The Bulldogs had the first Grade A scoring chance of the game, with a pretty three way passing play seeing Mitch Oliver take a Stephen Castagna pass over the Kings line up the right wing before putting a cross-ice feed onto the tape of Paul Selleck, only to have Matteo Paler Chow make a highlight reel save getting something on it to keep it scoreless. The Dogs opened the scoring three minutes later, when an initial chance at the net stayed out, and Stephen Castagna cleared the crease to back off to the slot where he found a Paul Selleck pass worked free from Tyler Vanuden in the left corner that he one-timed low through Paler-Chow for his first career goal to make it 1-0 at 6:53 of the first. The Bulldogs would immediately break down in their zone seconds later, with all five players getting caught on one side of the ice, resulting in a wide-open Nick Abbott being set up on the door step, only to be robbed by the glove of Brock Lefevbre. Seconds later almost the same play developed, with Abbott making no mistake after being set up alone at the side of the crease where he lifted a shot high past the glove of Lefevbre to make it 1-1 at 7:40 of the first, with Mitch Williams and Carmine Buono drawing the assists. The Bulldogs killed off a Kings penalty later in the period, with Brock Lefevbre making a great right pad save on a Carter Turnbull one-timer. The puck bounced up ice, and Paul Selleck skated in alone where he was stopped by Paler-Chow, with the Kings drawing a blow to the head penalty on the play. The Dogs earned a short 5 on 3 power play soon afterwards on a slashing call, and had a couple great chances in the paint but couldn't beat Chow or get a bounce as it stayed 1-1 after 20 minutes, with the shots favouring the Bulldogs 15-10.
The second period was hotly contested but without and glaring mistakes leading to scoring chances throughout the early parts of the period. The Kings would take their first lead of the game on a power play just short of eight minutes in as they worked the puck around the zone before Carter Turnbull collected an Andy Stevens pass at the top of the left circle. He would pull the puck back to change the angle just enough to open a shooting lane before snapping a perfectly placed shot top corner, long-side over the glove of Lefevbre to make it 2-1 at 7:28 of the second. The Bulldogs had their fair share of chances to tie it, the most notably coming on the rush when both Carter Harris and Pearce Messer were robbed in tight by Paler-Chow to protect the lead. The Kings had a chance to build the lead later in the period with a dangerous looking power play that they threatened on, but Lefevbre made a handful of good saves to keep it a one goal game. Shots in the period were 16-10 Kings, for a 40 minute advantage of 26-25.
The Kings had an early edge in the third period, with Brock Lefevbre making a couple solid saves, most notably on Josh Coblenz and Mitchell Williams. The Kings kept pushing, but Lefevbre was solid to keep it a one-goal game. The Dogs would respond at the midway point of the third on the rush, as Tyler Vanuden cut back at his own line to play the puck up the left wing for Stephen Castagna, who chipped it ahead for Paul Selleck. He would gain the line with speed and let a quick release go that might have caught Paler-Chow, and might have tipped off of Carmine Buono as it found the top corner, long side to make it 2-2 at 10:04 of the third. The Kings pushed back and hemmed the Dogs in on the very next shift, but the Dogs defended well. They then pushed offensively at the other end, and took a 3-2 lead with 3:22 to play as Paul Selleck played the puck from the left corner up the left half-wall where Tyler Vanuden picked it up and walked into the deep slot where he ripped a wrister high past the glove of Paler-Chow. Assists on the play went to Darren Rizzolo and Stephen Castagna, although Paul Selleck certainly appeared to have been in on the play. The Dogs would put the game away two minutes later, when a faceoff win was rimmed up the glass up the right wing and through the legs of a Kings defender at the line. Keaton Mastrodonato would chase it down up the right wing into the top of the circle where he sniped a perfect shot top corner, far-side over the blocker of Paler-Chow to make it 4-2 at 18:15 of the third, with assists to Darren Rizzolo and Mitch Oliver.
Third period shots were 14-8 Kings, for a game total in their favour of 40-33 with Brock Lefevbre picking up 1st star honours with the win while Matteo Paler-Chow took the loss while earning 2nd star honours.
The Bulldogs go into the playoffs winning two in a row, they'll face the Victoria Grizzlies in a best-of-seven set beginning at the Q Centre on Friday night.
Hammer
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