The Alberni Valley Bulldogs host the Chilliwack Chiefs in Game 3 of the Coastal Conference Semifinals presented by Van Isle Ford at 7pm. The Bulldogs lead the best of 7 series 2-0 after identical 3-1 wins to open the series Friday & Saturday in the Fraser Valley.
The Chiefs come into this one wondering how they’re down 2-0 in the series. The Chiefs have territorially dominated stretches of both games, but in particular, Game 2 where the Chiefs spent nearly 17 minutes of the game in the Bulldogs zone. Conversely, the Bulldogs managed just over 7 minutes of time in the Chiefs. Add it all up, and it’s not usually a recipe for success, but here we are. There are no analytics to measure the will and heart of team, and simply put, the Bulldogs have demonstrated plenty of both taking the series lead.
The Bulldogs have to be excited about the fact that they hold a 2-0 series lead, while knowing fully they can play much better themselves. Short of converting on chances, the Chiefs might be hard pressed to elevate their game to another level.
The story of the series, and even a little further back is the play of Callum Tung. The Bulldogs 20-year old netminder was named the BCHL’s first star of the week yesterday based on stopping 29 of 30 in Game 1 and 33 of 34 in Game 2. Going back to Game 6 against the Express and Tung has stopped 140 of his last 144 shots.
While Tung has been key at his end of the rink, the Bulldogs team MVP Hayden Stavroff has been doing his thing at the other end of the ice. Stavroff is riding a six game scoring streak and leads the BCHL playoffs with 8 goals for the Bulldogs.
Special Teams are always key in the playoffs, and here in round 2 is no exception. The Bulldogs power play which struggled for much of the regular season is ranked 3rd in the league with a 26.1 success rate, well above their season mark of 17.9%. Six games into the post season for the Chiefs, and they’re still looking for their first goal on the power play. Entering action tonight, the Chiefs are 0 for 12 with the man-advanatge.
The Chiefs were actually stronger on the road during the regular season then at home, picking up 17 road victories which tied for the 2nd highest total in the BCHL. They added two more victories in the opening round against Langley, so you know the Chiefs will be more than comfortable being in the Dawg Pound tonight. That’s where you, the fans can maybe make a difference. After a pair of games in what would be fair to say was a subdued environment, the Bulldogs are excited to get back in front of their loud & rowdy fans for these next two.
The box office is now open for the day, or you can skip the trip and buy your tickets for tonight online by CLICKING HERE
