The Savages weathered a furious second-period storm from the Walruses and escaped with a hard-fought 4-3 victory in a game that saw momentum swing violently from one bench to the other. Kheyam Nazarali (#9) was the first star of the evening, striking twice in the opening period to stake the visitors to an early lead that would prove just barely enough. Nazarali’s first came at 5:40 of the first, finishing a pretty feed from Kayden Rawji (#96) and Brennan Evans (#61), before he doubled the advantage just over four minutes later, again with Rawji and Evans providing the setup. The Savages controlled the opening frame, outshooting the home side 25-32 in a high-tempo period that saw the Walruses desperate for a foothold. Despite the shot disparity—the Walruses actually led in total shots—goaltender Mike Bradley (#74) of the Savages was a brick wall, stopping all 32 shots he faced to keep his team ahead.
The second period was pure chaos and belonged entirely to the Walruses, who erupted for three unanswered goals to flip the game on its head. Arjun Atwal (#20) ignited the comeback at 8:50, assisted by Brayden Hyland (#22) and Arjun Dhaliwal (#29). Just over two minutes later, with the Savages’ Shaun Myskiw (#21) in the box for holding, the Walruses struck on the power play—Atwal again, this time with help from Ethan Dunnett (#19) and Dhaliwal, tying the game at 2-2. The Walruses weren’t done. At 3:33, Kayden Rawji briefly quieted the home crowd by restoring the Savages’ lead, but the Walruses answered immediately. With just 1:15 left in the period, Dhaliwal (#29) finished a slick passing play from Briar Whyte (#18) and Tanner Kress (#91) to make it 3-3, sending the teams to the locker room with all the momentum now wearing Walrus blue.
The third period settled into a tense, defensive battle, and it was the Savages who found the final crack. At 9:53, Marc Dubeau (#11) tipped home the game-winner, with assists from Shaun Myskiw and Greg Moro (#20). The Walruses pressed hard in the final minutes, but could not solve Bradley again. Walrus goalie Daniel Allin (#35) finished with just 2 saves on 25 shots in a tough outing, while Bradley’s perfect 32-save performance—including a shutout of the first and third periods—earned him the win despite the three-goal middle frame. Discipline was a factor: the Walruses were shorthanded twice but scored on one of those chances, while the Savages took two minor penalties and killed one. In the end, the Savages’ early cushion and Bradley’s resilience proved the difference in a game that had everything—except a happy ending for the home fans.