The Dogs began their week Tuesday when they hosted the Cowichan Valley Capitals at the Dog Pound. A back and forth first period saw the Capitals have the better of the chances, but Max Fenkell was very sharp in the Dogs net to keep them off the board. The Bulldogs would draw first blood in the back half of the period when the Kalashnikov brothers hooked up on the rush, with Yan Kalashnikov throwing a shot on net from the top of the right circle that was stopped by Derek Dun. He was unable to find the rebound though as Arty Kalashnikov drove the net and put it off the post and in for a 1-0 lead 11:03 into the first with Nick Tupper also drawing an assist on the play. The second period was back and forth and good hockey to watch, although at times chippy during the play and after the whistles regarding in plenty of penalties. The Dogs would take advantage of a power play opportunity to build their lead to 2-0 late in the period off a faceoff in the Caps end when Walker Hyland put a low shot on goal through traffic that appeared to go clean in through the legs of Derek Dun. Assists went to Josh Mitchell and Trent Dorais at the 16:12 mark of the second for a 2-0 Dogs lead after two periods. The Dogs kept the scoring going in the third, taking a 3-0 lead early in the frame when Trent Dorais made a pretty backhand pass to Arty Kalashnikov wide open in the slot who snuck one past the glove of Dun for a 3-0 Dogs lead just 2:32 into the third with Hunter Stewart also drawing an assist on the play. The Capitals would break the shutout bid of Max Fenkell just over a minute later on a scramble to make it 3-1 with Brett Knowles scoring from Richard Vanderhoek and Brandon Mistal at the 3:36 mark. The Dogs didn’t give the Caps any chance to get back into it though, as shortly afterwards they fired right back to restore the three-goal lead on a great shift down low that saw Tryg Strand find Hunter Stewart behind the net where he then fed Ryan Lough on the doorstep for a one-timer past the glove of Brady Rouleau at the 5:04 mark. The scoring would slow for a spell but the Dogs picked it up late in the game to put an exclamation mark on their effort, taking a 5-1 lead with less than five to play on a gorgeous goal on the rush as Yan Kalashnikov carried the puck over the line on a 2 on 1 rush up the left wing before setting up Arty with a perfect cross-ice pass down the right side that he buried top shelf under the bar. Brandon Halls also picked up an assist on the play at the 15:28 mark. One more for good measure made it a 6-1 final when Marlon Sabo one-timed one home from the deep slot on the rush for his first career goal. Assists on the play went to Hunter Stewart and Tryg Strand at the 19:57 mark.
Shots favoured the Capitals 44-32 with Max Fenkell picking up the win and second star honours while Derek Dun took the loss, giving up three goals before being relieved by Brady Rouleau. The Dogs went 1 for 4 on the power play while the Caps went 0 for 3.
The Dogs weekend continued Friday as they headed over the hump to visit the Clippers for the first meeting between the teams since November. For the third straight game it was the Dogs finding the net first as a good shift down low on the cycle ended up with Yan Kalashnikov being set up in the slot by Arty where he went top corner glove side on Billy Faust. Alex Grupe also assisted on the play at the 7:58 mark of the first. The lead didn’t last long though as the Clippers tied it less than a minute later when Luke Gordon pounced on a turnover in the Dogs end and went high blocker-side on Nathan Alalouf. The goal was unassisted at the 8:47 mark of the first. The Clippers would take the lead late in the frame on a pretty goal by Andrew Gladiuk as he walked into the left circle and went high short side off the cross-bar and in to make it 2-1 Clippers, with Clayton Chessa drawing the only assist at the 15:19 mark. The Clippers wouldn’t lead for long though, as the Dogs came right back to tie it up as Trent Dorais one-timed a pass out of the right corner short-side past Faust to tie it at 2-2, with assists to Evan Tironese and Josh Mitchell at the 16:01 mark of the first for a 2-2 tie after 20 minutes. The score would stay that way through the halfway mark of the second, when the Clippers got the eventual game winner while shorthanded as off the draw in the Clipper end to start the power play Dan Correale was sprung up the left wing where he cut in alone on the breakaway on Alalouf where he slipped one through the five hole to make it 3-2 Nanaimo, just eight seconds off the draw in the Dogs end. Josh Bryan got the only assist on the shorthanded marker at 10:14 of the second. Just three minutes later the Clippers blew the game open to make it 4-2 with Luke Gordon potting a second or third rebound chance after an initial save by Alalouf. Brenden Forbes and Josh Bryan picked up the assists at the 13:59 of the second. Just over a minute later it was 5-2 with Mason Blacklock jamming one home in tight from Kyle Kramer and Jesse Neher at the 15:04 mark of the second. Matt Larose would enter the game relief and didn’t get much help as he was beaten also with traffic in his crease to make it 6-2 Clippers after two with Trevor Fitzgerald scoring from Kyle Kramer at 17:48 of the second. There would be only one more goal the rest of the way, but plenty in the way of action, as the Clippers went up 7-2 just over three minutes into the third when Kyle Kramer found a rebound in the paint and muscled it through Alalouf, who had come back on to start the third. Luke Gordon picked up the only assist on the play 3:04 into the third. Evan Tironese didn’t like Kramer in the crease, as he dropped his mitts and challenged him as a full-scale line brawl almost broke out with Trent Dorais, Josh Mitchell and Daniel Delbianco all being involved. In the end the Dogs would escape with no suspensions as the penalties were reviewed by the BCHL and reversed.
Final shots favoured the Clippers 42-26 with Nathan Alalouf taking the loss giving up 6 of the 7 goals while Billy Faust earned the win. The Dogs went 0 for 4 on the power play while the Clippers went 0 for 7 with a shorthanded goal.
The Dogs finished their week Saturday night when they hosted the Victoria Grizzlies at the Dog Pound. The game didn’t start well for the Dogs, as the Grizzlies carried the play and built up a 3-0 lead just seven minutes into the game. It was 1-0 at the 3:01 mark when Chase Kaiser picked up an errant pass at his own line and raced in on a clear cut breakaway that he put low blocker side on Matt Larose. Just three minutes later it was 2-0 when Michael Sandor found a rebound in front and jammed it home into the open side. Assists went to Charles Lillies and Stefan Gonzales at 6:10 of the first. Less than a minute later it was 3-0 when Chase Kaiser picked up his second of the game with a deflection in the slot with assists to Cameron Lawson and Mark McLellan at 7:00. The Dogs would wake up and start to play better hockey over the next couple of shifts, and they would be rewarded for it when Evan Tironese drove the net and found a Walker Hyland rebound that he hammered into the open side to make it 3-1 at 11:05 with Josh Mitchell also picking up an assist at 11:05. Just 14 seconds later it was 3-2 as Ryan Lough drove the net and found a loose puck in tight and fired it home with assists to Hunter Stewart and Try Strand. Just seconds later it was almost a 3-3 tie but Try Strand had his shot hit the post and stay out. The Dogs pulled back to even early in the second when Arty Kalashnikov found a centering pass from Tryg Strand that he snapped home, with Hunter Stewart also assisting at the 1:22 of the second. Three minutes later the Dogs took their first lead of the game on a pretty passing play as Evan Tironese kept the puck in at the line and found Trent Dorais who set up
