The Bulldogs opened up their four game week when the Cowichan Valley Capitals visited on Wednesday night. The Bulldogs got off to a 1-0 lead late in the first period on the tail end of a power play after the failed to connect on a 5 on 3 power play when Connor Varley walked down from the right point and took a cross-ice pass and then walked in on goal where he beat Brandon Glover high short-side for 1-0 Bulldog lead with 4:51 left in the first period. The score stayed that way until the Capitals found the board just past the midway point of the game as Mike Hammond took a long pass up the left wing and walked over the Dogs line before ripping one through Kiefer Giroux. Alex Halloran picked up the only assist 11:09 into the second. The Capitals took their first lead of the game six minutes later as Brandon Glover put the puck ahead for Jordan Grant who walked through centre and over the Dogs line into the high slot where he put a blocker-side shot past Giroux for a 2-1 Capitals lead. Glover picked up the only assist 17:30 into the second for a 2-1 Caps score after 40 minutes. The Dogs would control the third as they pushed hard for the equalizer, outshooting the Capitals 12-1 over the frame but they couldn?t beat Brandon Glover and the only Capitals shot of the period went in as Stephen Saretsky scored into an open net in the final minute of regulation for the 3-1 final. Mike Hammond got the only assist at the 19:23 mark of the third. Shots favoured the Bulldogs 29-19 with Kiefer Giroux taking the loss in net and Brandon Glover earning the win and 1st star honours. The Dogs went 1 for 4 on the power play, while the Capitals went 0 for 4. The Dogs travelled to Powell River Friday night to face the BCHL?s top team in the Powell River Kings. The game was scoreless after one period, mostly due to Frank Slubowski and the penalty killers as they held off back to back power plays and a two-man advantage for the Kings to keep it 0-0 after one period. The Dogs played a better period in the second, coming out with good jump and chances around the Powell River net but it was the Kings that drew first blood as Scott Renner re-directed a centering feed from Brenden Forbes past Frank Slubowski to make it 1-0 with 7:09 left in the second. Jon Jutzi also picked up an assist on the play as it was 1-0 Kings. The score would stay 1-0 after two thanks to Frank Slubowski, as he made a huge stop on a Matt Garbowski breakaway. The third period went end to end with both teams getting their chances. The Kings would get the insurance marker with 9:03 gone in the frame when a blocked shot ended up on the stick of Carter Shinkaruk who walked in alone on Slubowski where he deked and slid one home five hole to make it 2-0 Powell River with assists going to Cohen Adair and Justin DaSilva. Credit to the Dogs for not quitting, as it would have been easy to do so at that point as they stuck with it, finally breaking the goose egg just two minutes later as Kyle Weber made a great play to keep the puck in at the Kings line before Colton Sobchak found Josh Mitchell who fed Casey Bailey wide open as he drove the net and tucked it far-side past Michael Garteig to make it 2-1 with 8:25 to play in the third. The Dogs would push hard for the equalizer but they couldn?t find it as the Kings made the lead stand. Final shots favoured the Kings 35-23 with Michael Garteig picking up the win and Frank Slubowski taking the loss while earning third star honours. The Dogs went 0 for 4 on the power play while the Kings went 0 for 5. The Dogs made way down the Sunshine Coast Saturday Morning to visit the Chiefs in Langley Saturday night. Langley took a 1-0 lead just past the six minute mark of the first as Brody Lynott was chasing a puck back of the net when he was absolutely crushed before he played the puck. With Lynott down an slow to get up, the puck came out front where Frank Slubowski made the first save, but he couldn?t stop the rebound as Mike Tebbutt fired it home. Trevor Gerling picked up the only assist 6:34 into the first. Minutes later, the Dogs would be sent to the penalty box, but they would find the net shorthanded as Trent Dorais fought by the linesman at the Langley line, walked in on goal, and ripped one high glove side on Cole Huggins for the shorthanded marker to tie it at 1-1. Ryan Renz picked up the only assist, 9:38 into first. The Chiefs would take a 2-1 lead late in the period on the power play on a 2 on 1 rush as Matt Ius fed Josh Myers streaking down the left wing where he ripped a one-timer far side high glove on Slubowski at 15:21 of the period for a 2-1 Langley lead after 20 minutes. The Dogs came out battling in the second and were rewarded when the line of Konrad Litke, Brandon Adams and Justin Morello worked the puck deep in the Langley zone and won several battles to keep possession. Litke would tie the puck up behind the Langley net where Adams picked it up, walked out front on the wrap around on his backhand, and roofed it far-side high on Huggins to tie the game at 2-2 2:42 into the second with Litke and Morello picking up the assists. For Litke, it was a well earned first BCHL point. The score stayed that way until the third period where the Chiefs capitalized when they had the Dogs running around in their own zone as the puck came back to the line for Brad Haber where he one-timed one high past Slubowski to make it 3-2. Brad McBride and Trevor Gerling picked up the assists 2:15 into the third. The Dogs would control the bulk of the remainder of the third, having several glorious scoring chances but they couldn?t find the equalizer as the Chiefs held on until the final minute when Tyler Miller flipped a puck from his own zone into the empty net for the insurance marker. The goal was unassisted at 19:19 of the third period. Final shots favoured the Chiefs 34-28 with Frank Slubowski and Cole Huggins being the goalies of record. The Dogs went 0 for 4 on the power play while also scoring once shorthanded. The Chiefs went 1 for 4. The long road finally ended Sunday afternoon as the Dogs visited the Coquitlam version of the Express for the first time since January 9th, 2005. The game started with a big bang for the Dogs, as Colton Sobchak dumped the puck into the Express zone and goaltender Khaleed Devji went back of his net to play the puck. He would do so too nonchalantly, as he played it into his own feet as he went back into the net. Casey Bailey would find it and jam it in for a 1-0 Dogs lead just 26 seconds into the game. Colton Sobchak would get the only assist. The Express would even it up on a controversial goal when a scramble at the net saw the goal light flicker on, and referee Jarrett Taylor signal goal from somewhere near the blue line. How he had any vantage point to make the call is beyond me, but after conferring with his linesman the goal would stand to make it 1-1 7:41 in. Garrick Perry would get the goal, with Destry Straight and Mike Krgovich picking up the assists. Just 14 seconds later the Express scored a no-doubter as Jason Grecica took a drop pass from Massimo Lamacchia that he ripped high glove side on Frank Slubowski to make it 2-1 Express. Matthew Hutchinson also picked up an assist at 7:55 of the first as the Express led 2-1 after one. The Dogs would go to a seven minute power play in the second period when Mitch Pacey dropped his gloves and jumped Ryan Renz ? who remained disciplined and kept his gloves on. The first four minutes of the power play were uneventful as the Dogs didn?t get many chances. They would find the equalizer when the trio of Justin
Dogs have tough week
