The Bulldogs got their week of action going on Thursday night when the Nanaimo Clippers visited the Dog Pound. The Bulldogs got off to a great start, taking a 1-0 lead 4:52 into the game on the power play Kenney Morrison put a put on net from the line that resulted in a goal mouth scramble. Sam Mitchell would find a loose puck at the side of the net and fire it home past Charles-Andre Pelletier. Tyler Berkholtz and Casey Bailey picked up the assists. The goal seemed to wake up the Clippers as they controlled the play for the bulk of the remaining time after that, getting good opportunities but being unable to beat Frank Slubowski. It looked like the Dogs were up 2-0 late in the period as the goal light went on and the horn sounded but referee Carl Poole waved off the goal on what can only be described as the save of the year as Pelletier dove across the crease to rob Colton Sobchak of what looked like a sure goal as he one-timed a cross-crease pass into the top half of the net but Pelletier snared it in mid air. The Dogs opened the second the same way they opened the first – with a power play tally as Casey Bailey took a fed from behind the net after another great Pelletier save that he roofed to make it 2-0 2:05 into the second. With the goal Bailey ran his goal scoring streak to five games. Assists went to Josh and Sam Mitchell. The Bulldogs would play one of their best periods of the season in the second but it wouldn?t translate onto the scoreboard as they threw 20 shots on the Nanaimo net and they had too many great chances to count on scrambles in tight, but they couldn?t find the net to build their lead. The Clippers would break frank Slubowski?s shutout bid in the final minute of the period when a centering pass from the corner hit a Bulldog skate and ended up on the tape of Ryan Stanimir who one-timed a backhand home. Zach Martin and Yannick LaFlamme picked up the assists at 19:26 of the second as it was 2-1 Bulldogs after two. The third period saw no scoring until the dying minutes of regulation when the Clippers went to their second straight power play where they got the equalizer with the goalie out to make it a 6 on 4 situation as Ryan Stanimir scored his second of the game banking a wrap around home to tie it at 2-2 with 1:07 left in the third. Brayden Jaw and Mike Domsodi picked up the assists as the game went to overtime. The first overtime was very cautious as only one shot was registered. In double OT the Dogs carried the play and were finally rewarded when Trent Dorais finished off a never-say-die shift for the ages as he repeatedly stole the puck from the Clippers before finding Josh Mitchell driving the net on a 2 on 1 rush where he put an incredibly patient move on Pelletier before firing it home to send the Dogs off the bench in celebration.
Shots favoured the Dogs 40-39 with Frank Slubowski picking up the win and first star honours. Charles Andre Pelletier took the loss but earned third star honours. The Dogs went 2 for 2 on the power play while the Clippers went 1 for 5.
Saturday night the Dogs hosted the Victoria Grizzlies. The Grizzlies got off to a good start, earning a power play less than a minute into the game. They would find the net on the advantage to take a 1-0 lead as Dustin Johnson converted a cross-ice pass from Evan Richardson that he deposited into the open side past Frank Slubowski who couldn?t get over in time. Wesley Myron also picked up an assist 2:39 into the game. The Dogs would struggle to get going for several minutes, but once they did they played much like a pack of rabid Dogs. They got on the board on the power play when Josh Mitchell went high short side on Tanner McGaw from the left circle 15:11 into the first from his brother Sam and Tyler Berkholtz. Just under three minutes later It was 2-1 Dogs when Ollie McCluskey won it clean back to Ryan Renz at the right point where he put a quick shot on goal that redirected off something ? either a Victoria stick or Liam Darragh?s stick and into the top corner at 18:02 of the first. Just over a minute after that it was Trent Dorais feeding Kenney Morrison on the left wing where he put a hard cross-ice pass onto the tape of Colton Sobchak off the back door where he scored from sharp angle into the open side at the 19:13 mark for a 3-1 Dogs lead after one. Shots favoured the Dogs 26-9. The Dogs kept the momentum going early in the second, making it 4-1 on a pretty set up on the power play as Sam put the puck from the right corner to the top of the left circle to Josh, who in turn found a wide open Berkholtz on the right side where he one-timed it home 1:20 into the second. The Dogs would look for more to pad their lead with several breakaways and numerous scrambles around the Grizz net but they couldn?t find the net. With the Dogs continually buzzing in the Victoria zone the Grizzlies all of a sudden found the net late in the period where Frank Slubowski made a great first kick save on a deflected puck, only to have the rebound knocked home by David Morley to make it 4-2 with 3:41 to play in the frame. Taylor Love and Pearce Eviston picked up the assists as the Dogs lead by two after 40 minutes. That goal was a sign of things to come though, as the Grizzlies carried the momentum into the third where they found the net just 31 seconds in after two big hits by Gregory Simpson when Morley put one high blocker side Slubowski from the slot. Simpson and Joel Lowry picked up the assists. Four minutes later it was a 4-4 tie as Morley completed the natural hat trick by picking off a pass right up the middle, walking into the slot and ripping one high blocker side at the 4:51 mark. Less than three minutes later it was a 5-4 Victoria lead when they found the net on the power play as Dustin Johnson finished off some good puck work by ripping one glove side from the left circle at the 7:11 mark. Graeme Strukoff and Sean Robertson picked up the assists. The Dogs would work hard to get the momentum back, with the line of Josh Mitchell, Colton Sobchak and Casey Bailey generating some pressure and some scoring chances to get the crowd back into it. Just minutes later it was a 5-5 tie when Lars Hepso and Ollie McCluskey worked the puck out of the right corner and back to Kenney Morrison at the right point where he put one on net that had eyes as it found its way low past McGaw at the 14:08 mark of the third. The Dogs kept the pressure up, earning a late-game power play opportunity. They wouldn?t be able to find the net on it though, and just seconds after the Grizzlies killed it off they found the go ahead marker when Wesley Myron took a pass in the slot on the rush that he ripped inside the post glove side for a 6-5 Victoria lead with just 53 seconds to play in the third. Evan Richardson and Gregory Simpson picked up the assists. The Dogs would make a valiant attempt to get the equalizer but Tanner McGaw held the fort as time expired.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 53-27 with Frank Slubowski and Tanner McGaw being the goalies of record. The Dogs went 2 for 6 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 2 for 4.
A tough way to finish the weekend for the Dogs as they played lights out for long stretches in the game, only to have several mistakes prove very costly as the Grizzlies made the most of their opportunities. Next up for the Dogs is their busiest week of the season as they have four games on tap, starting at home Wednesday night when the Cowichan Valley Capitals are back in town. The Dogs then hit the road for games in Powell River Friday, Langley Saturday, and Coquitlam Sunday afternoon.
Dogs win one, lose heartbreaker
