The first 14 minutes of the game was a see-saw defensive battle that saw both teams bearing down and breaking up any scoring chances. With 0:59 left in the first period, the .45's broke the scoreless tie by depositing an easy shot between the pipes. With 0:07 left on the clock, they scored again on a questionable goal. "Those guys were blatantly offsides on that goal" said Dan Ayotte, who, much like the rest of the Bulldogs was shocked that the referee missed the call. Either way, the 'Dogs' were now looking up at an 0-2 deficit.

The second period didn't go any better as the .45's capitalized on their momentum by scoring 12 seconds after the initial face off. They would go on to score 2 more goals in the next 3 minutes leaving the Bulldogs stunned on how quickly the game had gotten out of control. In less than five minutes, what originally appeared to be a defensive battle suddenly became a blowout, with the .45’s taking a commanding 5-0 lead. It looked like déjà vu for the "Dead Dogs" who have seen spurts like this against them in every game of the young season. " I can’t understand why they always break the game open on us like that", said Sal Karim. "We go into panic mode, and start puck chasing instead of playing our game at our tempo, making us susceptible to easy goals."

With just over 5 minutes left in the period, the Bulldogs finally got on the board. Joey Van Grimbergen assisted Craig Rehr’s slapper, 0:09 seconds into a power play advantage. Rehr, who motivated himself by hanging out at Heavenly Bodies Gentleman’s Club with Martinez before the game, will probably make this a pre-game ritual in the future.

The third period would prove the Bulldogs true character, a trait that most teams lack. They held the .45’s scoreless for a period of just under 20 minutes over the course of the second and third periods before they gave up another goal. Again, the goal was questionable on what appeared to be another blown offsides call. With their collective backs against the wall, exhausted, undermanned, 8:00 minutes left in the game, and trailing 6-1, the ‘Dogs’ refused to give up. What would ensue was the brand of hockey they need to play if they want to change their habit of losing. The ‘Dogs’ used a physically, aggressive style to keep the puck afloat in the offensive zone. Net crashing, body checks and blue line traps, made them vulnerable to breakaways defensively, but the gamble paid off. With 7:07 left in the game, Dan Ayotte deked several defenders en route to a spectacular goal. He was assisted by Sal Karim, who tallied his first ever, ice hockey point, after a 2 year career exclusively as an inline hockey player.

The .45’s adjusted their play to compensate for the revitalized attack on them, but the ‘Dogs’ responded by getting more physical. During a period of approximately 70 seconds, they controlled the puck in the offensive zone, passing effectively, fighting for every loose puck and taking their opponents off of their feet. The result was a scrappy goal by Maher "The Hammer" Karim off of a rebound by Dan Ayotte, who was credited with the assist. "An ugly goal indeed" said ‘The Hammer’. "I just stood my ground and fought off defenders all around the net and when the opportunity presented itself, I jumped on it and shot."

With just 1:12 left in the game, the ‘Dogs’ scored again on a goal that saw the goalie leave the crease to make a play at the loose puck. Sean O’Connell, reached the puck first, dished it off to Joey V. who scored the easy goal. The revitalized Bulldogs, rejoiced in their comeback. They now trailed 6-4 and looked to seize the momentum in their favor. They knew that time was not on their side, so they spent their last moments of the game crashing the net to no avail, as the horn sounded to end the game.

"If not for a couple blown calls, and some bad luck on our part, we could’ve won this game", said Martinez later. "But that’s ok, because I’m proud of the way these guys battled back. We could’ve have easily put our heads down and accepted defeat, but they wouldn’t give up."

The Good: Except for a five minute stretch at the tail end of the first period and the first few minutes of the second, the Bulldogs outscored their opponents 4-1. Also, Dan Ayotte and Anthony Micheles filled in admirably on defense.

The Bad: Positioning. If the bulldogs can play their respective positions better (covering the point, keeping their opponents out of the crease, etc.) they can prevent many of the easy goals that have given up thus far. The Bulldogs are puck chasing and getting burned on odd man rushes, By not covering the points, they miss many opportunities for their own breakaways.

The Ugly: An 0-3 record…

…outscored 39-9 thus far this season…

…playing the highly explosive "Molly Malone’s" next week…

…the Joey V. Gumby dolls, and…

...the girl giving lap dances to Rehr & Martinez earlier in the evening... U-G-L-Y!