The Bulldogs play their final two home games of the season this weekend as they host the ?killer P?s?. The Penticton Vees visit the Pound on Friday, before the Powell River Kings visit Saturday for a rematch of last Sunday?s game.
Entering play Friday, the Vees have a record of 39-13-2 and 1 after a 6-2 win over the Prince George Spruce Kings on Wednesday night at home. With 81 points good for the Interior Conference lead, the Vees certainly aren?t fighting for a playoff spot. Having said that, they are chasing other goals that one would imagine would provide motivation to the roster. First overall is still possible, as is the regular season title for the Interior Conference. With 81 points the Vees trail the Nanaimo Clippers by a single point for first overall. They also lead the Westside Warriors by 5 points for the Interior title, and they also have a game in hand on Westside. While the top two teams get byes in round one, obviously the higher you finish sets you up with the lowest seeded team advancing. Another motivation would be the BCHL regular season goals against record of 137. After the game against the Spruce Kings Wednesday, the Vees have 128 goals against with five games to go. The Vees average a league-best 2.30 goals against per game, so the goal of 137 isn?t out of reach by any means.
On Wednesday, the Vees broke open a scoreless game early in the second period when Kyle McMurphy scored while the Vees were shorthanded. Prince George would even the score at 1-1 at the halfway point of the game when they took advantage of another power play chance. With just 1 second left in the period Denver Manderson put the Vees up 2-1. Prince George again struck on the power play just past the five minute mark of the third to even the score at 2-2, before the Vees man advantage started clicking with two goals- first from Zack Josepher to make it 3-2 8:30 in, and then Eric Kroshus made it 4-2 with four minutes left. Less than a minute later Austin Smith made it 5-2, before Cory Schneider made it 6-2 when he found the net just 12 seconds later. Final shots favoured Penticton 33-22, as Alex Evin picked up the win in net. The Vees were 2 for 3 on the power play, while Prince George was 2 for 8 while also scoring once shorthanded. The win was the second in a row for the Vees.
Friday?s game will be the second and final meeting of the season between the two teams, after the Bulldogs beat the Vees 3-2 at the Memorial Arena in Penticton on January 19th. The Bulldogs would lead 1-0 late in the first period on a Daniel Moriarty power play goal, before the Vees struck back with a power play goal of their own from Nathan Westover for a 1-1 tie into period two. The only goal of the second was another power play goal from the Vees as leading scorer Austin Smith struck early in the frame to make it 2-1 after two periods. Early in the third Kevin Ross scored his first BCHL goal to even the game at 2-2, blowing a slap shot from the line off of Brian Mountain that bounced high in the air and into the back of the net. The Vees would press late for the go ahead goal, drawing a penalty at the end of a very long period where they had the Dogs hemmed into their own zone. Just seconds into the power play, James Kerr would steal the puck at the Bulldog blue line and race in on a shorthanded breakaway where he snapped it high glove side for the game winner with 3:09 to play. Shots favoured Penticton 48-28 with Harrison May being rock solid in goal to get the win for the Dogs. I didn?t think that Brian Mountain was to blame for the loss in the Penticton goal, as he made several good saves through the third period when the game was tied 2-2. Special teams were a factor in the game, as the Dogs were 1 for 2 on the power play while scoring the game winner shorthanded. The Vees were 2 for 6 on the power play.
As the Vees were the #1 team in the league at the time, losing to the #16 team in the league in the Bulldogs didn?t go over well. Both teams have said that Friday?s game is circled on their calendar. The Bulldogs must be ready Friday to do what they did in Penticton- play one of their best games of the year. They will need great goaltending, good physical play, solid special teams, and a 60 minute effort. The Vees record is no accident. They are a solid team, top to bottom. If they Dogs aren?t ready, they will get buried.
Friday?s pregame show is on the air at 6:45pm with the puck dropping at 7:00 with the play-by-play to follow. Catch it all on your radio or on your computer through 93.3 The Peak FM or the BCHL Fanzone at www.bchl.bc.ca
Saturday marks the final home game of the season, as the Bulldogs host the Powell River Kings, just six days after beating them 5-3 at the Pound last Sunday afternoon.
The Kings enter this week on a five game losing streak with a record of 24-22-1 and 9, good for 58 points, tied with the Cowichan Valley Capitals for the final playoff spot in the Coastal Conference. The picture will look different when the Kings come into the Pound on Saturday though, as Friday night sees the Kings visit the Caps in an absolutely HUGE game. Barring the unlikely tie, the Kings will either be in a playoff spot or out of a playoff spot. Whether they are in or out, neither scenario is final, so expect the Kings to be a motivated and desperate bunch. Maybe even a little more motivated if they drop points in Cowichan Friday. Either way, the Bulldogs will again have to find a way to raise their energy level to match that of a hungry opponent. The opponent might also be a little angry, after losing to the Dogs last Sunday.
Saturday?s pregame show is on the air on 93.3 The Peak FM in the Alberni Valley and worldwide through the internet broadcast through the BCHL Fanzone at www.bchl.bc.ca The pregame sh
