Dogs snap losing streak at nine, end season with 5-5 tie against Kings

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This game was crazy through the early moments, with the Dogs winning the opening faceoff and getting the puck deep in the Kings zone. They held the zone, but couldn't generate a chance before the Kings entered the Bulldogs end and promptly went up 1-0 as Brody Claeys played the puck, but it was cut off by a Bulldog defender and almost banked off of Claeys initially, but stayed out on a scramble with Claeys making a couple saves and his defenders helping to clear the paint. They couldn't clear the zone though, as the puck went to the line where it was thrown on net and deflected off Claeys and in under his arm to make it 1-0 at 1:21 of the first with Kyle Betts getting credit for the goal, with assists to Joshua Bruce and Carter Turnbull. The Bulldogs didn't appear deflated by giving up the opening goal for the ninth straight game, as they tied it almost immediately on a scramble at the Kings net that saw Cayden Kraus find a loose puck after a pretty initial move by Kyle Kaufmann. Kraus would be stopped, but Alex MacDonald slammed the rebound home into the open side at 2:08 of the first to make it 1-1. The Kings responded almost immediately, as Josh Coblenz was allowed to walk right to the slot where he snapped a quick release past the blocker of Claeys to make it 2-1 at 2:33 of the first, with Joshua Bruce assisting. The Kings smelled blood at this point, and several great chances to build their lead, with Brody Claeys came up big, repeatedly to keep the Dogs in it. The most notable stop was on a 2 on 1 rush that turned into a breakaway for Gavin Rauser, but Claeys came up with a big pad save to keep it a one-goal game. The Dogs would push back and get a breakaway chance of their own as a beautiful pass by Cayden Kraus sent Jake Witkowski in alone. He wouldn't be able to get a shot away while fighting off a defender's stick around his hands, and also couldn't draw a penalty shot, or even a minor penalty. The Dogs would get the equalizer late in the first, on a great effort by Cayden Kraus to hustle and win a race in the Dogs zone to chip the puck out at the line to create a 2 on 1 rush. Jake Witkowski would carry the puck wide down the left wing and deep to out wait a defender before putting a perfect pass to the top of the crease for Alex MacDonald, who roofed it under the bar and over Wilson to make it a 2-2 game at 18:26 of the first. Shots in the period were 12-11 Kings.

The Bulldogs were flat to start the second, with the Kings having several good scoring chances around Claeys in the first two minutes that they couldn't convert. The Bulldogs again got their legs going to push the pace and push back to earn a power play. They looked certain to have earned a 5 on 3 power play when Trevor Cosgrove was chopped down behind the Kings goal with the puck, but the Referees looked on. At the other end moments later, an eerily similar trip WOULD be called against Kyle Kaufmann. The Dogs would then be penalized again on a hook, giving the Kings a 5 on 3 power play as the boo bird voiced their displeasure. Credit the Kings for capitalizing on it, on a pretty set up to the crease from the left point that was deflected home from the paint by Ben Berard to make it 3-2, with Cam Donaldson and Carmine Buono assisting. The Bulldogs would earn the predictable even up call before the remainder of the power play was up, but couldn't find the net before allowing a discouraging shorthanded goal as a Defenseman quit on the puck at the attacking line to give up a shorthanded breakaway that saw Brody Claeys come up with a big save on Tristan Mullin. He would slide out of position, and his defenders offered him no help as Gavin Rauser slid it into the open net to make it 4-2 at 9:40 of the second. The Bulldogs would again show no quit, and made it a one-goal game late in the period on a great shift by Kyle Kaufmann, Stratton Pickett and Spencer Hunter battling the puck to the slot in the Kings zone where Kaufmann spun and fired to find the far corner, low along the ice past Wilson at 14:55 of the second. Just 25 seconds later it was a tie game as Alex MacDonald broke up a play in the Dogs end to send Cayden Kraus up ice down the left wing. He sprung Jake Witkowski for a breakaway that Wilson came up big on, but Kraus drove the net to one-time the rebound home top corner to make it 4-4 at 15:20 of the second. The Dogs weren't able to build on the momentum though, as they gave up a series of open looks in the slot in the following minutes leading to the Kings taking the lead as Carter Turnbull was set up wide open in the hashmarks where he snapped a shot past the blocker of Claeys to make it 5-4 at 17:01 of the second, from Tristan Mullin and Kyle Betts assisting. Shots in the period were 18-17 Bulldogs, for a 29-29 total after two periods.

The third period began with the Bulldogs drawing a power play five minutes into it, and connecting on it to tie the game as Connor Welsh took a hit at the right point to keep the puck in the attacking zone. He would get it deep for Henry Marshall, who fed Ryan Steele in the right corner. He would simply put it on net from a terrible angle, but Wilson had trouble with it as it snuck through and went across the line to the far post where Nicholas Rasovic poked it home to make it 5-5 at 5:43 of the third. Each side had their chances through the remainder of the period, but both Wilson and Claeys were big to keep it tied and force overtime. Third period shots were 13-8 Powell River for a 60 minute total in their favour of 42-37.

The first overtime saw the teams trade chances, with the Dogs having a couple good early looks, and the Kings having a great initial chance hit the bar and stay out. Brody Claeys would come up with a big in alone chance for Tristan Mullin on a beautiful move to make a Bulldog defender miss as the game went to three on three double OT. The Dogs would earn a power play chance early into it, on a Ryan Steele play at the defending blue line. The Dogs had a couple good looks, but couldn't beat Wilson. Claeys would come up huge again at the other end on a 2 on 1 rush robbing Jonny Evans in the slot to keep the game going. In the end it would go the distance, with neither team finding the net as 70 minutes wasn't enough to find a winner and the game ended in a 5-5 tie.

Shots in overtime were 7-5 Bulldogs for a total of 47-44 Kings with Brian Wilson and Brody Claeys being the goalies of record.