Capitals top Bulldogs 5-1

A game that had it's bright spots, but not enough consistency, as the Dogs dropped a 5-1 decision to the Capitals to fall to 0 and 4 on the season.

Both teams seemed ready to go from the opening puck drop, with great pace and exciting end to end hockey. The Capitals would find the net first on a centering pass out of the corner that was onto the tape of Mitch Powell in the slot where he put a one-timer home past the blocker of Blake Pearson. Assists on the play went to Dane Gibson and Mitch Ball at 4:13 of the first.

The Dogs didn't deflate, instead they answered right back as Justin Georgeson set up Hunter Stewart off a faceoff in the Capitals end as Stewart snapped one off the far post and in past Robin Gusse at 4:32.

The Capitals would retake the lead at the tail end of a power play, after what looked like a really good kill by the Dogs with the Capitals not able to get anything going offensively. With 10 seconds left on the power play it was 2-0 as Steen Cooper roofed a loose puck from the doorstep on what might have been an intentionally-wide shot by Rylan Ball. Brayden Gelsinger also drew an assist on the play at 9:02 of the first.

The Dogs would have several good shifts in the offensive zone looking for the equalizer, but they were unable to bury. The line of Keenan Scott, Zak Bowles and Dean Allison might have had the best of the shifts. The Capitals would build their lead late in the period on another tough luck goal as Steen Cooper attempted a slap shot at the net, only to have his stick break in two, resulting instead in a perfect pass onto the tape of Sam Curleigh where he went high, glove side on Pearson from the slot to make it 3-1 Capitals at 18:22 of the first, with Patrick Arnold also drawing an assist on the play.

The Bulldogs might have played their best 10 minutes of the season to open the second period, again with the Scott-Bowles-Allison line leading the way. Unfortunatley, the Dogs weren't able to find the net, and they then appeared deflated when the Capitals went up 4-1 as they out-battled the Dogs in the crease after Blake Pearson made the first save on a deflected point shot. Sam Curleigh would poke it over the line for his second of the game from Rylan Bechtel and Taki Pantziris at 12:14 of the second. Three minutes later it was a 5-1 lead as the Capitals made it look easy as Dane Gibson retrieved a puck on a dump in and threw a cross-crease pass onto the tape of Mason Malkowich who tapped it into the open side at 15:07 for a 5-1 Capitals lead after two periods. 

There would be no scoring throughout the third period.

I had the Dogs going 0 for 6 on the power play, while the Capitals went 1 for 2. Robin Gusse picked up the win in net while Blake Pearson took the loss in his first BCHL start.

The two teams next play Wednesday night in the rematch at the Dog Pound.

Hammer