The Bulldogs opened up their three game road trip in Trail Wednesday night. This one opened with a bang much like the season opener in Powell River, with Frank Riddle again being on the wrong end of an early-game hit resulting in a Major Penalty to the opposition, as Matthew Laboucane was given a five minute major for checking from behind just over five minutes into the game. The Dogs weren?t able to connect on the power play, but they did have several great chances during the advantage and through the first period as they outshot the Smokies 15-5 after 20 minutes. Kiefer Smiley was unbeatable though as it was 0-0 after one. The Smoke Eaters would take a 1-0 lead in the second when Travis St. Denis wheeled the puck back of the Bulldogs net before putting a backhand pass out front from the same side he went in on that was right onto the tape of Sam Mellor who lifted it high short-side on Frank Slubowski. Cullen Bradshaw also picked up an assist 5:13 into the second. The Smoke Eaters built their lead to 2-0 five minutes later on the power play as Bradshaw found affiliate player Ryan Aynsley in the deep slot where he put a perfect one-timer high blocker side past Slubowski. Ben Matthews also picked up an assist 10:06 into the second. The Dogs would get on the board just 19 seconds later when Josh Mitchell put a perfect pass through the seam to the front of the net where a driving Colton Sobchak chipped it through the legs of Smiley to make it 2-1. Connor Varley also had an assist 10:25 into the second. The Smoke Eaters had a glorious chance to answer back just minutes later but Sam Mellor was robbed on a clear-cut breakaway by Frank Slubowski. That would prove huge as minutes later it was a 2-2 tie when Connor Varley put a wrist shot past the blocker side of Smiley from the left circle at the 15:12 mark with Sam Mitchell and Liam Darragh ? with his first point as a Dog ? picking up the assists. The Bulldogs took their first lead of the game in the third period just 4:45 in when Josh Mitchell picked up a rebound off the end boards from a Kenney Morrison shot and walked out front and threw one at the net where Justin Morello got a stick on it to tip it home through the legs of Smiley for a 3-2 Dogs lead. Josh Mitchell and Lars Hepso picked up the assists. The Smoke Eaters would tie it up less than two minutes later on an odd bounce off the ever lively end boards in Trail as Jake Baker put the puck off the end wall from the left wing wall that bounced right to the slot where Cullen Bradshaw one-timed it home for a 3-3 tie 6:38 into the third period. Neither team would be able to find the net through the remainder of regulation as the game headed to overtime where the Smokies got the winner 1:33 in when Sam Mellor found the rebound in tight after a great first save by Slubowski that he lifted home for the winner. Scott Jacklin and Clayton McEwan picked up the assists.
Shots favoured the Dogs 38-27 with Frank Slubowski and Kiefer Smiley being the goalies of record. The Dogs were 0 for 3 on the power play while the Smokies went 1 for 4. The Dogs were down to four defenceman for the bulk of the game as they lost Frank Riddle and Marley Keca early in the first period. With the overtime loss the Dogs picked up their first road point of the season.
The Bulldogs took to the ice in Westside Friday after having Thursday off. The Dogs got off to a great start throwing lots of puck at the net early but it was the Warriors who struck first as Quinn Gould tipped in a Michael King point shot to make it 1-0 4:49 in. Just minutes later the Dogs went to the power play where they evened it up as Lars Hepso found his own rebound and jammed it home to make it 1-1 at the 8:32 mark of the first with assists to Brandon Adams and Kenney Morrison. The Warriors would take a 2-1 lead on the third power play goal of the period when Alex Grieve drove the net and took a perfect cross-ice pass from Grayson Downing that he buried into the open net at the 13:13 mark of the first with Tyler Brickler also picking up an assist for a 2-1 Westside lead after 20 minutes. The second period would not be a kind one for the Dogs as the Warriors would score three goals in less than three minutes early in the frame to open up the game. First it was Tyler Brickler getting a fortunate bounce on a breakaway as Kiefer Giroux made the initial save with a poke check but the puck went up in the air and somehow bounced off something and ended up in the back of the net to make it 3-1 5:37 into the second. Max French picked up the only assist. The Dogs would take a penalty immediately following the goal, and less than a minute after it was 3-1 the Warriors made it 4-1 as Grayson Downing slapped an end board bounce home. Alex Grieve and Tyler Bricker picked up the assists 6:28 into the period. Just a minute and a half later it was 5-1 Warriors as Alex Grieve potted his second of the game as he was found all alone between the hash marks by Jason Nash where he snapped one low blocker side on Kiefer Giroux. That would do it for Giroux on the night as Frank Slubowski entered the game in relief. The scoring would slow down for a spell but the Warriors found the net again before the period was out as Quinn Gould knocked in a rebound at the side of the net to make it 6-1 with 4:45 to play in the period as the Warriors notched their fourth power play goal of the game. Tyler Krause and Dru Morrison picked up the assists. The only goal of the third came from another Warrior power play as Alex Grieve picked up a loose puck and walked in and scored his third goal of the game and the Warriors fifth power play goal of the game to make it 7-1 with 7:12 gone in the period. Matthew Maher and Michael King picked up the assists.
Shots favoured the Warriors 36-34 with Kiefer Giroux giving up the first five goals on 15 shots to get tagged with the loss. Frank Slubowski was beaten twice on 19 shots in relief. Kevin Boyle picked up the win and third star honours in the Westside net. The Dogs were 1 for 5 on the power play while the Warriors went 5 for 7.
The Dogs finished their road trip Saturday night when they faced the Vees in Penticton. The Dogs got off to another good start in this one getting good chances early. They would take a 1-0 lead 6:25 into the game when Colton Sobchak found Casey Bailey back of the Vees net where he walked out front and jammed a wrap around through Billy Faust for a 1-0 Dogs lead after one. The Vees would tie the game on a shorthanded rush in the second as Mark MacMillan found Derik Johnson in the slot where he ripped one stick side on Slubowski. Brendan O?Donnell also picked up an assist 10:33 into the second. Less than two minutes later it was 2-1 Vees as Garrett Milan walked to the net and put one off the post through a screen from in tight. Joey Holka also picked up an assist 12:24 into the second. The Dogs would battle back in a hurry to even it at 2-2 as Sam Mitchell found Tyler Berkholtz at the side of the net where he put a perfect cross-crease pass to Casey Bailey who put it under the bar for his second of the game 14:09 into the second. There would be no scoring though the remainder of the second and the third period as the game went to overtime. The Dogs would have the better of the chances in the first overtime but again no one found the net as 3 on 3 double overtime was next. In double overtime the Dogs got the winner when Frank Riddle found Trent Dorais, who then won a battle to give it to Sam Mitchell in the Dogs end. Mitchell would carry the puck up the left wing, beat two Vees to the net, and then lift one through Faust for the double-overtime winner and the 3-2 final as the Dogs picked up their first road win of the season in thrillin
