The Bulldogs were a step or two behind off the opening faceoff, and found themselves down 1-0 just half a minute into the game when the Express retrieved a draw in the Bulldogs zone, and Regan Kimens slid a pass across the crease to the back post where Pito Walton chipped it past the right pad of John Hawthorne. Ty Westgard also earned an assist at 30 seconds of the first. The Dogs continued to be a step behind, and took a penalty a minute later. They would kill it off to keep in the game, but they struggled to get going as the Express carried a 9-1 edge into the halfway point of the period. The Bulldogs would get the equalizer later in the frame on a good defensive play by Ryan Novecosky at his line poke-checking Ty Westgard. Evan Googins would hustle to the loose puck and poke it by an Express forward and onto the tape of Isaac Tonkin-Palmer who walked up the left wing into the top of the circle and beat Clay Stevenson far-side off his glove and in on the second Bulldog shot of the game at 15:49 of the first. The Bulldogs couldn't build off of it, as the Express went ahead again three minutes later off a draw in their end that saw Jordan Schulting put an outlet pass to centre ice up the right wing and then drive the Bulldog net where he wasn't picked up to tap in a backdoor pass into an open net from Ty Westgard. Jared Power also picked up an assist at 18:04 of the first. The Express looked to have a sure goal late in the period, but John Hawthorne made a jaw dropping desperation save on the goal line sticking his glove down behind him to rob Christian Sanda to keep it 2-1 after one. Shots were 15-4 Express.
The Bulldogs were much better through the early minutes of the second period. While they by no means were dominant, they weren't chasing the play. They earned a power play inside the five minute mark, and scored on it - or wait a minute, did they? A Jackson Doucet net drive was stopped Stevenson, but he couldn't cover it cleanly, allowing Dawson Tritt to dive and poke it home five-hole. The goal was allowed, and then after an extended discussion waved off due to "incidental contact on the goalie" of which there was none. Certainly a tough, tough call to explain, and to accept in what would've made the game 2-2. Instead, it was 3-1 Express at the 8:53 mark of the period as Regan Kimens found the net past the glove of Hawthorne from the slot, with assists to Westgard and Power at 8:53 of the period. The Bulldogs answered to make it a one-goal game, and this one counted, as Mitchel Deelstra picked off a pass in the Bulldog zone and then raced up ice up the left wing and around Jack Cameron to get in on goal where he slid a backhand home fivehole on Stevenson, un-assisted at 10:03 of the second. The Bulldogs would unfortunately give it right back, with a couple of turnovers resulting in a cross-ice pass onto the tape of Joshua Wildauer from Connor Gregga less than 30 seconds later finished short-side past the glove of Hawthorne to make it 4-2, with Christian Sanda also assisting at 10:32 of the second. The Bulldogs again didn't go away, making it 4-3 two minutes later as Mitchel Deelstra dumped the puck into the right corner of the Express zone where it was chased down by Aaron Bohlinger. He made a quick pass to the top of the left circle where Stephen Castagna found it, and snapped it home long-side off the post past the glove of Stevenson to make it 4-3 at 12:32 of the second. Again the Bulldogs couldn't build on it, as the Express went ahead 5-3 on the rush three minutes later when a pass off a leg was found by Regan Kimens, and immediately ripped high short side over Hawthorne to make it 5-3 at 15:58, with the lone assist to Ty Westgard. The Express had the Bulldogs running around in their zone for a minute on the following shift, and made them pay for it as Dallas Farrell was set up alllllll alone in front where he went post and in far-side on Hawthorne to make it 6-3 at 16:58 of the second, with assists to Danny Pearson and Alex Dipaolo. Shots were 10-9 Express, for a 25-13 Coquitlam after 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs showed no signs of packing it in early in the third, but couldn't connect on an early power play before falling down 7-3 on another rush that saw no one pick up Danny Pearson who tapped it in off the back post, with assists going to Dallas Farrell and Aaron White at 4:58 of the third. Again the Bulldogs didn't quit, and made it 7-4 when Ryan Miotto played the puck from below the goal line for Jackson Doucet, who set up Ryan Novecosky at the right point, where he put a wrist shot past the glove of Stevenson at 7:38. The Express would complete the scoring five minutes later, on another shift where they had the Dogs running around their zone for an extended period before Jack Cameron put a pass from the left point off the back post where it was deflected into the open side by Alex DiPaolo, who beat his man to the net to make it 8-4 at 12:20 of the third. It could've been worse if not for Hawthorne, who made a highlight reel glove save diving across the crease on Regan Kimens later in the period, and several more from the slot.
Third period shots were 16-9 Bulldogs, for a game total of 34-28 Express, with Hawthorne and Stevenson being the goalies of record. Both sides went 0 for 2 on the power play.
The Bulldogs next see action Friday night when they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Hammer
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