(image: Sean Buckland Photography)
The Bulldogs built a 3-1 lead en route to victory in Duncan Saturday night as they snapped the Capitals win streak at six and ran their points streak to six straight games
The teams traded opportunities early, but both goalies were good and the defence in front of them was solid. Charlie Durkin made an in-alone save on Anthony Hall seven minutes to preserve the tie. At the ten minute mark, it was 1-0 Bulldogs when Wyatt Blace dumped the puck off the half wall, where it was fed to the net by Eric Lund. Wyatt Davis put a cross-crease feed onto the tape of Patrick Vogl, who one-timed it home.
The Capitals tied it two minutes into the second, on a cross-ice pass by Jack McAra that hit a Bulldog in front and redirected in. They responded to take the lead back a further two minutes later, as Charlie Vincent rimmed the puck to the right point for Wyatt Davis, who put a one-timer on net that was deflected in by Jacob Terpstra. Two minutes after that, it was 3-1 as Samuel Leonard made a fantastic play to out-fight a man to keep the puck in the zone, before dishing off for Caden Tremblay. He put a perfect pass to the slot for Eric Lund, who deflected it up and over Jack Hirshorn. The Bulldogs would be penalized three times consecutively late in the period, including once on a minor penalty that was called by video review after no penalty was originally called, but held the lead to the buzzer.
The Bulldogs would kill off the 5 on 3, but the Capitals scored on the second penalty, as Jack McAra banked one in off Charlie Durkin on a stuff in to make it 3-2 before the third was a minute old. The Bulldogs made the lead stand to the late stages, with Charlie Durkin making three fantastic saves at the middle of the period in tight on Jack McAra to protect the lead. Durkin went down with an apparent injury wih 35.5 seconds left in the game, and Owen Lunneborg came in for the final seconds, and made two saves to protect the lead to the buzzer after a blown icing call gave the Capitals a final chance before the buzzer.
Shots were 26 aside, with Charlie Durkin earning the win in net while Jack Hirshorn took the loss. The Bulldogs failed to earn a power play, while the Capitals went 1 for 3.
