The game started with the Bulldogs with the best early chance in the first minute on a 3 on 2 rush that saw Zachary Rose make a good save on Jackon Doucet and no allow a rebound with two Bulldogs going to the net. The Grizzlies would open the scoring on a Bulldog error at the attacking line as a defenceman missed a pass back to the line resulting in a clear-cut breakaway for Ethan Nother that he made good on as he cut across the crease and slid it through the legs of John Hawthorne to make it 1-0, un-assisted at 4:47 of the first. The Bulldogs would be penalized just 18 seconds later, and came up with a big kill to keep it a one-goal game. Another penalty two minutes later put them down a man, with yet another call against them a minute later giving Victoria a 5 on 3 power play of 52 seconds in duration. A couple solid saves by Hawthorne, and a couple posts and crossbars by the Grizzlies kept it 1-0. A fourth straight penalty against the Bulldogs to open the game - no, really... would be cancelled out with a penalty at the whistle against the Grizzlies. The Bulldogs would draw a call later in the period, but couldn't get anything going on the power play as the Grizzlies took the 1-0 lead to the room after 20 minutes. Shots were 6-5 Grizzlies.
The Bulldogs looked like a team possessed to start the second frame, as they jumped out to a 6-0 lead in shots in the first 2:37 of the period. They would earn a power play as a result of their efforts, and had a couple good looks around the net just by simply getting pucks there. They couldn't beat Zach Rose though, as he protected the lead. That would be huge a few minutes later, as the Grizzlies earned a power play on an errant Bulldog stick. They would make good on it, on a simple play from the left point as Ethan Nother put a wrist shot on goal that was deflected in short-side past the blocker of Hawthorne by Matt Dorran on the doorstep. Nother wouldn't be given an assist on the play from ice level, as they were instead given to Carter Berger and Lucas Clark at 7:46 of the second. Just a minute and change later the Grizzlies looked to have gone up 3-0 on a big save by Hawthorne from the hashmarks resulting in a rebound at the side of the net that was put in by Jamie Rome. The Referee behind the net immediately waved it off, saying that it was kicked in. The goal looked good to me in real time, and I didn't see any kick. Watching a replay that was considerably slowed down, it appeared there might have been a minor kicking motion. At any length, the Dogs dodged a bullet. They would earn another power play with a chance to get back in it late in the period but once again struggled to generate enough, spending the last minute of the power play failing to cross centre, leading to a frustrated defenceman picking up a four minute penalty for spearing. The Bulldogs would kill off most of the first half of the double minor as the period ended, to keep the score 2-0 Grizzlies. Shots in the period were 12-10 Grizzlies, for a 18-15 edge in their favour.
The Bulldogs killed off the remainder of the double minor to start the third, while drawing a penalty early in it. They wouldn't get a short power play however, as they were once again penalized. As they killed off that subsequent call, they were again instantly penalized. Once again, they came up with a solid penalty kill - for the fourth straight time, to keep it just 2-0. The Bulldogs finally got back to even strength, and started to mount a push at the midway point of the period, getting a couple pucks on net and spending time in the attacking zone. Before the Dogs could get on the board, they ended up in the box - pretty much for the rest of the game. The Bulldogs had a pending power play with seven minutes to go in the third when Darren Rizzolo was hit high by Marty Westhaver behind the Dogs net. Rizzolo would retaliate and jump on him and throw a series of punches, unfortunately turning a power play into a 5 minute penalty kill. Things would be further compounded a couple minutes later, when a soft call against Christian Simeone put the Dogs down two men for a full two minutes. The Dogs got to the final seconds of it, but the Grizzlies put the game away when Cameron Thompson walked into the hash marks and beat John Hawthorne low, stick-side. Assists on the play went to TJ Friedmann and Jamie Rome at 16:29 of the third for the eventual 3-0 final.
Third period shots were 10-9 Bulldogs, for a game total of 27-25 Grizzlies. John Hawthorne took the loss while Zach Rose earned 1st star honours with the win and the shut out.
The Bulldogs try to snap a four game losing streak tomorrow night when they host the Salmon Arm Silverbacks.
Hammer
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