The Bulldogs and Centennials got off to a somewhat slow start Saturday night with neither team able to generate much in the way of chances through the early parts of the period. Action would pick up near the midway mark with a plethora of penalties playing a factor. The Bulldogs would go to the first power play of the game, but that was cancelled out due to a penalty. After the Cents failed to connect on the power play, it was the Bulldogs turn again on the man advantage as Sebastien Pare was sent off for a double-minor after high-sticking Marc Eremenko. The Dogs would connect on the power play when Evan Tironese let a shot go from the top of the point that beat Tyler Steel high through traffic to make it 1-0. Kurt Gosselin picked up the only assist at 14:48 of the first. The Dogs remained on the power play as they scored in the first half of the double minor, and they were close to making it 2-0 when Tironese ripped a cross-ice pass from Manny Gialedakis off the crossbar. The Centennials would quickly tie it at 1-1 late in the period when Payton Schaefer ripped a loose puck from the right circle top corner far side on Jay Deo. Pare picked up the only assist at 19:22 of the first.
The second was relatively penalty free to start and it was great hockey to watch. The Centennials controlled the early parts of the period on several instances as they hemmed the Dogs in their zone. Jay Deo was razor sharp to keep it tied 1-1 as he made a handful of big saves. The Dogs would then go up ice and build their lead to 2-1 as they kept up the attack after after several highlight reel saves by Tyler Steel in the Merritt net as Tryg Strand slid one home from the slot with assists to Evan Anderson and Evan Tironese at 5:43 of the second. The lead was 3-1 Dogs when Ryan Lough found his own rebound in front and fired it home after Evan Anderson walked up top and threw a puck on net from the slot. Assists went to Kurt Gosselin and Manny Gialedakis at 12:24. Late in the period the penalties came fast and furious, with the Dogs killing one off and then going to a power play of their own that was cancelled out just six seconds in with another penalty. Yet another penalty shortly afterwards to Merritt saw the Dogs go to a 4 on 3 power play with under half a minute to play in the period where they built their lead to 4-1 as Manny Gialedakis fired one home from the right circle off a Jared Wilson pass at 19:55 of the period.
The third period was very fun to watch with the Dogs playing hard at both ends of the ice. They would build their lead to 5-1 on a highlight reel goal at the end of a penalty kill as Kurt Gosselin joined the rush after making a sliding defensive play at his net to block a cross-crease pass. Evan Anderson would carry the puck over the line and dangle around a check before finding Gosselin with a cross-ice pass that he one-timed top shelf on Steel at 8:47 of the third. The Dogs were unable to build the lead but were very close to scoring on several chances while shorthanded as time ran off the clock.
Final shots favoured the Centennials 40-34 with Jay Deo picking up the win and 2ndstar honours in net while Tyler Steel took the loss. The Dogs went 2 for 5 on the power play and 5 for 5 on the penalty kill. Next up for the Bulldogs is a home and home series with the Clippers next weekend starting in Nanaimo Friday and finishing at the Dog Pound on Saturday.
