The Bulldogs opened up their three game Interior swing Friday night in Trail as they faced the Smoke Eaters for the second time in a matter of weeks. The game had good pace over the first few shifts, but not much in the way of scoring chances. That changed in a hurry as the Dogs found their legs and had good back to back shifts in the Trail end. They would get on the board shortly afterwards when Kurt Gosselin made a great stretch pass out of the zone to Teal Burns at centre ice up the right wing. Burns would gain the Smoke Eaters zone before dishing off to Matt Hansen with a cross-ice pass. Hansen threw a backhand on net that was stopped by Lyndon Stanwood, but Manny Gialedakis was in perfect position at the side of the net to tap it in to make it 1-0 at the 3:51 mark. The Smoke Eaters would push back and control the next several shifts and eventually tied the game after hemming the Dogs in their zone and winning a battle on the wall, as Garrett McMullen knocked a rebound out of mid-air past Brad Rebagliati, with assists to Brent Baltus and Braeden Pears at 7:16 of the first. Coming off the media time out the Bulldogs appeared to find their legs again, as Evan Tironese drew a penalty by keeping his feet moving on the attack in the Trail zone. The Bulldogs power play unit didn’t let the Smoke Eaters get out of their end as they worked the puck around beautifully and found the net as Matt Hansen set up Chase Van Allen in the left circle for a cross-ice one-timer. Gialedakis would again be perfectly positioned as the shot was missing the net wide but hit his shin pads and deflected in to make it 2-1 at 12:46 on the power play. The score would stay 2-1 after one thanks to Brad Rebagliati as he made a great save on an odd-man rush in the final minute of the period.
The second period saw the Bulldogs go to the penalty box just 13 seconds in. Off the ensuing faceoff in the zone they would race up ice on a 2 on 1 rush where Matt Hansen put a perfect cross-ice pass onto the tape of Teal Burns who ripped it top shelf to make it 3-1 just 30 seconds into the second, shorthanded. The Dogs built the lead to 4-1 just past the midway mark of the second, showing great tenacity in the Smoke Eaters zone as Ryan Lough chopped it loose for Evan Tironese, who threw it at the net where Hunter Stewart tipped it home through the legs of Stanwood at 10:42 of the second for a 4-1 lead after two periods.
The Bulldogs opened the third period on the power play after Evan Tironese showed good discipline to draw a penalty at the end of the second. For the second period in a row they scored in the first minute as Manny Gialedakis completed the hat trick by knocking a loose puck home from the crease after Chase Van Allen was set up for a one-timer by Teal Burns to make it 5-1 just 36 seconds into the third. The Dogs would go to the power play five minutes later and appeared to score on the scramble, but the Smokies kept it out. The referee ruled they kept it out by closing their hand on the puck in the crease, resulting in the Dogs being awarded a penalty shot. The Dogs Coaching Staff would pick former Smoke Eater and Castlegar native Eric Walker to take the shot and he made no mistake in scoring his first of the season as he walked in and went top corner short-side on Stanwood to make it 6-1 7:18 into the third. Just over two minutes later it was 7-1 when Teal Burns stole the puck in the Trail zone and set up Manny Gialedakis with perfect cross-ice pass that he one-timed past the blocker of Standwood at 9:23 of the third. The final goal came on the rush as Bo Pellah sent the puck ahead to Burns up the right wing, where he made an absolutely ridiculous cross-ice aerial pass that Matt Hansen picked up in full flight to race in on the breakaway where he went bar-down glove side on Stanwood to make it 8-1 at 14:44. Burns incredibly didn’t get an assist on the play, but he will when the team submits the scoring changes to the league to make it a 6 point night.
Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 32-30 with Brad Rebagliati picking up the win while Lyndon Stanwood took the loss. The Dogs went 2 for 4 on the power play and 5 for 5 on the penalty kill while also scoring once shorthanded. With the win the Dogs stretched their win streak to five, while also clinching a playoff spot.
Dogs top Smokies 8-1, stretch streak to 5
