The Bulldogs snapped a four game losing streak, a four game road losing streak, and the Silverbacks seven-game home ice winning streak with a 5-2 win at the Shaw Centre on Friday night.
The Bulldogs drew first blood 10:59 into the first, snapping a streak of five straight games of allowing the first goal, as recently minted BCHL All-Star Ethan Bono stole the puck in the attacking zone and walked in alone to score with a perfectly played high-short-side finish to make it 1-0. The Bulldogs doubled their lead just seven seconds into a power play opportunity later in the period as Braden Blace set up Raoul Boilard, who threw the puck at the net where Will Elger scored on a deft short-side deflection to make it 2-0 with 5:40 to play in the first. Fireworks erupted late in the frame, with David Sacco earning a one-sided decision in a scrap with Lynden Hanvold but earning an extra four minutes in penalties. The Bulldogs would kill it off to end the first, and start the second, with Hobie Hedquist being sharp in net.
The Bulldogs built their lead to 3-0, again on the power play as Dakota MacIntosh went to the net and scored on a rebound off a Cam VanSickle shot, that looked like it might’ve also been put on net by Matthew Maltais, at 6:46 of the second for his first career goal. He wasn’t done there, as again on the power play MacIntosh scored his second on a beautiful backhand from the slot, assisted by Raoul Boilard and Braden Blace at 15:58 of the second to make it a 4-0 game heading into period three.
The Silverbacks got on the board with 6:27 gone in the third on a broken play, as Aiden Lindblad walked across the slot and slid it around a sprawling Hedquist for an un-assisted marker to make it 4-1. The Silverbacks got within two on the power play with 6:49 to play as Brandon Santa Juana roofed a rebound off a goal-line stuff in attempt by Nathan Mackie to make it 4-2. Moments later Hedquist came up with an in-alone save off a wide open Isaac Lambert to protect the two-goal lead. The score stayed that way into the final three minutes, when the Silverbacks elected to call time out on a Bulldog icing, and pulled their goalie for the extra attacker. Immediately off the draw, Dakota MacIntosh would jump in and steal the puck to race up ice and complete the hat trick to make it 5-2 at 16:49 of the third to complete the scoring.
Shots were even at 34-aside, with Hobie Hedquist earning 3rd star honours with the win in net. The Bulldogs scored a season high three power play goals on six opportunities, while the Silverbacks scored once on seven chances.
Bulldogs top ‘Backs 5-2 in Salmon Arm
