The Bulldogs have just one game this week, as they visit the Victoria Grizzlies at Bear Mountain Arena Saturday night coming off their two week holiday break.
The Dogs last played December 21st at home, where they won their third consecutive game for the first time this season as they dropped the Prince George Spruce Kings by a score of 6 to 4.
The Grizzlies have played twice since the Dogs left for their break, most recently December 30th at home where they beat the Nanaimo Clippers by a score of 4-2. The Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead just short of five minutes into the game on a Lee Baldwin power play goal, before the scoring cooled off until the final minute of the second where Baldwin struck again to put the Grizzlies up 2-0 heading into the third. Early in the third the Clippers got on the board to make it a 2-1 game, and they then drew even at 2-2 with just over nine minutes to play in regulation. The score wouldn?t remain tied long, as the Grizzlies jumped ahead just 23 seconds later when Cody Bremner found the back of the net. Victoria would seal the deal with a Myles MacRae empty net marker with 49 seconds left for the 4-2 final score.
Shots favoured Victoria 34-27 with Alex Peck being the winning goaltender. The Clippers were 0 for 6 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 1 for 8.
The Dogs haven?t had much luck against the Grizzlies this season, picking up just a single point with an overtime loss in the previous 8 games of the head to head series. The last time these teams met was December 13th, a 5-3 Victoria win at the Dog Pound. The last time these teams met at Bear Mountain Arena was a night the Dogs would sooner rather forget as it was their most lopsided defeat this season, an 8-1 loss on October 18th. That might as well have been LAST season though with the changes to the Dogs roster since then.
It will certainly be a challenge for the Dogs to keep their streak going as they will need to shake off the Holiday rust in a big hurry if they hope to beat the RBC Cup hosts for the first time this season.
Saturday?s pregame show from the ?Bear? kicks off at 6:55 with the puck dropping at 7:10 on 93.3 The Peak FM and the BCHL Fanzone
The Dogs have three games on tap next week as they head back to Victoria for a meeting with the Grizzlies on Friday before two huge games Saturday and Sunday with a home-and-home set on the sked with the Nanaimo Clippers starting at the Pound Saturday night and then finishing at Frank Crane Arena Sunday afternoon.
