After a late puck drop due to the Bulldogs parents being introduced on the ice, the game began at a breakneck pace, and stayed that way through the midway mark of the period. Each side had their share of chances, with Andrew Amousse having a breakaway early that he put off the post past Luke Pearson but it stayed out. At the other end, Blake Wood saw lots of rubber early but was sharp to keep it scoreless. The Bulldogs continued to push, and opened the scoring at 8:46 of the first as Mitchel Deelstra chased down a rim on the left wing wall and put it back to the point for Moe Acee. He wasted no time in getting it on goal with a quick one-timer that was redirected home by Matthew Grouchy under the glove of Wood long-side for his first as a Bulldog to make it 1-0. The Grizzlies pushed back in the following minutes, and spent several stretches in the attacking zone with dangerous opportunities around the net, but Luke Pearson held the fort and several defensive back checks by Stephen Castagna and Josh Zary took away dangerous scoring chances. The Bulldogs started to lean on the Grizzlies in the final two to three minutes of the period, and had a couple great chances around the net but Blake Wood came up big to keep it a one-goal game. Shots in the first were 21-11 Bulldogs.
The Bulldogs earned a power play to open the second, but couldn't capitalize on it to build their lead. The pace was somewhat slow through the middle of the period, with each team having their chances but both goalies keeping it a one-goal game, with Luke Pearson coming up with a big save on a Jake Veilleux opportunity alone in the slot. The Bulldogs couldn't make a second power play count to build the lead later in the period, before the Grizzlies earned an opportunity of their own that followed it. They had one good chance early, but Luke Pearson came up with a blocker save off Cody Monds from the slot. The penalty killers were solid the rest of the way, coming up with a couple big shot blocks. Tommy Bannister came close to building the lead, ringing a shot off the crossbar that stayed out, before he was stopped on a breakaway late in the period, which was followed immediately by a Brendan Bowie breakaway that went off the glove of Pearson, off the post and stayed out as it stayed a 1-0 game into the third. Shots in the second were 9-7 Bulldogs, for a 30-18 total in their favour after 40 minutes.
The third period was somewhat sloppy and passive early, but things picked up in a big way just short of six minutes in when the Grizzlies earned a power play on a soft call back of their net. They would capitalize on the advantage to tie it on a gorgeous rink-wide pass by Cody Monds that was one-timed from the right faceoff dot home short-side by Alex DiPaolo, with Brady MacDonald also assisting at 5:47 of the third. Seconds later, the Grizzlies took the lead on an awkward play that saw a shot from the right point hit a defenceman up high before bouncing across the crease where it went off the paddle of Pearson and in to make it 2-1, un-assisted at 6:07 of the third. The lead didn't last long, as seconds later the Bulldogs responded to tie it as Matthew Grouchy put the puck back to the right point for Mattias Dal Monte who simply put a wrister on net that perhaps deflected, and initially stopped by Wood, but the rebound went across the crease where Ryan Doolin swatted a backhand home to make it 2-2 at 6:32 of the third. Neither team found the net through the remainder of regulation, with the Grizzlies coming up with a penalty kill with under five minutes to play to keep it tied. The Grizzlies had a great chance to win it in the dying seconds on an in alone chance for Vincent Nardone, but Pearson came up with a huge right toe save to force overtime. Third period shots were 15-13 Bulldogs, for a 60 minute total of 45-31 in their favour.
Overtime was quick, as the Grizzlies won the initial possession, but Mitchel Deelstra applied pressure relentlessly to eventually work the puck free for Tim Gould. He found Matthew Grouchy exiting the Bulldog zone, where he sent Mitchel Deelstra in alone down the left wing as he drove the net and tucked a backhand deke home five-hole for the game winner at 30 seconds of overtime for the 3-2 final.
Shots were 46-31 Bulldogs, with Luke Pearson earning 2nd star honours with the win while Blake Wood earned 1st star honours with the loss. The Bulldogs went 0 for 3 on the power play, while the Grizzlies went 1 for 2.
With the win, the Bulldogs have now won two in a row. They're next in action tomorrow night when they host the Langley Rivermen.
Hammer
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