The Bulldogs opened up their week when they visited the Nanaimo Clippers at the Frank Crane Arena Wednesday night. The Dogs had a good start to the game, getting several great chances around the Nanaimo net but they couldn?t beat Charles Andre Pelletier. The Clippers would take a 1-0 lead on the power play as Frank Slubowski made the initial save on a sharp angle shot but he couldn?t find the rebound before Colton Cyr poked it through his legs. Brodie Jamieson and Kyle Kramer picked up the assists 9:41 into the first as it was 1-0 Nanaimo after one. The Bulldogs would go to a 5 on 3 power play in the second when the Clippers were given two minors on the same stoppage after the first three penalties of the game went to the Dogs. The Dogs would make good on the opportunity, as Tyler Berkholtz roofed a Ryan Renz rebound at the side of the net to tie it at 1-1 3:12 into the second. Casey Bailey also picked up an assist on the play. The Clippers took a 2-1 lead six minutes later when Frank Slubowski made a great first save on a deflected point shot but the rebound was found by Ryan Stanimir who muscled it top shelf over a fallen Slubowski. Victor Newell and Andrew Gladiuk picked up the assists 9:28 into the second. The Clippers would get another power play late in the second and they would connect on it to take a 3-1 lead after two periods as a bad penalty led to an even worse goal as a one-timer from the point hit the thigh of a Bulldog defender in front of Slubowski and deflected in. Graeme McCormack got the goal from Andrew Gladiuk and Ryan Stanimir at 17:52 of the second. The Dogs would draw a penalty late in the second period that would prove large as they made it a 3-2 game in the first minute of the third as Casey Bailey drove the puck hard to the net. Charles-Andre Pelletier would make the first save but he couldn?t reel in the rebound before Tyler Berkholtz jammed it home for his second of the game to make it 3-2 just 35 seconds into the third. Casey Bailey and Sam Mitchell picked up the assists. The Dogs would have several glorious chances to even it up, but missed opportunities would come back to haunt them as the Clippers took advantage of another power play chance to go up 4-2 on a Victor Newell blast from the high slot with 8:27 to play to make it 4-2. Brodie Jamieson and Kyle Kramer picked up the assists. The Dogs would push hard to get back into it missing several glorious chances over the ensuing minutes before finally making it a one-goal game again when Colton Sobchak threw a hit to knock the puck loose in the Nanaimo end. Josh Mitchell would put the puck back to the line for Kenney Morrison who blew a one-timer past Pelletier from the right point to make it 4-3 Clippers with 2:31 left in regulation. The Dogs would generate several more great chances on scrambles around the net as they tried frantically to net the equalizer but the Clippers held on.
Shots favoured the Bulldogs 36-25 with Frank Slubowski taking the loss and Charles-Andre Pelletier picking up the win and first star honours. The Dogs went 2 for 3 on the power play, while the Clippers went 3 for 7.
The Dogs returned home Thursday night to host the Langley Chiefs. This game got off to a fantastic start, with no stoppages in play until the game was over five and a half minutes old. The Dogs came painfully close to taking a 1-0 lead as Casey Bailey had a slap shot clang off the cross-bar and stay out. Just minutes later it was 1-0 Langley when they converted on an odd man rush as Darnell Dyck put a perfect back-door pass to a streaking Josh Myers who tapped it into the open side before Frank Slubowski could get over. Matt Ius also picked up an assist on the play 12:09 into the first as it was 1-0 Langley after one. The Chiefs took a 2-0 lead 12:52 into the second when they scored the exact second that their power play chance elapsed as Frank Slubowski partially made the save, having the puck float out of his glove where it ended up trickling over the line behind him as Austin Plevy picked up his first BCHL goal. Kit Sitterley and Brandon Scholten picked up the assists 12:52 into the second. Less than a minute later the Chiefs would go to the power play looking for more. Less than a minute later another Bulldog penalty saw the Chiefs on an extended 5 on 3 kill. The Dogs would come up with a huge kill to stay in the game and gain momentum. The Dogs went to a power play of their own late in the period where they connected to make it a 2-1 game as Sam Mitchell showed great hand-eye coordination in batting a rebound home out of mid air past Cole Huggins. Josh Mitchell and Kenney Morrison picked up the assists at 19:39 of the second. The Dogs would play a great third period as they had several glorious chances around the Langley net to tie the game. As had been the case lately, they Dogs were snake bitten, with their best chance coming with a minute to play in regulation with the goalie out for the extra attacker as Casey Bailey rang a one-timer off the bar that stayed out. Seconds later the Chiefs hit the empty net for a 3-1 final as Brandon Thompson chased down a Dillon Scholten clearing flip in the Bulldogs zone and scored into the empty cage with 20 seconds left in the third for the 3-1 final.
Shots favoured the Chiefs 33-32 with Cole Huggins picking up the win and 1st star honours. Frank Slubowski was solid despite taking the loss. The Dogs went 1 for 4 on the power play while the Chiefs went 0 for 7.
Saturday night the Dogs hosted the Coquitlam Express for the first time this season on their annual ?Teddy Bear Toss? night. The Dogs were flying off the opening puck drop with several great chances around the Express net but Khaleed Devji was solid. The Express took a 1-0 lead in the late stages of the period when Mike Krgovich brought the puck over the Bulldog line and tried to split the Dogs defense. While he would fail on his attempt, the loose puck would be skated onto by affiliate player Taylor Grey who put a backhand past the blocker side of Slubowski for his first BCHL goal and a 1-0 Express lead. Mike Krgovich and Jason Grecica added the assists 13:54 into the first. The Dogs would have another great chance to tie it when Sam Mitchell was set up in the slot, but again Devji was solid as he came up with a beauty two pad stacker to preserve the lead. Just moments later the Dogs would find the net to send the Teddy Bears flying as Sam Mitchell put a drop pass onto the tape of Tyler Berkholtz who drove the net down the right wing. Berkholtz would attempt a cross-crease pass back for Sam, but his pass hit an Express defender in the crease and went through the legs of Devji to tie the game at 1-1 16:12 into the first with Sam Mitchell picking up the only assist. The Dogs would take the lead in the second period on a pretty power play set up as Ryan Renz exited the penalty box and took a pass across the blue line from Kenney Morrison. Renz then found Josh Mitchell in the right circle where he snapped one high short-side on Devji to make it 2-1 Dogs on the power play 2:35 into period two. The game would open up in the back half of the period – and not to the Dogs benefit. Just seconds after being taken down on a breakaway with no penalty Justin Georgeson would get a second breakaway where he was again taken down. This time, he would be awarded a penalty shot and he made no mistake on it as he cut to the right wing before driving back to the middle and putting a shot back against the grain past the glove side on Slubowski for a 2-2 tie 11:50 into the second. The Express would strike again just four minutes later on a 2 on 1 rush as Mike Krgovich raced down the right wing kept the puck and scored with a beautiful snap shot off the post and in past the blocker side of Slubowski for a 3-2 Coquitlam lead at 15:57 of the second. Jake Charles picked up the only assist. The third period would play out in a fashion that has been al
