The Bulldogs have three games on their schedule this week – all at home. In an interesting scheduling quirk they will be in action on Tuesday night for the fifth week in a row as the Nanaimo Clippers visit the Dog Pound. The Bulldogs play host to the Victoria Grizzlies Friday night and then have Saturday night off before the Penticton Vees roll into town for a Sunday afternoon match up.
The Clippers enter play Tuesday night with a record of 24-20-1 and 5, good for 54 points and fifth place in the Coastal Conference ? one point back of the 4th placed Grizzlies and seven points better than the 6th placed Bulldogs. Both the Grizzlies and Bulldogs have a game in hand on the Clippers. The Clippers were last in action Sunday night in Cowichan where they beat the Capitals 7-5 for their third win in a row. The Capitals found the net first just over eight minutes in but the Clippers fired back with two power play goals from Brodie Jamieson just a minute later, and Samuel Labrecque with just over a minute to play in the first to lead 2-1. The Capitals would fire right back to tie the game with 12 seconds left in the period for a 2-2 score after 20 minutes. The Clippers came out flying in the third with four straight to race out to a 6-2 lead on markers from Andrew Gladiuk less than 30 seconds in, Brett Hartskamp just over three minutes in, Yannick LaFlamme at 6:08 and finally Gerry Fitzgerald with a minute and a half to play in the second. The Capitals would stop the bleeding with a marker less than a minute later to make it 6-3 but just seven seconds later the Clippers answered on a Jesse Ursic goal for a 7-3 lead after two periods. The Caps got the third period started off right as they found the net just 22 seconds in to make it a 7-4 game before finding the net again with seven minutes left in the third to make it 7-5, but that would be as close as they could get as the Clippers held on.
The Clippers outshot the Capitals 36-24 with Charles-Alexy Premont picking up the win in net. The Clippers went 2 for 8 on the power play while the Capitals went 0 for 4.
This will be the ninth meeting of the season between the bitter rivals. The Clippers have a 5-3 lead in the ?Battle for the Rival Hammer? series as they have won four consecutive meetings. With the last three in a row being played on Nanaimo ice, the Dogs will be happy to be back at the Dog Pound.
Catch all the action with the pregame show kicking off at 6:45 and the puck dropping at 7:00 on 93.3 The Peak FM and online at www.933thepeak.com and the BCHL Live Portal.
The Grizzlies enter play Friday night with a record of 26-20-3 and 3, good for 55 points. Entering play Tuesday the Grizzlies hold down fourth place in the Coastal Conference but that could of course change with the results of the Dogs and Clippers game.
The Grizzlies were last in action Saturday night in Nanaimo where they lost 5-4 to the Clippers. The Clippers opened the scoring on the power play before the game was three minutes old but the Grizzlies battled back to tie it on a Mitch Labreche goal with eight minutes to go in the frame. With just over a minute to play it was 2-1 Grizzlies on an unassisted marker by new addition Kyle St. Denis. The Clippers tied it at 2-2 early in the second and then took a 3-2 lead on a power play goal at the nine minute mark but the Grizzlies again tied it up in the final minute of the period on a David Morley goal. The Grizzlies again took the lead just over a minute into the third on St. Denis? second of the night but the Clippers tied it at 4-4 before the period was five minutes old. The Clippers would find the winner just over three minutes later on the power play as the Grizzlies couldn?t find the equalizer over the final twelve minutes of the third period.
Shots favoured the Clippers 32-25 with Cam Gorchynski taking the loss in goal getting the hook after the fifth Clipper goal. The Grizzlies went 0 for 2 on the power play while the Clippers went 3 for 5.
Friday?s game marks the seventh meeting between the teams this season, with Victoria winning five of the six previous games. Every game has been close, with the only game not decided by a single goal being the first meeting of the season where the Grizzlies added an empty netter with 15 seconds left to open up a two goal spread. It will be the first chance for the Dogs to see new Grizzlie Kyle St. Denis who has two goals and three points in just two games since joining the Grizzlies after the trade deadline.
Catch the pregame show Friday night from the Dog Pound at 6:45 with the play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm on 93.3 The Peak FM and our website at www.933thepeak.com
The Vees enter play Tuesday night with a record of 31-13-2 and 1, good for 65 points and second place in the Interior Conference, three points back of the Vernon Vipers with the Vees having two games in hand.
The Vees record will be vastly different before they roll into Port Alberni Sunday where they will be playing their fifth game in six days. The Vees trip opens Tuesday in Powell River. They then visit Cowichan on Wednesday, Nanaimo Friday and
Victoria Saturday before finally finishing up a grueling stretch at the Dog Pound Sunday.
This is the second and final regular season meeting between the teams. The Bulldogs won the previous meeting 3-2 in double OT in Penticton on Sam Mitchell?s winner on October 23rd. It?s a big game not just for the two points up for grabs in the standings but also for the return of former Bulldog Mark MacMillan to the Dog Pound.
Game time Sunday afternoon from the Dog Pound is 2:30. Get it all on 93.3 The Peak FM, www.933thepeak.com or the BCHL website at www.bchl.ca with the pregame show kicking off at 2:15
