Dogs top Smokies 3-2 for second straight win

The Bulldogs got off to a solid start early in the game, with a couple of solid scoring chances and a number of good hits, however a couple penalties against them stopped any momentum. The play got somewhat scrambly late in the period and that saw the Smoke Eaters open the scoring as a Braden Pears point shot deflected twice before ending up on the tape of Tyson Witala who slid it into an open net. Brendan Lamont picked up the only assist on the play at 17:21 of the first. The Dogs would answer back late in the period as Tryg Strand scored on a breakaway in the final seconds of the period as Zak Bowles dug the puck out of the corner and up the wall where Jakson Elynuik chipped it ahead for Strand, who out-raced the defender to the net and scored on the backhand with 6.9 seconds left in the period for a 1-1 tie after one.

The second period didn't see much action with only one goal to speak of coming just short of seven minutes in as the Dogs had two good looks turned aside by Riley Corbin before Scott Clark made it third time lucky burying a puck top corner, short side. Assists on the play went to Mitch Makin and Harlan Orr at 6:55 of the second for a 2-1 Dogs lead after two with the shots tied at 22 a piece.

The Smoke Eaters came out with a great start to the third period and had a handful of chances to try and equalize but Connor LaCouvee was rock solid to keep it 2-1. They would persist and tie it up later in the period with Brodie Clowes in the box - when he actually didn't commit the infraction, Harlan Orr did, as Braden Pears walked down the left wing and back of the Bulldogs net before throwing it cross-crease where an un-checked Travis Stephens one-timed it home to make it 2-2 with 9:16 to play. The score would stay that way after the Bulldogs would end up sent to the box again shortly afterwards, but they came up with a big kill to keep it tied. The Dogs would finally draw a penalty with less than a minute to go in regulation as Hunter Stewart was hauled down at centre ice. They wouldn't end up going on the power play as they scored the game winner on the rush with the goalie headed to the bench for the extra attacker as Mak Barden found Hunter Stewart going to the net. Stewart would put a backhand on net that was stopped by Corbin, but the rebound ended up on the stick of Justin Georgeson in the paint who tapped it home for the 3-2 lead with just :50 seconds to go in the third. The Dogs would make the lead stand as the Smokies weren't able to muster much of a chance as the clock ran out.

Shots favoured the Bulldogs 36-35 with Connor LaCouvee picked up the win and 1st star honours while Riley Corbin took 2nd star honours with the loss. The Dogs went 0 for 2 on the power play while the Smoke Eaters went 1 for 5.