The Bulldogs were slow out of the gate to start the game while the Clippers very much looked like a team out to atone for a bad loss the night before as they had a jump to their step early that the Dogs seemed to lack. The game had three penalties in the first six minutes, two of which went against the Bulldogs which led to a 1-0 Clipper lead as David Iacono threw a shot off the net from the right point that was deflected in by Reid Sturos. Josh Bryan also picked up an assist on the play at 6:53 of the first for a 1-0 Nanaimo lead after one. The Dogs best chance of the game might have come in the first period when Lars Hepso had his bid at an open net thwarted by a Clipper defenceman.
The Dogs problems grew in the second as they began the period on the power play but it was instead the Clippers that found the net as Greg Fraser broke the puck up at the blue line and raced in on a shorthanded breakaway that he tucked past the glove of Deo to make it 2-0. The goal was unassisted at 1:09 of the period. No matter how hard the Dogs tried they just couldn’t get it going as the Clippers were always a step ahead and they seemed to win every battle. They would build the lead to 3-0 at the 13:59 mark when Michael McNicholas scored from Greg Fraser and Kyle Kramer.
The third period saw the Dogs come out with some urgency to try and get back into it but the Clippers quickly build the lead on the power play on another deflected point shot by Reid Sturos as he tipped home a shot from Colton Dahlen at the right point with Jesse Neher also assisting at 4:06. One more late one sealed the deal and make it 5-0 when Mason Mitchell found the loose puck in the crease after Jay Deo came up with the save on a Brendan Forbes drive to the net down the right wing at 15:37 for the 5-0 lead and eventual final score.
Final shots favoured the Clippers 28-26 with Jayson Argue picking up 2ndstar honours with the win and the shut out while Jay Deo took the loss. The Clippers won the special teams battle going 2 for 6 on the power play while also scoring once shorthanded. The Dogs went 0 for 6.
The Dogs are right back at it Sunday afternoon when they head down to Victoria for a battle with the Grizzlies with first place in the Island Division on the line with the puck drop at 1:30.
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