After back to back weeks with three games on the schedule, with five out of those six on the road ? the Dogs have a lighter schedule this week with just two home games on tap ? both at home. Thursday night the Nanaimo Clippers visit the Dog Pound and Saturday night the Victoria Grizzlies are in town, the only team to defeat the Dogs at home this season.
The Clippers enter play Thursday with a record of 7-8-1 and 2, good for 17 points. The Grizzlies sit at 12-6-0 and 1, good for 25 points. Just like last week, the Bulldogs opponents for the weekend have met each other earlier in the week as on Tuesday night in Victoria the Grizzlies topped the Clippers 6-3 to run their win streak to three games. The Grizzlies raced out to a 2-0 lead before the game was five minutes old on a power play marker by Bruin McDonald (great name) and an even strength marker by Dustin Johnson just 13 seconds later. Just two minutes later it was 2-1 as the Clippers got on the board with a Yannick LaFlamme power play marker. Six minutes later it was 2-2 as Colton Cyr found the net. The Grizzlies retook their two goal lead in short order as just two and a half minutes later Bryce Twa made it 3-2 Grizzlies and just a minute and a half later it was 4-2 Victoria on a Joel Lowry power play goal as a crazy first period was finally in the books. The second period was quiet by comparison, with the only goal coming in the final minute, again on the power play, and again off the stick of Joel Lowry, for a 5-2 lead for the Grizz after 40 minutes. Lowry completed the natural hat trick with a shorthanded goal with seven minutes to play in the game for a 6-2 Victoria lead before Nanaimo added one to make it respectable off the stick of Brayden Jaw on the power play with under five to play in the third for the 6-3 final.
Shots actually favoured Nanaimo in a losing cause 47-28 with Matt Ginn picking up second star honours with the win in net. Charles-Andre Pelletier took the loss for the Clippers giving up four goals on 12 shots in just over sixteen minutes of work before giving way to Charles-Alexey Premont. The Grizzlies went 3 for 5 on the power play while also scoring once shorthanded. The Clippers went 2 for 8.
The Bulldogs and Clippers have met three times this season, with the Dogs winning twice and the Clippers once with every win in the series so far coming on home ice. These teams just met Sunday afternoon in Nanaimo where the Dogs fell into a hole and nearly dug out of it as they trimmed a 4-1 deficit to make it 4-3, but that would be as close as they would get.
Catch the pregame show Thursday night from the Dog Pound on 93.3 The Peak FM and our website at www.933thepeak.com with the pregame show getting underway at 6:45 and the puck dropping at 7:00
Before the Grizzlies make their second trip to the Dog Pound Saturday night, they have a return match with the Clippers in Nanaimo on Friday night. The Grizzlies are the only team to beat the Dogs on home ice this season, as they scored twice in a two minute span in the last half of the third period to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead and the eventual final score.
Saturday?s pregame show is on the air at 6:45pm with the puck drop shortly after 7:00 on your radio on 93.3 The Peak FM, on your computer at www.933thepeak.com and the BCHL website at www.bchl.ca
It?s a big week of two solid tests for the Dogs ? the Clippers, who won the last meeting just four days ago, and the Grizzlies, who have won the only two meetings between the teams this season.
Dogs home for two this week
