The Bulldogs opened up a five game home stand Tuesday night when the defending BCHL and RBC Cup Champion Vernon Vipers visited the Multiplex. The Vipers got the start they wanted in this one, taking a 1-0 lead before the game was a minute old as Connor Jones raced in on the breakaway where he beat Frank Slubowski five hole.
Kellen Jones and David Robinson picked up the assists 32 seconds into the game. The Dogs battled back to tie it up on a faceoff win in the Vernon end as Mark MacMillan won it back to Ryan Renz who slapped one past a screened Graeme Gordon for his first BCHL goal to tie the game at 1-1. Mark picked up the only assist 13:41 into the first as the game was tied 1-1 after one. The Vipers took a 2-1 lead in the second period as the puck was cleared up the boards but ended up on the stick of Braden Pimm who snapped one short side on Slubowski. Cole Ikkala and Mike Collins picked up the assists at the 5:31 mark. Five minutes later it would be 3-1 Vipers as the would strike on the rush with Ikkala snapping one five hole on Slubowski from the right circle. Garrett Noonan and Braden Pimm picked up the assists 10:30 into the second as the Vipers took the lead into the dressing room after 40 minutes. The Dogs came out and looked better in the first minutes of the third period then they did in the first two, as they generated several good scoring chances. The Vipers would stop any momentum gained in a hurry however as they turned up ice and built their lead to 4-1 when Dylan Walchuk beat Frank Slubowski blocker side. Bryce Kakoske and Adam Thompson picked up the assists. Just five minutes later it was 5-1 Vipers when Rob Short came down the right wing and beat Slubowski high short-side. Steven Weinstein and David Robinson picked up the helpers at 7:31 of the third. That would do it for Slubowski as Scott Lewan came in off the bench. The Dogs would get some life five minutes later as Johnny Rogic slapped an end-board bounce off a Frank Riddle point shot past Gordon with 7:12 left in the third to make it 5-2. Less than two minutes later the Dogs made a game of it and had the pound rocking again when Tye Lewis drove the net down the right wing where his first shot was stopped by Gordon. Casey Bailey followed the rush up and found the rebound and jammed it home to make it 5-3 Vipers. Johnny Rogic also picked an assist on the scoring play at the 14:44 mark of the third. Just moments later the Dogs were a bounce away from making it a one goal game as Tye Lewis couldn?t settle down a bouncing puck off the end-board carom to score on the open side. That would be as close as the Dogs would get as the Vipers hit the empty net with 34 seconds to go for the 6-3 final. David Robinson picked up the goal with assists to Kellen and Connor Jones.
Final shots favoured the Vipers 29-27 with Frank Slubowski and Graeme Gordon being the goalies of record. Scott Lewan stopped all 7 shots he faced in relief over the final 11 minutes of the game. Both teams were 0 for 2 on the power play.
Saturday night was the first meeting of the season between the Bulldogs and Smoke Eaters, as Tye Lewis, Nick Sandor and Curtis Tonello all faced their old teams for the first time. Both teams would have their chances in this one in the early goings, but it took until the latter stages of the period for the first goal of the game as Adam Hout banked one off the back of Kiefer Smiley and over the line. The goal came while the Smokies had a delayed penalty coming as the Dogs did a great job at working the 6 on 5 and retaining possession of the puck with Scott Lewan on the bench for the extra attacker. Assists on the goal went to Frank Riddle and Josh Mitchell with 5:50 to play in the first. Each team had a chance on the power play early in the second but it took until just after the Dogs had killed off a penalty to find the next goal as Josh Mitchell intercepted an outlet pass in the Trail zone and found Pearce Eviston at the top of the right circle where he snapped one glove side past Smiley for his second BCHL goal and first as a Bulldog 6:02 into the second. That would do it for Kiefer Smiley?s night as he was pulled in favour of Garrett Beckwith. Beckwith would make several good saves to keep the score 2-0 until early in the third period when the Smokies got on the board as Scott Jacklin one-timed one off the bounce that he somehow got through Lewan 2:14 into the third to make it a one goal game. Nick Sandor picked up the only assist. Just a minute later the Smokies would end up in the penalty box and the Dogs would go up 3-1 as Mitch MacMillan batted a loose puck off of a Mark rebound out of mid air past Beckwith 5:03 into the third. Mark MacMillan and Tye Lewis picked up the assists. Beckwith would argue a high stick on Mitch but replays appear to show it was only chest high. The Smokies would end up in penalty trouble later in the period, but they came up with a big kill on a full two minute 5 on 3 power play on the dogs to keep it a two goal game. The Dogs would eventually be able to pad their lead to 4-1 on the power play when David Dziurzynski fed a perfect cross-crease feed for Mitch to one-time into the open net. Mark also picked up an assist 16:23 into the third on Mitch?s 52nd goal of the season. The Smoke Eaters would finish the scoring with 56 seconds to play in the game as Scott Lewan made a great first save on a Matt Wilkins breakaway but Scott Jacklin followed the play up and potted the rebound for the 4-2 final. Sam Mellor also picked up an assist at 19:04 of the third.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 42-18 with Scott Lewan and Garrett Beckwith being the goalies of record. The Bulldogs were 2 for 11 on the power play, while the Smoke Eaters were 0 for 5.
The Dogs have a busy week ahead of them, with three more home games. The Victoria Grizzlies are in town Tuesday, the Nanaimo Clippers visit Friday and the Prince George Spruce Kings make their only visit of the season Saturday night.
