The game was played at a breakneck end to end pace in the first few minutes, with the Bulldogs having the first opportunity in the opening seconds as Evan Googins let a slapper go that hit the knob of the stick of Zach Rose and stayed out. The Grizzlies immediately answered and ran around the Dogs zone for a minute, and John Hawthorne was busy with a flurry of chances in tight. The pace continued through the following minutes, before the Bulldogs were penalized on a hit at centre ice. The Grizzlies had several good chances on the power play, and built momentum on it to have a couple good looks immediately following it but Hawthorne was again fantastic when called upon, stopping both Alex Newhook and Alex Campbell in alone, while also getting some good help around the net most notably from Jackson Doucet to intercepted a pass on what looked like an open net set up. The Bulldogs would earn a power play of their own on a body check a few minutes later, and make quick work on it as Ryan Miotto set up Aaron Bohlinger at the top of the point where he blew a one-timer low on goal where it was deflected through the legs of Rose by Keaton Mastrodonato to make it 1-0 at 10:59 of the first. The Grizzlies again pushed for the equalizer, but the Bulldogs defended before drawing a power play of their own late in the period that they had a couple of great looks on around the net but couldn't cash in on them before the buzzer. Shots in the first were 17-10 Grizzlies.
The second period saw the Bulldogs start with a minute and change on the power play, but they were unable to get anything going. The game was somewhat sloppy to the midway point of the period, with the Grizzlies still having a couple good looks that Hawthorne turned away to protect the lead. The Grizzlies would make it 1-1 just a minute past the midway mark of the period as a rim up the wall was kept in at the right point by Alex Newhook. He would walk in and rip a perfectly placed shot top corner over the glove of Hawthorne, with the lone assist to Jeremie Bucheler at 11:09 of the second. The Bulldogs would immediately silence the building, as Aaron Bohlinger made a good defensive play in the slot in his zone to poke it free for Ethan McLaughlin. He would put a perfect stretch pass up the left wing for Mitchel Deelstra behind the Grizzlies defence, where he flew in alone on Rose to pick the top corner, short-side to put the Dogs ahead 2-1 at 11:46 of the period. The Bulldogs earned a power play three minutes later, but couldn't make it count. Deelstra would get another breakaway in similar fashion a minute later, but Rose made the save to keep it 2-1. The Bulldogs drew another power play late in the period, which turned into a 5 on 3 power play to start the third when Ryan Nolan picked up a major penalty for boarding on a nasty hit with 1 second left in the period that saw Keaton Mastrodonato go head first into the ledge where the boards and glass meet. Shots in the second were 10-10 for a 27-20 Grizzlies edge after 40 minutes.
The Bulldogs came painfully close to padding their lead on the major, with Dawson Tritt pulling the puck across the slot in tight alone on Rose where he rang the puck off the crossbar. Another set up to the slot for Ryan Miotto just missed short-side. The Grizzlies created a great chance on the rush soon afterwards, but John Hawthorne despite fighting some traffic made a great glove save on a cross-ice deflection. The Bulldogs countered, with another great chance cutting in front for Tritt fought off by the blocker of Rose. The Grizzlies had a great chance for the equalizer in the back half of the period, but John Hawthorne made another huge save with his right toe on a breakaway chance for Henri Schreifels. Another great chance to pad the lead came when Dawson Tritt stole the puck at centre and skated in alone on Rose, who got his glove on it to keep it out. Major fireworks erupted with just under six minutes to play, as Grayson Valente took a hit in the back and up high from a jumping Alex Newhook. There was no initial call on the hit, but Keaton Mastrodonato saw Valente down and took exception to it and challenged Newhook, who answered the call as both players threw some pretty good punches. The Grizzlies earned a power play out of it with an instigator penalty to Mastrodonato, but they weren't on the power play for long as Isaac Tonkin-Palmer was hauled down at centre ice. The Bulldogs defended well, with one good pass block by Aaron Bohlinger, The Grizzlies would work it back to the line, and Bohlinger blocked one more shot before banking up the wall for Austin Spiridakis, who bunted it out of mid air and into neutral ice where Josh Zary skated to the Grizzlies line to seal the deal for the 3-1 final score at 19:36 of the third.
Third period shots were 11-10 Grizzlies, for a 38-30 game total in their favour. John Hawthorne earned 1st star honours with the win, while Zachary Rose took the loss. The Bulldogs went 1 for 6 on the power play, while the Grizzlies went 0 for 2.
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