The Bulldogs earned their first win of the season Saturday night in Duncan, in a wild affair that saw them open up a 5-1 lead in the second, only to have the Capitals storm back late in the third to make it an entertaining finish.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring on the power play, as Josh Zary fought the puck to the front of the net, where Josh Van Unen put it on goal from in tight. Brandon Buhr would bank a loose puck home from the goal line to make it 1-0 at 5:37 of the first. The Capitals responded to tie it on the power play five minutes later, on a pretty cross-ice set up finished off by David Jacobs. The Bulldogs took the lead back late in the period, as Josh Zary went to the net after winning a draw where he tipped in a Logan Holm point shot. Jeremy Fontaine also assisted at 17:47 of the period. Just 19 seconds later it was 3-1 as Josh Zary fought the puck to the net where Ethan Layer put it on goal. Evan May thought it was covered, but the Referee was in a good position to view the loose puck that Finn Brown shoved over the line to make it 3-1 Bulldogs at 18:06 of the first.
The Bulldogs added to their lead when Chase Klassen roofed a loose puck from the slot 3:40 into the second, with Mirko Buttazzoni and Ethan Bono assisting. It was 5-1 four minutes later on the power play, when Josh Zary won the draw for Ryan Nause, who set up Brandon Buhr with a cross-ice one-timer that he finished five hole. The Capitals replied on the power play on a deflection in front to make it 5-2 after two.
The Capitals scored their third power play goal of the game on a rebound in front less than a minute into the third to make it a 5-3 game. The Bulldogs came up with a big penalty kill to hold their lead, before immediately going up 6-3 on a 2 on 1 rush that saw Ethan Bono finish off a cross-ice pass from Chase Klassen with 11:34 to play. The Capitals didn’t go away, making it 6-4 on a high shot from the slot with 8:06 left in the third. They got within one on the rush on a low shot, short-side to make it 6-5 with 3:11 to play. The Bulldogs would hold the lead over the remainder of regulation, for the 6-5 final.
Shots were 40-35 Bulldogs, with Hobie Hedquist earning the win in net. The Bulldogs went 2 for 6 on the power play, while the Capitals were 3 for 6.
The Bulldogs next see action on Friday night when they host the Victoria Grizzlies for their Home Opener at the Dawg Pound.
