The Dogs began their week Saturday night when they played the first of two straight against the Kings in Powell River. The Dogs started the game well, taking a 1-0 lead when Chase Van Allen sent Lars Hepso in alone on a breakaway with a great stretch pass that Hepso snapped high blocker side on Sean Maguire. Josh Mitchell also picked up an assist on the play 4:27 into the game. The Kings would push hard for the equalizer, but Max Fenkell came up with several solid saves to protect the lead. The Kings would keep pushing and find the equalizer when Teagan Waugh made a great centering pass while falling down to Cohen Adair – who was wide open between the hash marks – that he snapped high glove side on Fenkell. Evan Richardson also picked up an assist on the play at 10:53. The Kings then took a 2-1 lead to the dressing room after one on blown defensive coverage in front of the Dogs net as J.P. Villeneuve was left all alone off the back post where he roofed a perfect feed by Teal Burns high blocker side before Fenkell could get over at 15:55 of the first. The Dogs would begin the second period on the power play, but it was the Kings that had the jump and several good chances that Fenkell came up big on to keep it 2-1. The Kings would promptly be awarded a power play that they made quick work of to make it 3-1 as a pass from behind the net found its way behind Fenkell to the far post where Evan Richardson finished it into the open net. Jon Jutzi and Cohen Adair assisted at 2:27 of the second. The score stayed that way until the late stages of the period when the scoring picked up in a big way with the teams combining for three goals in less than two minutes. First it was the Kings again connecting on the power play to make it 4-1 on a pretty set up that was finished off by Daniel Schuler after a behind the back pass ended up out front where Fenkell had made an initial desperation save. Assists went to J.P. Villeneuve and Teal Burns at 17:02 of the second. Just 1:14 later the Dogs answered on a power play of their own as Brandon Adams drove the slot and avoided a check before dishing off for Lars Hepso driving down the left side where he snapped one from in tight high glove side on Maguire for his second of the game to make it 4-2. Walker Hyland also assisted at 18:16 of the second. The Dogs would be unable to build on the goal as just over half a minute later it was 5-2 Kings on a bad turnover in the Dogs zone that was picked up by J.P. Villeneuve in the high slot where he blew a slap shot low stick side on Fenkell at 18:48 of the second with Teal Burns picking up only assist. The Bulldogs would come out with a much better start to the third, making it a 5-3 game just over a minute in when Ryan Lough picked off a pass in the Kings zone and raced in on the breakaway where he snapped one blocker side past Maguire 1:08 in for the unassisted marker. It was a one-goal game six minutes later as Chase Van Allen sent the puck ahead to Lars Hepso who raced in on a 2 on 1 rush down the right side before putting a perfect cross-ice pass to Brandon Adams down the left wing that he snapped high short-side off the post and in to make it 5-4 with 7:13 gone in the period. The Dogs would come close to finding the equalizer with the same trio on the ice in Lough, Adams and Hepso finishing of a great shift in the Kings zone with a great chance in the slot for Hepso who had his one-timer ring off the post and stay out. The Dogs would have one more late chance to tie it up when they drew a penalty with 2:15 to play, but the power play was short-lived as they took a penalty just seconds into the advantage.
Final shots favoured the Kings 35-19 with Sean Maguire picking up the win while Max Fenkell took the loss. The Kings went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Dogs went 1 for 5.
The Dogs week finished Sunday afternoon when they faced the Kings for the rematch, and the Kings had the jump early with the better of the chances as Cameron Large was forced to make several good saves early to keep it scoreless. The Kings would open the scoring on a 4 on 4 situation after the Dogs took a penalty while on the power play as Jordan Benton was allowed to walk right into the hashmarks where he ripped one off the post and in, high blocker side on Large. Assists went to Jon Jutzi and J.P. Villeneuve at 13:16 of the first. The Bulldogs would get the equalizer late in the period on the power play late in the period when Trent Dorais covered the point and kept the puck in before feeding Walker Hyland at the top of the line where he put a one-timer on net that looped and blooped and knuckled its way through traffic and into the top corner glove side on Jonah Imoo to tie it at 1-1 at 17:04 of the first. The Kings would appear to take a 2-1 lead in the early stages of the second on an odd goal as a slapper from outside the blue line hit a stick and then the ice before bouncing up and over Cameron Large, but the goal was disallowed due to the Kings being offside as the Dogs dodged a bullet. Just seconds later the Kings would find the net anyway, as a poor change led to a breakaway for Teal Burns that he put off the post and in to make it 2-1 7:08 into the second with assists going to Jordan Benton and J.P. Villeneuve. The lead was short-lived as the Dogs battled back to tie it just 19 seconds later when Trent Dorais carried the puck over the line and blew a slap shot through Imoo from the top of the left circle. Assists went to Walker Hyland and Josh Mitchell at 7:27 of the second. Just four minutes later another mistake would prove costly as the Dogs failed to get the puck out of their zone and it promptly ended up in the back of their net when Jarryd Leung walked into the slot and went top corner far side on Large with Mitch Ball and Steven Schmidt assisting at 11:48 for a 3-2 Kings lead after two periods. The Dogs would draw even early in the third when the Kings were whistled for two quick penalties resulting in a 5 on 3 for the Bulldogs that they worked to perfection with Josh Mitchell finding Evan Tironese at the top of the left circle where he sent a pass cross-ice to Walker Hyland at the top of the left circle that he one-timed home before Imoo could get over to make it 3-3 3:43 into the third. With overtime looming the Dogs would then be sent to the box with just 90 seconds left in regulation and the game still tied but the penalty killers came up big and Cameron Large made several stellar stops to secure the single point. Large would again come up – pun intended – large, in the early stages of overtime as the Kings had several good chances, before the Dogs then got on the attack trying to find the winner. The closest the Dogs came in the first overtime was when a Walker Hyland shot from the top of the left circle hit the post and stayed out. 3 on 3 double overtime saw each team have chances on the rush but neither team was able to find the net. The Dogs would then get a great chance to win it when they were awarded a penalty shot, but Brandon Adams was unable to beat Imoo. Just seconds later the Dogs would be penalized and the Kings had a penalty shot chance of their own that they made good on as Cohen Adair snapped one blocker side past Large for the 4-3 final.
Cameron Large and Jonah Imoo were the goalies of record, with the shots favouring Powell River 36-22. The Dogs went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Kings went 0 for 8.
The Dogs have a big three game road trip ahead of them this week, as they visit the Trail Smoke Eaters on Thursday before heading to the Okanagan to visit the Westside Warriors on Friday and the Vernon Vipers on Saturday before heading home.
