The Capitals came out with the early edge in energy and desperation, as the Dogs took a bit to find their legs and get in the game. A harbinger of things to come shortly afterwards saw a questionable penalty shot awarded to the Capitals, on what looked like great defence to me, as three Bulldogs converged on Dane Gibson and no one seemed to get anything more than a light touch of a stick on the player while taking the puck away. Thankfully it wasn't of consequence as Connor LaCouvee came up with a big pad save on Dane Gibson to keep it scoreless just 3:20 into the game. It's hard not to say anything at this point about the Officiating - I would rather not, but it's a part of the game. The game for the period lacked flow, and both teams appeared to take issue with the Offcials. Tempers flared late in the period with a dust up at the Bulldog bench - the Dogs came out of it with a power play, and a 10 minute misconduct to Kurt Gosselin. Less than a minute into the opportunity they would pick up a penalty and have it taken away to bring about four-aside hockey, which happened several times in the first period. The period ended in a scoreless tie, with the Dogs up in the shots 11-9.
Here's the penalty shot call - you make the call!
The second period saw the Bulldogs kill off a minute of a carry-over penalty from the end of the first, before then heading to the box on back-to-back occasions shortly afterwards. They did a good job to kill the penalties off though, allowing the Capitals just one shot in just over five minutes of power play time. The Dogs would get their turn on the power play late in the period - after Kurt Gosselin was hauled down on a breakaway chance. It was no where near as clean as the Bulldogs defence on a breakaway that resulted in a Capitals penalty shot early in the game, but this would end up as just a minor penalty, but that is just how I saw it. The Dogs again weren't able to generate much of an attack as the man advantage struggled to get going. The Caps would have several great chances to open the scoring late in the period but Connor LaCouvee robbed Colton Kehler on a cross-ice one-timer with his right pad, before then standing tall to stop Mason Malkowich on a wide-open look from in tight. The game remained scoreless after 40 minutes with the Caps leading in the shots 19-18.
Here's the no penalty shot call - you make the call again. I would think one can't help but compare it to the first one
The Bulldogs began the third period on the power play, and again failed to generate much. It would come back to bite them shortly afterwards when the Capitals found the net on a centering pass by Daniel Wanner from behind the net to the top of the paint to Dane Gibson, who one-timed it through LaCouvee to make it 1-0 and send the Teddy Bears flying 3:33 into the third. Just 2:07 later the Capitals went ahead 2-0 as Mitch Ball walked over the Bulldogs blue line and beat Connor LaCouvee glove side on the rush from the top of the left circle with a snap shot long-side. Assists on the play went to Brayden Gelsinger and Colton Kehler at the 5:40 mark of the third period. Less than three minutes later the barrage continued as Mason Malkowich flipped the puck high in the air from the Capitals goal line to centre ice, where a Bulldog defender cut it off but failed to get it deep and turned it over at the Capitals line. Taki Pantziris would race into the 'Dogs zone on a partial breakaway before dishing over to Brayden Gelsinger who skated in alone and break LaCouvee with a backhand deke on the breakaway at 8:16 of the third. Two minutes later the Capitals built the lead to 4-0 on another in-alone chance as Mason Malkowich went to the backhand to put it past LaCouvee after nifty passing by Jesse Neher and Kyle Horsman at 10:12 of the third. Just two and a half minutes later the floodgates remained open when Jordan Topping scored on the rush from the top of the left circle, sneaking one through the seven-hole, glove side on LaCouvee to make it 5-0. Assists on the play went to Sam Curleigh and Daniel Wanner at 12:53 of the third period. One more to finish the scoring came on the rush on the power play as the Caps entered the Dogs zone and no one picked up Myles Powell who took a cross-ice pass and skated in alone on LaCouvee where he went to the backhand to tuck it home. Dane Gibson and Rylan Bechtel picked up the assists at 15:49 of the third for the 6-0 Final.
Shots favoured the Capitals 32-20 with Robin Gusse picking up the shut out and 3rd star honours while Connor LaCouvee took the loss. The Dogs went 0 for 6 on the power play while the Capitals 1 for 7.
The Dogs will try to bounce back tomorrow night at home when they host the Coquitlam Express.
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