The Bulldogs got off to a great start to the game, led by a crushing hit by Ryan Steele on Ben Allen. They continued to push hard on the opening shift and getting the puck in deep and on net. A shot from Tyson Slater from the right point hit the crossbar behind Nolan Hildebrand and stayed out. The Bulldogs kept their push on, but ended up in the penalty box on back to back instances that took some of their momentum away, but they killed both off successfully to keep it scoreless with John Hawthorne tested a couple of instances but looking sharp. The Bulldogs would push back with an extended attacking zone shift that saw them have several good looks, but they couldn't find the net as it remained 0-0 after one, with the shots being 13-9 in favour of the Vees, although I noticed at least three occasions where the Bulldogs didn't appear to be credited with a shot when they had one.
The second period again started with good pace and flow both ways. Ryan Steele would force a turnover just over two minutes in that resulted in a partial breakaway for Keaton Mastrodonato that saw a penalty go against the Vees as he was hooked from behind. The Bulldogs were sharp on the power play, moving the puck crisply and getting no less than 5 pucks on net with a couple glorious looks. While they didn't score, they certainly gained momentum that they carried through the next couple of minutes. The game remained scoreless through the middle of the period, with the Bulldogs having the better of the chances. The Vees would push to open the scoring in the back-half of the frame, with John Hawthorne coming up with a great save on a one-timer in front by Lucas Sillinger. The Vees took a 1-0 lead with six minutes left in the period on a dump-in that saw Cassidy Bowes out-fight his check below the goal line before walking out front untouched where he spun to his forehand and put a perfectly placed shot short-side high off the post and in past Hawthorne. The Dogs answered three minutes later when Brandon Bergado aggressively carried the puck out from behind the Vees net and fed Tyson Slater at the left point. He snapped a D-to-D feed across the line to Sami Pharaon, who quickly fired a low shot at the net that was deflected off the far post and in by Paul Selleck to make it 1-1 at 17:22 of the period. The Dogs drew a power play in the late stages of the period, and again looked sharp and threatened around the Vees net but couldn't cash in as it remained 1-1 after two, with the Dogs out shooting the Vees 17-8 in the period for a 26-21 lead after 40 minutes.
The third period began with a bang - and then was delayed by a bang. The Bulldogs were unable to connect on 1:16 of power play time to begin the period, but quickly took their first lead of the game just inside of three minutes in as Isaac Tonkin-Palmer fought a faceoff to the slot and to the front of the net for Cole Poliziani who walked across the crease from left to right and battled it onto his stick and fired it off the pad of Hildebrand and in under the bar to make it 2-1 Bulldogs at 2:52 of the third. The lead was very short-lived, as the Vees responded just over half a minute later when Ryan Sandelin fed the puck from the right corner behind the Bulldogs goal line to the left side of the net for Jared Nash, who banked one in off the back of Hawthorne and just over the line to make it 2-2 at 3:23 of the third. Just a minute and change later it was 3-2 when Owen Sillinger walked down the right wing and snapped one on goal long-side that snuck through the seven hole, blocker side on Hawthorne and just over the line, with Ryan O'Connell drawing the lone assist. The game was delayed for a good 10-15 minutes shortly afterwards when Cassidy Bowes threw a hard hit on Mitch Oliver after he had put a pass to centre ice, resulting in the glass that separates the Bulldog bench and the crowd shattering. Once it was replaced, the Vees built their lead on a long attacking zone shift that saw Nicky Leivermann put a cross-ice pass to the back door for Riley Nash, who one-timed it into the open side past a stickless John Hawthorne to make it 4-2 at 9:24 of the third to complete the scoring. The Bulldogs wouldn't be able to muster much of a push to get back in it, as they took back to back penalties in the following minutes that saw them spending the bulk of their time on the defensive side of the puck in their zone as opposed to attacking as the Vees made the lead stand.
Third period shots were 15-7 Vees, for a game total in their favour of 36-33. John Hawthorne took the loss in net, while Nolan Hildebrand picked up third star honours with the win. The Dogs went 0 for 3 on the power play while the Vees went 0 for 4.
With the loss, the Dogs have lost two in a row, and are winless in three. They are next in action tomorrow night in Wenatchee.
Hammer
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