The Bulldogs attacked in the opening seconds of the game, with a cross-ice pass on an open net seeing Caige Sterzer tackled by a back-checking defender who saved a goal. Seconds later, the Bulldogs earned a power play. They looked good on it, and had a couple of pucks around the net, but couldn't generate a Grade A chance to beat Logan Terness to open the scoring. Almost immediately afterwards, the Smoke Eaters earned a power play of their own, and they made good on it to open the scoring. Carlos Siso made the initial save several times, but a scramble off a rebound saw him get suck on the far side and be unable to recover on a cross-ice set up from below the goal line from Michael Colella to the top of the right circle for Kent Johnson, who made no mistake in hitting the open net to make it 1-0 at 4:38 of the first. Phillipe Lapointe also drew an assist on the play. The Smoke Eaters drew another power play later in the period, but the Bulldogs did a good job to support Carlos Siso to kill it off and keep it a one-goal game. Shots in the period were 13-6 Smoke Eaters.
The Smoke Eaters earned a power play in the opening seconds of period two, but again the Bulldogs killed it off, with Carlos Siso making a great first save on a cross-crease set up, and a follow up rebound stop to boot on Owen Ozar. The Bulldogs would kill it off, but not long afterwards found themselves in a 2-0 hole as Powell Connor went end-to-end and over the Bulldog line without being checked and in tight on net where he banked if off a Bulldog defender and in to make it 2-0, unassisted at 4:48 of the second. As the period wore on, the Bulldogs threatened around the Smoke Eaters net on numerous instances, but couldn't get a bounce on a second opportunity to get back into the game. Later in the period, with the Bulldogs attacking on a sequence in the Trail zone, Mitchel Deelstra was double-teamed by two Smoke Eaters and a dust-up ensued. The Bulldogs would surprisingly get the extra penalty, and the Smoke Eaters again cashed in on it with a quick pass from below the goal line from Phillipe Lapointe being one-timed home high, far side over the blocker of Siso by Michael Colella to make it 3-0, with Max Kryski also assisting at 14:34 of the second. The Bulldogs would be given two separate 10 minute misconducts immediately following the goal, as they were no doubt beyond frustrated. The game was teetering on out of control in the following minutes, with another Bulldog penalty being followed by an even-up call to end the period. Shots in the frame were 13-11 Bulldogs, for a 24-19 Smoke Eaters total after 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs began the third period with 53 seconds on the power play in an opportunity to get back into the game, but squandered it and couldn't get anything going from it - either chances or momentum. The Smoke Eaters would further pad their lead 6:05 into the period on a partial breakaway by Michael Colella, that Carlos Siso made a blocker save on, only to have the puck go skyward where it was deflected in by a Bulldog to make it 4-0. The goal should have been unassisted, but two assists were given - to Kent Johnson and Powell Connor. The scoring was completed three minutes later, on a pretty set up that saw Kent Johnson go behind the net but dish a perfect pass out against the grain to the net front for Walker Erickson, who one-timed it home long-side past the glove of Siso to make it 5-0 at 9:06 of the third to complete the scoring.
Third period shots were 16-9 Trail, for a total in their favour of 40-28 with Carlos Siso taking the loss while Logan Terness earning 1st star honours with the win and the shut out.
The Bulldogs are next in action tomorrow night in Penticton against the Vees, a 6:00pm puck drop.
Hammer
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