The Dogs began 2012 when they visited the Express in Coquitlam. It might have been one of the best starts of the season for the Dogs as they had two breakaways in the first 30 seconds of the game with both Dylan Nowakowski and Josh Mitchell walking in on net but neither was able to score. The game really took off just seconds later when Alex Petan brought the puck into the Dogs zone 1 on 3 and took a wrist shot before being leveled by Turner Popoff. There would be no initial penalty from the referee on the play, and Popoff was then jumped by Alex Nardi. One of the two Linesmen would call a Major Penalty to Popoff for charging on the play, while Nardi would get two for instigating. The Express would lead 1-0 after one period on a tough break for the Dogs as the puck was rimmed around the glass where it caught a seam and bounced to the middle onto the tape of Cody Michelle who found it and put it home, with assists to Justin Georgeson and Mitchell Fyffe at 16:27 of the first. The score stayed that way until another tough-luck play for the Dogs as Justin Morello took a hit from behind that injured him that saw no penalty to the Express. As Morello made his way injured to the bench and play continued on the Express would score the eventual game winner with Alex Kerfoot setting up John Siemer on the left wing where he one-timed one through the legs of Fenkell to make it 2-0 7:01 into the second. The Dogs would make a game of it seconds later though with Art Kalashnikov winning a draw back to the left point for Nick Tupper who threw a quick shot on net that was tipped home five-hole by Evan Tironese as Tupper found the score sheet in his Bulldogs and BCHL debut to make it 2-1 at 7:28 of the second. The Express looked to have a 3-1 lead when they put one home on a scramble with the Referee initially signaling goal, but then later changing the call to no-goal after conferring with his Linesmen. The Dogs would have ample opportunities to tie it outshooting the Express 17-4 over the third period, including a full two-minute 6 on 3 power play late in the game but they couldn’t beat Cole Huggins to get the equalizer before the Express scored into an empty net in the final seconds to seal with deal with Justin Georgeson making it 3-1 from Brady Shaw and Clinton Atkinson at 19:53 of the third.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 38-29 with Max Fenkell taking the loss but picking up 2nd star honours while Cole Huggins earned 1st star honours with the win. Both teams went 0 for 6 on the power play.
The Dogs weekend continued Friday when they returned to home ice for the first time in 2012 as they hosted the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The Dogs appeared not ready to play, or at the very least not ready to play at the level of the Capitals as they came out with a vengeance taking a 2-0 lead just past half a minute into the game. It was 1-0 just 20 seconds in as Brandon Mistal walked down the right wing to the net and ripped a shot past Max Fenkell. Assists on the play went to Mikael Jung and Troy Paterson. Before the Dogs knew what hit them it was 2-0 just 12 seconds later as a Karver Everson shot was tipped on goal by Richard Vanderhoek. Fenkell would make the first save but couldn’t find the rebound before Jake Charles jammed it home at the side of the net. The Dogs would get their feet under them and keep it at 2-0 into the second period. The Dogs played much better to start the second, first killing off a Caps power play. They then went to work on offense, making it a 2-1 game when Trent Dorais fired a rebound home from the top of the crease off a Mike Puddifant point shot. Marlon Sabo also picked up an assist on the play 2:23 into the period. It was a 2-2 game four minutes later when Tyler Berkholtz broke the play up at centre and chased the puck down for a breakaway into the Caps end that he finished with a quick wrist shot five hole on Derek Dun. The goal was unassisted 6:07 into the second. The Capitals would once again answer with two quick ones to take the two goal lead back, first going up 3-2 as Steen Cooper was found all alone in front where he went high glove side, just seconds after a breakaway save by Max Fenkell had kept the game tied. Assists on the play went to Brett Knowles and Keyler Bruce 11:12 into the second. Just 1:20 later it was 4-2 as a Troy Paterson shot from the top of the left circle deflected off a Bulldog and into the top corner. Assists went to Devin Gannon and Brett Knowles at the 12:32 mark of the second. Exactly one minute later the Dogs answered with a gorgeous goal on the rush on a three-way passing play as Evan Tironese gained the line up the right wing and dropped it back to Tyler Berkholtz, who then threw a quick cross-ice pass to Brandon Adams who snapped one low far side on Dun to make it a 4-3 game. The Capitals would retake the two goal lead four minutes later as Logan Proulx picked off a Max Fenkell up-ice pass attempt and caught him out of the net and fired it home before he could get back into the goal. The goal was un-assisted at 17:15 of the second as it was 5-3 Capitals. Exactly a minute later it was 6-3 Capitals as they connected on the rush when Matt Brown walked into the high slot and ripped a beautiful shot high glove side on Fenkell, sending the water bottle for a ride to make it 6-3. Devin Gannon got the only assist at 18:15 of the second for a 6-3 Capitals lead after 40 minutes. The Bulldogs would strike early in the third on the power play to make it a two goal spread when Mike Puddifant set up Josh Mitchell with a cross-ice feed at the side of the net that he deflected under the bar. Dylan Nowakowski also picked up an assist on the power play goal 2:34 into the third. That was all the Dogs could muster though with the only goal the rest of the way coming in odd fashion from the Capitals just short of the midway mark of the third with Matt Larose making a save that saw the puck go up in the air followed by the Capitals immediately celebrating goal. The goal light didn’t go on and the Referee didn’t appear to signal goal. The officials would gather for a discussion before the Referee then consulted the Goal Judge. One final conversation with the crew resulted in a goal being awarded to Devin Gannon, with assists going to Matt Brown and Brett Knowles at 9:12 of the third for the 7-4 final score.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs in a losing cause 39-35 with Max Fenkell taking the loss stopping 16 of 22 shots over 40 minutes before Matt Larose was beaten once on 13 shots in relief. Derek Dun picked up the win for the Caps, who went 0 for 4 on the power play while the Dogs went 1 for 2.
The Dogs week finished Saturday night when they hosted the Langley Rivermen. After all the goals Friday night they were hard to come by on Saturday with the game staying scoreless through the first with solid play by the goalies at both ends as the Dogs out shot Langley 17-9. The second was scoreless all the way until the final two minutes when the Dogs finally broke the deadlock when Tryg Strand drove the net and one-timed a Lars Hepso centering pass home from the slot. Ryan Lough also picked up an assist on the play at 18:04 of the second for a 1-0 Dogs lead after one with the shots almost identical as the first with the Dogs holding a 34-19 advantage. The Rivermen would tie the game six minutes into the third just moments after a great backdoor save by Matt Larose on Darnell Dyck, who picked up the rebound and brought the puck behind the net and out the other side before setting up Mike Tebbutt on the doorstep. Mario Puskarich also assisted on the play 6:20 into the third. The Bulldogs would take the lead back four minutes later when Tyler Berkholtz made it 2-1 when he walked to the right circle and threw a shot on net that deflected off a Langley stick into the top of the net. Walker Hyland picked up the only assist with 9:09 to go in the third. Li
