A fairly fast paced start, with the Bulldogs having the first good initial push in the opening minute and change. The teams would trade chances through the following minutes, with both John Hawthorne and Noah Featherstonehaugh Gowe looking sharp to keep it scoreless. The game would be changed when the Bulldogs were penalized twice in succession short of the midway point of the first, putting them down two men for 54 seconds. They did a good job on the kill, but couldn't get out of it unscathed as the Clippers scored with 7 seconds left in the first penalty on quick puck movement and a shot from Jordan Wharrie at the right point that hit a Bulldog defender and went up and in over the shoulder of Hawthorne, short-side high over his glove to make it 1-0 at 9:45 of the first. Maxwell Crozier and David Silye picked up the assists. The Bulldogs had a follow up power play, and threatened on it but couldn't find the net, coming close when Ryan Steele hit the post. The Clippers earned another power play later in the period, with John Hawthorne coming up a big save on Cal Babych in front to keep it 1-0. The Clippers out shot the Dogs 15-11 in the period.
The Clippers had a fantastic chance to open a 2-0 lead a minute into the second, but John Hawthorne went post to post to absolutely rob a Clipper with a desperation save off the back post, with then help from Connor Welsh and Mitch Oliver to keep the rebound off the goal line from going in. The Bulldogs would get a great chance to tie the game a few minutes later, but Noah Featherstonehaugh Gowe stopped Christian Simeone on a breakaway to keep it a one-goal game. The Bulldogs earned a power play short of the midway point of the period after a large dust-up in the Nanaimo end. The Bulldogs did not take advantage of the opportunity, as they struggled to win draws and make accurate passes to gain the zone with any speed, or at all, as the Clippers turned them back frequently through the first minute. They did settle down to get a shot or two on goal in the late stages of the power play, but not enough to tie the game. The Clippers would open up a 2-0 lead in the back half of the period on poor defensive coverage by the Bulldogs in their zone, as David Silye was allowed to walk un touched in alone on Hawthorne from the left side. Hawthorne would make the save, but he couldn't get any help on the rebound as Brady Lynn found it and jammed it inside the far post at 12:34 of the second, with Jake Harris also assisting on the play. The Bulldogs killed off a penalty a minute later, which wasn't called by the Official three feet with an unobstructed view in front of it, but instead the back Referee 100 plus feet away. They then earned power play with three minutes to play in the period, for another opportunity to get back into it. They again didn't look overly sharp, and then relied on Hawthorne to keep them in it seconds after the penalty was over as Brad Belisle walked in alone on a breakaway only to again have Hawthorne come up with the save with a minute remaining in the period to keep it just 2-0 Clippers after 40 minutes. Shots in the period were 13-9 Nanaimo, for a 28-20 edge after two.
The Bulldogs came out with a renewed jump to start the third, killing off 1:23 of a Nanaimo carry-over power play and generating a couple offensive chances of their own, but still being unable to bury one to make a game of it. They earned a power play seven minutes into the period, but once again couldn't generate anything. Immediately at it's conclusion one of the most....... there's really nothing I can say that won't look and sound bad, despite how true and accurate it may be. The Bulldogs were penalized.... and then immediately penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct again. Annnnnnd once again a third time before the puck was even dropped, further penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, this time from the bench, as the Coaching Staff received their first minor penalty of the season. This turned an initial penalty into a four minute penalty, with another one added making it a full two minute 5 on 3 for Nanaimo in a 2-0 game with 10 plus minutes left. It's hard to not know what is said down below to judge on why the calls happened. I guess all can be said is despite how bad you’re getting, you just need to zip it. Credit to the Clippers for taking advantage of the gift, as while the Bulldogs did well to kill over a minute of 5 on 3 time, it was just too much, as they scored eventually on the 5 on 3 to once again further change the game, as Colin Heinold ripped a one-timer from the top of the left circle through the legs of Hawthorne to make it 3-0 at 10:46 of the third, with no assists given on the play. There certainly should have been, but it's hard to worry about the unimportant goal scoring details when the primary concern appeared to be who to penalize next. It would Mitch Oliver again incidentally, as he was handed a misconduct. The Clippers would remain on the 5 on 3 power play, and while the Bulldog killed it off the third penalty would end up in the back of their net for the third Clipper power play goal of the game with John Hawthorne making no less than 3 or 4 stops on an extended scramble around the net before Jack MacNab would bury a loose puck to make it 4-0 at 12:37 of the third with assists going to Lucas Vanroboyos and Brad Belisle to complete the scoring. The Bulldogs would be given a power play two minutes later, but couldn't break the shut out bid despite coming painfully close as Christian Simeone hit the crossbar with the netminder completely out of position. The Clippers earned one more power play late in the came after a handful of coincidental penalties as tempers, unsurprisingly continued to flare, but they couldn't cash in on it as time ran out.
Third period shots were 11-10 Bulldogs, for a game total of 38-31 Clippers with John Hawthorne taking the loss while Noah Featherstonehaugh Gowe earned 1st star honours with the win and the shut out.
Hammer
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