The Bulldogs got off to a great start Friday night in Victoria as they visited the Grizzlies. While the Dogs didn?t find the net early, they were ready to play from the opening puck drop generating chances and containing the Grizzlies in their own end.
They wouldn?t be able to find the net until the last second of the period though, as Kevin Ross made a great play to intercept the puck at centre and then carry it over the Victoria line. He would throw a puck at the net that ended up in the slot on the stick of Tyler Berkholtz who dropped it back to Trent Dorais who ripped one past Ryan Holfeld from the right circle for a 1-0 Dogs lead after one. The goal came at 19:59 of the first period. The second period was much of the same, with the Dogs carrying the play and hemming the Grizzlies in their zone for extended periods. The Dogs would build their lead to 2-0 on a great shorthanded effort by Trent Dorais, who out battled two Grizzlies to steal the puck at the side of the net and then put a perfect pass to Robert Lindores in the deep slot where he one-timed the feed top shelf, glove side on Holfeld to make it 2-0 Dogs 8:01 into the second. It was the first for Lindores on the season, shorthanded. It would then be the Bulldogs power play finding the net as Kevin Ross took a big hit in his zone to get the puck ahead for David Dziurzynski up the right wing where he brought the puck over the Victoria line and then found Mitch MacMillan walking to the net down the left side where he snapped a rocket short-side top shelf for a 3-0 Dogs lead after two. The goal was another late one like the first marker, as it came with 1:02 left in the frame. Dziurzynski and Ross picked up the assists. The third period would be dominated by the Dogs as they outshot the Grizzlies 15-1, but the only goal of the period would be Casey Bailey finding the empty net as the Grizzlies went for broke down 3-0. Jeff Reppucci would pick up the only assist on a great pass out of his own end.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 33-14 with Scott Lewan picking up the win, third star honours, and his first career shutout, Ryan Holfeld took the loss. The Dogs were 1 for 5 on the power play while also scoring once shorthanded. The Grizzlies were 0 for 5.
Saturday night the Dogs hosted the Kings on Teddy Bear Toss night, and the Dogs again got off to a great start in trying to get the Teddy Bear goal. They would have several good chances, but they couldn?t beat Michael Garteig as they outshot the Kings 19-5 in the opening period. The Dogs would finally break the goose egg just short of the game?s halfway point when Matt Hatch redirected a slap pass from Kevin Ross at the right side of the net into the open side on a 5 on 3 power play. Mitch MacMillan also picked up an assist on the play 9:02 into the second. The response to the Teddy Bear Toss was huge, as the Bulldog faithful littered the ice with plush toys that will make someone?s Christmas a little more Merrier. The score stayed 1-0 until the Kings tied it at 1-1 just over a minute into the third when Andrew Pettitt jammed in a rebound in front on the power play after a great first save by Frank Slubowski on a cross crease pass. Chad Niddery and Jordan Grant picked up the assists 1:32 into the third. Just four minutes later the Dogs were up 2-1 as the MacMillan-MacMillan-Dziurzynski line did a great job to control the play in the Kings end. Dziurzynski would have his wrap around attempt stopped, but Mitch found the rebound and slid it across the crease for Mark who buried it into the open side 5:08 into the third. The score stayed that way until the late stages of the game when Robbie Bailey stepped out of the penalty box and came down the right wing where he snapped one past Slubowski to tie the game at 2-2 with 5:39 remaining. Jordan Grant picked up the only assist. Moments later the Dogs would end up on the power play as the Kings bench picked up a two minute bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct. With the Dogs thinking about getting the go ahead marker, it would be the Kings that instead found the net when Chad Niddery blocked a shot at the blue line and raced in on a shorthanded breakaway where he put a slap shot while falling down from just feet off the crease through the five hole of Slubowski for the shorthanded marker and a 3-2 Kings lead with 3:33 to play. The goal was un-assisted. The Dogs pushed hard to tie it up on the next shift, and they came close as Matt Hatch had his first chance stopped and then Garteig came across the crease to rob Casey Bailey of a wide open net to preserve the lead. That would be as close as the Dogs would get as the Kings held on for the win.
Shots favoured the Dogs 39-27 with Frank Slubowski taking the loss and Michael Garteig picking up first star honours with the win. The Dogs were 1 for 8 on the power play while the Kings were also 1 for 8 while also scoring the game winner shorthanded.
The Dogs road trip ended Sunday afternoon in Nanaimo as the Dogs visited the Clippers for the second time this season. The Dogs didn?t have the same start in this game as they had in the first two of the weekend, as they had troubles getting much going through the first 40 minutes of the game. The Clippers took a 1-0 lead 10:23 in when Luc Blain found Teal Burns wide open in the slot with a pass from the end boards that he one-timed through the legs of Slubowski. Cody Bremner also picked up an assist on the play. They would build their lead to 2-0 later in the period on a 5 on 3 power play goal where Andrew Gladiuk found Victor Newell with a cross ice pass at the back door that he roofed short-side on Slubowski 17:21 into the first. Neither team would be able to find the net in the second, with the Dogs still not really appearing to have their legs as they managed just 12 shots through the first two periods. Everything changed in the third as the Dogs came out with noticeable pep in their step, getting on the scoreboard just 1:10 into the frame when Jeff Reppucci did it all, wheeling the puck over the Nanaimo line down the left wing before throwing a shot on goal that was stopped by Rhys Hadfield. Reppucci would end up finding his own rebound on the scramble and he managed to bang it home for the unassisted marker to trim the gap to 2-1. The Dogs would have several good chances to tie it throughout the third, but they couldn?t get any luck around the Nanaimo net. Late in the game the Clippers got in big penalty trouble as they picked up two penalties in the final two minutes of the game, one being a four minute penalty to Tristan Lowenberger as his high stick on Mitch MacMillan drew blood. The Dogs would pull Frank Slubowski to push for the equalizer and they ended up getting it with 24 seconds left in regulation as Casey Bailey banged home a loose puck on the scramble. Trent Dorais and Matt Hatch picked up the assists at the 19:36 mark. The timing of the goal would be huge as the Dogs scored with five seconds remaining in the first half of the Lowenberger penalty, so they stayed on the power play into overtime. In the first minute of OT Mitch MacMillan scored his league leading thirty-second goal of the season on a hard shot from the high slot that he ripped off the shoulder of Hadfield and into the back of the net sending the Dogs off the bench in celebration of the huge comeback win. Sam Mitchell and Kevin Ross picked up the assists on the winner, 51 seconds into sudden death overtime.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 28-27 with Frank Slubowski picking up the win and second star honours. Rhys Hadfield took the loss in his first BCHL start. The Dogs were 2 for 8 on the power play while the Clippers were 1 for 7.
A good weekend for the Dogs as they pick up four out of six possible points. The Dogs end this week the way they ended last week, tied for first place in the Coastal Con
