The Alberni Valley Bulldogs dropped a disappointing contest in Chilliwack, 4-1 on Saturday evening at the Coliseum.
The Bulldogs now find themselves 6 points behind the Chiefs for 2nd place in the Coastal Conference standings after the loss.
Hayden Stavroff was the lone goal scorer for the Bulldogs. For Stavroff, the goal was his league-leading 30th of the season.
The Bulldogs trailed 2-0 after the first, before Stavroff got the Bulldogs back in the game.
In the 3rd period the Bulldogs had some glorious chances to pull even, but Chiefs goaltender Vladimir Nikitin stood tall in the Chilliwack crease. The big saves were just a small part of Nikitin’s stellar evening.
The Chiefs got a late insurance marker to go up 3-1 with 5 minutes remaining in the 3rd setting the stage for a rare occurrence.
With the Bulldogs on the power play and their net empty, Nikitin handled a soft dump in from Nicholas Beneteau and fired it the length of the ice into the empty net for a short-handed marker. It was a fitting end to a lousy weekend for the Bulldogs.
Thankfully the Bulldogs got a little help from others on Saturday night. Surrey defeated the Nanaimo Clippers and Powell River whacked the Victoria Grizzlies 7-2. Add it all up, and the Bulldogs remain in 3rd spot with just 8 games remaining in the 23-24 regular season.
This week the Bulldogs travel to Duncan on Friday night for their final test of the season with the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The Caps are fighting for their playoff lives and will no doubt be ready to go. On Saturday, the Bulldogs host the Powell River Kings for the final time this season. Powell River and Cowichan are battling it out for the final playoff spot in the Coastal Conference. Puck drop on Saturday goes at 7pm and you can purchase your tickets online by CLICKING HERE
