The Bulldogs head on the road this weekend for three games in two and a half days on the Lower Mainland coming off a four game home stand. Action begins Friday in Coquitlam for the final meeting of the season between the Dogs and the Express before the Bulldogs and Eagles meet in Surrey on Saturday night for what is also the final meeting between the clubs – and the third head to head meeting in just over a week after the Friday-Saturday double header at the Dog Pound last weekend. The trip then ends Sunday afternoon in Langley as the Dogs visit the Rivermen for the first time since October, with the teams still to meet twice more in March. The Dogs enter play Friday night in 6th place in the Coastal Conference with a record of 18-29-2 and 2 for 40 points, one up on the 7th placed Rivermen who hold a game in hand. The Dogs are also a point up on the 8th placed Grizzlies, with the Dogs holding two games in hand.
The Express sit 4th in the Conference with a record of 31-18-2 and 2 for 66 points, three back of Cowichan with a game in hand. The Clippers sit well back of the Express for the final playoff spot, 11 back of the Express, with a game in hand for the Clippers. The Express last saw action Saturday night at home when they bounced back from an 8-0 drubbing to Merritt the night before with a 4-1 win over the Capitals. The Express found themselves in a 1-0 hole just half a minute into the game, but dug out of it with a Clinton Atkinson power play goal just short of seven minutes in. It was 2-1 Express after one when Jon Siemer found the net ten minutes later. The score would stay that way until the late stages of the second when Mitch Nardi scored with less than five to play in the period for a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes. The only goal the rest of the way also came from Nardi as he made it a 4-1 final with a power play goal with 3:05 left in the third.
Shots favoured the Express 39-31 with Cole Huggins picking up the win and 1st star honours with the Express going 2 for 4 on the power play and the Caps going 0 for 1.
This is the sixth meeting between the teams this season with the Express having the Dogs number so far holding a 5-1 edge. The Dogs won the first meeting in their season opener in September but since then the Express have won five in a row. This is the third straight meeting in Coquitlam, with the Express winning the most recent match up 3-1 on January 4th.
Catch the pregame show tonight from the Poirier Sports and Leisure Centre at 6:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm on 93.3 The Peak FM, our website at www.933thepeak.com, and watch the Pay Per View Broadcast by visiting the BCHL’s Live Portal HERE
The Eagles enter play Friday night sitting at the top of the Coastal Conference with a record of 32-11-2 and 7 for 73 points, just one up on the Powell River Kings with the Eagles also holding a game in hand. They were last in action Wednesday night at home where they suffered their first loss in regulation this month as the Rivermen snapped their six game winning streak with a 4-1 triumph. The Eagles actually struck first to lead 1-0 on a Robert Lindores power play goal just over eight minutes into the game but it wouldn’t last long as just over half a minute later a Darnell Dyck goal tied it up. Jackson Playfair would give Langley a 2-1 lead seven minutes into the second before a Mario Puskarich tally less than a minute later put the Rivermen up 3-1. Darnell Dyck’s second of the game with less than two to play in the frame gave Langley a 4-1 lead after two and the eventual final score with neither team finding the net in the third.
Shots were even at 39 aside with James Barr picking up the 1st star with the win while Conor Barrie took 3rd star with the loss. The Eagles went 1 for 4 on the power play while Langley went 0 for 2.
It will be the seventh meeting between the teams this season with the Eagles winning all of them so far, of course most recently last weekend by scores of 5-4 and 4-1 on Friday and Saturday night respectively. The last meeting in Surrey was won by the Eagles 6-5 on December 17th.
Catch the pregame show Saturday night from the South Surrey Arena at 6:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm on 93.3 The Peak FM, our website at www.933thepeak.com, and watch the Pay Per View Broadcast by visiting the BCHL’s Live Portal HERE
As previously mentioned, the Langley Rivermen enter play Friday night with a record of 17-28-1 and 4, good for 39 points and 7th in the Coastal Conference one point back of the Dogs with a game in hand. They have a busy weekend before hosting the Dogs on Sunday as they head to the Island on Friday to face the Grizzlies before a Saturday visit to Duncan for a date with the Capitals. They will then catch an early boat Sunday to get home to host the Dogs for the 2:00 puck drop.
Sunday’s tilt will be the sixth head to head matchup with the Dogs winning three of five so far with the teams also playing to a tie as well. The Dogs won the most recent meeting 3-2 in double OT at the Dog Pound on January 7th.
Catch the pregame show Sunday afternoon at 1:45 with the puck dropping at 2:00. Get all the action on 93.3 The Peak FM or through the Pay-Per-View Broadcast on the BCHL website through the Live Portal
