(image: Darren Francis)
The Chiefs had an edge in the play early, but the Bulldogs defended well and Ryder Shea looked sharp. The Bulldogs got their feet going near the middle of the period, and had several promising shifts in the attacking zone. There would be no scoring through the opening period.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring while shorthanded just 26 seconds into period two, as Caden Tremblay defended the slot and found Brendan Ruskowski who flipped it ahead for Zeke Nicholson, who snuck a no-move backhand through Miller to make it 1-0. The Chiefs would tie it in the back half of the second on the rush, as Caleb Malholtra went high glove on Shea to make it 1-1 with 8:16 to play in the period. The Bulldogs would earn their first power play of the game with 11.1 seconds to play in the second, and made it count as Caden Tremblay put a one-timer off the draw off the end glass. Grayson Badger would put it back on goal where he caromed to Cole Bishop, who snuck it inside the post past Miller to make it 2-1 Bulldogs with 2.2 seconds to play in the period.
The score stayed 2-1 early in the third, thanks to a Ryder Shea save in the slot on Caleb Elfering. The Bulldogs would go to the power play with three minutes to play when Jaden Veney was ejected for a blow to the head major on Samuel Leonard, and again they made good on it as Grayson Badger back-checked and sent the puck up the right wing for Jacob Terpstra, who set up Cole Bishop in the right circle, where he beat Miller with a quick release to make it 3-1 with 2:44 to play. The Chiefs would press with their goalie out late, but Shea held the fort until Jacob Terpstra out-fought his man to hit the empty net to make it a 4-1 final.
Shots favoured Chilliwack 40-31, with Ryder Shea earning 2nd star honours with the win while Quentin Miller took the loss. The Bulldogs went 2 for 4 on the power play while the Chiefs went 0 for 2.
With the win, the Bulldogs even the series at a game a piece. Game three goes Tuesday at the Frank Crane Arena.
