The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have another three game weekend in front of them, as they hit the Mainland for three contests in two and a half days starting Friday in Surrey. Saturday night they?ll meet the Burnaby Express for the first time this season before they finish the trip with the first game in franchise history in the new Langley Events Centre Sunday afternoon against the Chiefs.
Friday?s game will be the second meeting of the season between the Eagles and Dogs after a thrilling come from behind 4-3 overtime win by the Dogs on September 26th at the Pound where Matt Hatch tied the game with less than 10 seconds left in regulation before Johnny Rogic won it in overtime.
The Eagles bring an impressive 14-6-0 and 1 record into play Friday. They were last in action on Saturday night in Powell River where they had their 8 game winning streak snapped by the Kings with a 4-1 loss. The Eagles fell behind early, with the Kings building up a 2-0 lead before the game was eight minutes old on a power play and shorthanded goal. Another Kings power play goal build the lead to 3-0 just short of the game?s halfway point before the Eagles got that back with a power play goal of their own from Michael Krgovich in the final minute of the period for a 3-1 Kings lead after two. The Kings would salt the game away with a shorthanded empty netter with just over a minute left in the third for the 4-1 final.
Shots favoured the Kings 43-24 with Paul Barclay taking the loss giving up the first two goals of the game in the first eight minutes on 11 shots before giving way to Vinny Lessard. The Eagles were 1 for 10 on the power play while also allowing two shorthanded goals against. The Kings were 2 for 7 on the power play.
Besides the loss to Powell River, the Eagles have been on fire all month posting an 11 and 2 record. The Bulldogs will have to be ready to go from the outset as the South Surrey Arena is an International-sized ice surface, which certainly requires some extra consideration and preparation on the defensive side of the puck. While it?s more area to defend at one end, it?s also more area to attack at the other end so I?m excited to see how of the speedy and skilled Dogs will use the extra ice.
The Broadcast begins with the pregame show on 93.3 The Peak FM at 6:45, with the puck dropping at 7:00pm. Listen live on 93.3 The Peak or www.933thepeak.com and watch live through the Pay Per View Broadcast through BCHL Web TV
It will be the first meeting of the season for the two respective sides Saturday when the Dogs and Express butt heads at the Bill Copeland Arena. The Bulldogs might seem just as much the home team as Burnaby will, as while the Dogs are on the Mainland playing Surrey Friday, the Express are in Penticton to face the Vees. While it?s a benefit that at least they will be getting back to their own beds, it will be sometime in the early morning hours of Saturday.
The Express bring a 7-9-0 and 2 record into action on Friday. They last played Sunday at home where they snapped a four game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Victoria Grizzlies.
After a strong September, the Express have struggled through October to find wins. They opened the month with a six game losing streak before snapping that with a 9-5 win over Trail on October 14th. After that win, they lost four more in a row before beating Victoria on Sunday. So it adds up to a month with ten losses and just two wins.
With the Express having to travel back from Penticton the night before, expect the Dogs to try and jump on them early. They will most likely be facing former Bulldog Harrison May in the Express goal, who will no doubt be motivated to beat his old club.
Saturday?s pregame show kicks off at 7:15 with the puck dropping at 7:30 on 93.3 The Peak FM and online at www.933thepeak.com
The Dogs weekend concludes Sunday afternoon when they visit the brand new Langley Events Centre for the first time ever for the second head to head matchup between the Dogs and Chiefs this season. The Dogs took game one back on September 25th, a 3-1 Bulldog win at the Pound where the Dogs had two goals from Mitch MacMillan – one before the game was a two minutes old, and then the other with just two minutes left to seal the deal.
The Chiefs will enter play Sunday with a record of 11-6-1-1 after coming back from a 5-0 deficit to tie the Powell River Kings 5-5 Thursday night at home. Then will then sit and wait for the Dogs, as they don?t play Friday or Saturday night. What a crazy box score in this one as the Kings built up a 5-0 first period lead before the Chiefs got on the board with a Dennis Robertson goal with four minutes left in the first. Before the second was three minutes old Brad Goss scored to trim the lead to 5-2. Late in the second Josh Myers scored shorthanded to make it a two goal game at 5-3 Kings after 40 minutes. Again before the third was three minutes old the Chiefs scored again with Marcus Watson finding the net to pull them within one. The comeback was completed by Colton Beck with four minutes to play. Incredibly, after combining for 10 goals in regulation, the two teams couldn?t find the net through 10 minutes of sudden death hockey played four and three aside as the game ended in a tie.
Shots favoured the Chiefs 49-37 with Matt Green picking up the tie and first star honours in net after relieving Andrew Walsh after he allowed four goals on eight shots in the first eleven minutes. The Chiefs were 0 for 4 on the power play, while also scoring once shorthanded. They also gave up two power play goals on eight opportunities down a man.
One would think that the start is absolutely crucial for the Dogs as they don?t want to be trying to play catch-up at the end of a road trip against the rested Chiefs.
Catch the pregame show from the Langley Events Centre at 1:45 with the puck drop and all the play-by-play of the action to follow at 2:00pm. Get it all on 93.3 The Peak FM or www.933thepeak.com
Three games in two and a half days means that six big points are up for grabs for the Dogs. That means a chance to make a nice jump in the Coastal Conference standings as these are all four point games.
