Deelstra would carry it off the wall to the slot past a couple of checks where he ripped a wrist shot high over the glove of Naylor to make it 1-1 at 19:33 of the first. Shots were 9-8 Bulldogs after 20 minutes.
The second period saw the Bulldogs earn a power play chance, but give up a shorthanded goal - for the first time this season as Tim Washe picked off a pass at the blue line off a faceoff win and raced in alone where he ripped a shot high blocker side on Pearson to make it 2-1 at 3:05 of the second. The Bulldogs responded and generated a great chance a few minutes later, but Naylor made a great right toe save off Ryan Doolin from in tight, and an open-net rebound failed to hit the target. Seconds later, it was 3-1 as the Bulldogs coverage in their zone collapsed as Tyler Williams was found wide open in front by Sean Donaldson where he went high blocker to make it 3-1, with Steven Agriogianis also drawing an assist at 8:33 of the period. The Bulldogs went to the penalty box at the middle of the period when Cam Newson was called for a five minute major for a blow to the head on a body check on Aiden Hansen-Bukata in the far corner of the Bulldog zone. The hit did look marginally high, and certainly aggressive. The Officials couldn't be blamed for calling a major penalty, as Hansen-Bukata layed motionless on the ice for several minutes in what was a concerning scene. He would make a miraculous recovery however, back on the ice for the end of the power play. The Bulldogs would kill it off, with Pearson making a couple of good saves but the Bulldog penalty killers not giving up much throughout the five minutes. The Bulldogs couldn't get back on the attack before they fell into a deeper hole as they turned it over at their line and Sean Donaldson picked it off and skated in alone where he went backhand-five hole on Pearson to make it 4-1 at 16:49 of the second, with assists to Tyler Williams and Robby Drazner. Shots in the period were 19-10 Nanaimo, for a 27-19 advantage heading into period three.
The Bulldogs began the third period with a huge exclamation point, making it a 4-2 game just 38 seconds in after they threw a couple of hits in the attacking and neutral zone saw the puck end up at the deep slot where Grayson Valente put a quick release off a deflection and low through Naylor. Assists on the play went to Mitchel Deelstra and Ryan Doolin. The Bulldogs kept pushing the pace, and were rewarded for it when they made it a one-goal game just short of eight minutes into the period as a good second effort steal by Mitchel Deelstra kept the zone alive and walked to the slot where he set up Ryan Doolin who went upstairs from in tight over the blocker of Naylor to make it 4-3 at 7:57 of the third. The score stayed that way into the late stages of the third, thanks to Luke Pearson who made a breakaway save on Ethan Scardina, who somehow got away with tripping up the last-man-back in Tim Gould to race in alone. The Bulldogs earned a power play a minute and change later, but couldn't get the equalizer. They refused to quit though, and off a neutral zone faceoff win got the extra attacker out again as Grayson Valente found Mitchel Deelstra up the middle at centre ice. He danced around a defender and gained the line before putting a pass onto the tape of Ryan Doolin who drove in on goal and went high short-side over the glove of Naylor to make it 4-4 at 19:21 of the third. The Bulldogs came incredibly close to winning it with 14 seconds left, as a shot from the slot hit something and then the post behind Naylor, before caroming off the back of his leg and sitting on the line, but failing to go over it as the game went to overtime. Shots in the third were 12-4 Bulldogs, for a 31-31 total after 60 minutes.
Neither team generated a Grade A chance throughout a disjointed overtime, with the Clippers outshooting the Bulldogs 3-1 as a shootout was needed. It would be an epic affair, with ten rounds needed to find a winner. Liam Ryan scored on the first attempt for the Clippers, before Pearson came up with a game-saver on the Clippers third shooter. Mitchel Deelstra would score on the Clippers third shot to keep the Bulldogs alive. The goalies took over after that, with Pearson giving the Bulldogs five straight chances to win it, but Naylor kept the Clippers alive. Mackenzie Merriman would give the Clippers the advantage, but Stephen Castagna forced a tenth round when he found the net. Kyler Kovich would get the eventual winner with a quick release five-hole, with Naylor coming up with a final save to win the game.
The Bulldogs went 0 for 3 on the power play, as did the Clippers - one a five minute major - while also scoring once while shorthanded.
The Bulldogs are next in action Sunday afternoon in Campbell River, when they host the Trail Smoke Eaters.
Hammer
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