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The first few minutes were back and forth, and energetic. The Bulldogs would earn a power play after a good containment shift in the Capitals zone. They looked good on it, but also gave up a shorthanded breakaway where Brody Claeys poke-checked it away from Ty Pochipinski. The Bulldogs would push back in the back-half of the power play, and while they failed to score it wasn't for a lack of opportunities as they pushed the pace and moved the puck with purpose and got it on net frequently as Lane Michasiw made a series off solid stops in the Caps net. Immediately after the power play elapsed, the Capitals would take another penalty at the Bulldog net. The Dogs would connect on it by again just getting the puck on net, and getting a bounce as a result as Connor Welsh and Trevor Cosgrove switched up at the point resulting in a Welsh one-timer hitting either traffic in front, or Michasiw, before bouncing cross-ice where it was one-timed home by Jordan Sandhu to make it 1-0 at 9:38 of the first. The Dogs pushed to build the lead and had their chances but couldn't capitalize. The Caps would answer against the flow of play after a scramble at their net as the play turned up ice and Justin Perron carried over the Dogs line up the right wing and to the bottom of the circle where he threw it at the net and got a bounce as it caromed off a Bulldog and in for his first career goal to make it 1-1 at 16:44 of the first. No assists were given on the play. Shots in the period favoured the Bulldogs 16-6.
The Bulldogs again got off to a good start in the second, having two or three great chances in the slot and in tight in the Caps end stayed out, the most notable being a one-timer from the slot that saw Lane Michasiw flash out the left toe. The Caps would go immediately up ice on the rush against the flow of play and take a 2-1 lead when the Dogs turned it over behind their net, allowing Alec Zawatsky to walk out from behind the goal line and score a beautiful goal going top corner, short-side high catching Claeys leaving the post early. No assists were given at 3:32 of the second. The Dogs continued to push, and came back to tie the game at 2-2 after again a series of good chances finally saw Ryan Steele put the puck behind the goal line for Auggie Moore who made a spinning behind-the-back pass onto the tape of Henry Marshall at the top of the crease where he fought it home over the line at 8:02 of the period. Just seconds later it was a 3-2 Caps lead as a shot from the point was stopped by Claeys, but the rebound went right into the stick of Alec Zawatsky who fired it into the open side. Assists on the play went to Ty Pochipinski and Chris Harpur at 8:43 of the second. Just 10 seconds later it was 4-2, albeit controversially, as a wrist shot from the right wing wall eluded Claeys, and certainly went into the net. However, as Claeys pushed off the post, the net appeared to come off. The Referee at the net would immediately wave it off, but after an extended conversation between all four Officials the call would be changed to goal. Ty Pochipinski would get credited with it, with the lone assist going to Ryan Hogg at 8:53 of the period. The Dogs would change goalies, and to their credit didn't appear to be deflated by it as they just kept pushing. After again a handful of good chances were kept out by Michasiw, they made it a one-goal game when Alex MacDonald did a great job to get in on the forecheck and tie it up behind the Caps net. Ryan Steele would support him and feed it back to the top of the right circle for Paul Savage, who just simply fired it on net through traffic. The puck would hit something, and find the top corner over the glove of Michasiw. No assists were given on the play at 18:28 of the period. Shots were even at 16 aside, for a Bulldog advantage of 32-22 after 40 minutes.
The first few minutes were played rather cautiously, with the Dogs coming up with a solid penalty kill to stay within a goal. They would take another penalty, but then draw one immediately on the faceoff. During four-aside hockey they tied the game as Tristan Bukovec did a great job to hustle in on the forecheck, forcing a puck to the right point that was kept in by Trevor Cosgrove. Bukovec would then drive to the middle to support the puck and take a return pass from Cosrgove that he sent cross-ice to the left point for Connor Welsh, who found Jordan Sandhu all alone in front where he cut across the crease and deked out Michasiw to slide it into the open side to tie it at 4-4 at 7:47 of the third. The Dogs would come up with another solid penalty kill on a too-many-men penalty to keep it tied, with Carson Schaerhorn looking sharp. As the back half of the period wore on, the Dogs would have too many chances to even begin to recap, including on back to back power plays with less than five, and just over a minute to play, but they couldn't beat Michasiw as the game went to overtime. The Dogs out shot the Capitals 11-9 in the third, for a 60 minute total of 43-31.
The first overtime saw more of the same, with the Dogs having a bushel of chances, but again Michasiw was fantastic to keep his team in it, with the Dogs out shooting the Caps 9-0 in the first OT. The second OT would see the Dogs earn the opening possession, but they couldn't capitalize before the Caps took the puck back, and won the game as Max Newton dumped it down the left wing for Chris Harpur, who walked behind the Dogs net, out the near side, and across the slot un-touched where he put a perfect wrist shot top corner, far-side over the glove of Schamerhorn for the 5-4 final, with Ayden MacDonald also drawing an assist at 41 seconds of double OT.
Carson Schamerhorn took the loss in net in a solid relief effort, while Lane Michasiw was fantastic in earning the win. The Dogs went 2 for 7 on the power play while the Capitals went 0 for 3.
The Dogs are next in action tomorrow night when they face the Grizzlies in Victoria.
Hammer
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