The Dogs went into LAST week not sure what to expect, on a three game losing streak after a less than stellar trip to the Interior. After two huge back-to-back wins over Nanaimo and Salmon Arm, spirits were high going into this weekend?s three day-three-game trek to the Lower Mainland.
After three straight losses again, the Dogs will no doubt be returning with their tails between their legs.
The Bulldogs left the Valley on that two game winning streak, but that was snapped in an ugly fashion Friday night in Surrey with a 5-1 loss to the Eagles. The game overall lacked control, the Bulldogs lacked discipline and control, and to a lesser extend the Eagles lacked control. The Bulldogs didn?t appear ready off the bat in this one, as they ended up on the power play early and often, but they couldn?t generate much of anything off of it. Moments later Adam Basford put the Eagles up 1-0 on a man advantage of their own where Basford just walked right into the slot and snapped it by Harrison May stick side for a 1-0 Surrey lead 13:14 into the first period. Into period two, cue the penalty troubles. Jordan Principalli was given a 5 minute major for checking from behind as he hit Scott Knowles on the numbers. I questioned this penalty as Knowles didn?t appear injured on the play. He didn?t stay down on the ice. In fact, didn?t even leave the ice surface and instead took part in the ensuing power play seconds later. Maybe the minor became a major due to intent? I have no clue. The Dogs were then whistled for another penalty that saw them down 5 on 3 for two minutes. The Dogs would kill the 5 on 3 but couldn?t kill the remainder of the major penalty as Paulos Shiferaw one-timed a perfect back door feed on a great set up by Cameron Sinclair and Phil Magistrale 5:08 into the second period for a 2-0 Surrey lead. That lead became 3-0 just over 90 seconds later on another great backdoor feed, this time by Michael Quinn and Ilan Cumberbirch as Scott Knowles was left wide open to one-time the pass high short-side on May. The goal was scored during a 4 on 4 situation at the 6:44 mark of the second as Surrey lead 3-0 into the third period. Early in the period the Eagles struck again, one second after a Bulldog penalty kill was up for a 4-0 lead 1:11 in as Ryan Pajimola found a rebound and banged it in with assists to Ryan Adams and Cameron Sinclair. This goal would look a lot bigger just 58 seconds later as Lee Patzer scored on a crazy scramble to trim the gap to 4-1 with James Kerr and Isaac Smeltzer getting the assists on the power play goal. While the Dogs were by no means out of it, they left the building mentally due to frustration at either themselves, the opposition, or the officiating as all heck broke loose for the remainder of the game with multiple fights, ejections, match penalties, you name it – all breaking out. The Eagles would complete the game scoring with 1:53 left for the 5-1 final as Paulos Shiferaw found the twine for his second of the game. Final shots favoured Surrey 55-20 with Harrison May getting the third star in a losing effort. The Dogs were 2 for 10 on the power play; the Eagles were 2 for 15. The Dogs lost more than the game in this one; they lost their cool and lost two valuable players in the process in Daniel Moriarty and Sawyer Eichel.
The Bulldogs team that showed up Saturday night in Burnaby wasn?t the team that left the ice in Surrey Friday. The Dogs worked hard all game and were extremely disciplined, unfortunately there weren?t rewarded for their efforts as they ended up on the wrong end of a 4-2 score.
After a scoreless first period, former Express player Lee Patzer stung his old team by putting the Dogs up 1-0 as he potted a fat rebound top shelf 8:04 into the second with assists going to Isaac Smeltzer and James Kerr. The Dogs would then go on the power play for a chance to build on their momentum, but it was instead Burnaby finding the net as the Dogs got caught at the Burnaby line as Rich Manley raced away on a shorthanded 1 on 1 chance. Manley would put his shot off the post and off of Kevin Genoe before it bounced right back onto his tape where he tapped it into the open side as the game was tied 1-1 at the 10:38 mark of the second. An assist was later added on the play to Carlo Finucci. I am thinking of a certain carpentry tool right now, but I could be wrong…. The Dogs atoned for giving up the shortie by scoring themselves on the back half of that same power play as Evan Michalchuk showed good resiliency as he stuck with the play and banged in his own rebound for a 2-1 score with 11:35 gone in the second. Assists on the play went to Matt Frydrysek and Adam Baldassarre. The Express would tie it up with a power play goal of their own in the final minutes of the period as Cody Campbell converted a pass out from behind the net from Carlo Finucci and Brodie Reid to tie it at 2-2 with 3:34 to go in the second. The third period was end to end with both teams having chances for the go ahead goal. That goal finally came as a Milorad Kos point shot hit something in front and ended up on the stick of Kurt Cowden who was Johnny-on-the-spot on the doorstep to tape it in before Kevin Genoe or Josh Pineiro could find it to make it 3-2 Express with 5:39 left in regulation. The Dogs would push for the equalizer but wouldn?t find it before Burnaby added the empty netter with 2 seconds left in the game for the 4-2 final as Rich Manley scored his second of the game from Carlo Finucci and Brodie Reid. Shots favoured the Dogs 40-27, with Kevin Genoe getting tagged for the loss in goal. The Dogs were 1 for 4 on the power play while the Express were 1 for 2. Burnaby also scored once shorthanded. The Dogs again played much better in this game, but they couldn?t find the go ahead goal when it was needed in the third. Kevin Jebson was great in net for Burnaby to earn the win.
The Dogs went into Langley Sunday looking to break a two game losing streak with a win over the Chiefs. Things didn?t look good early with Trevor Elias scoring a highlight reel goal where he undressed a Bulldogs defenseman 1 on 1 and then roofed a wrist shot high glove on Harrison May for a 1-0 lead just 2:45 in with Joey Manley and Nolan Julseth-White drawing the assists. The Dogs fired back 1:09 later with Adam Hout feeding Daniel Moriarty over the Langley line. Moriarty would walk out from behind the goal before throwing a cross-crease pass that was one-timed in by Marcello Ranallo for a 1-1 tie 3:54 into the game. Into period two it was Langley going up 2-1 on a play that looked clearly offside to yours truly. The linesman was right there to wave it off though, as Taylor Stefishen brought the puck over the line and found Milos Gordic going to the net where he beat Harrison May five-hole. Brad Bakken got the other assist on the play with 9:20 gone in period two. The Dogs again would tie it up as Lee Patzer scored his team leading eleventh goal of the year, just throwing the puck at the net from the right wing boards. Matt Frydrysek got the lone assist as the game was tied 2-2 with 3:54 left in the second period. The Dogs would then get caught up ice on a shorthanded rush where an ill-advised pass resulted in a 3 on 1 the other way for Langley. The odd man rush didn?t end up in the net, but seconds later the damage was done as Milos Gordic one-timed it by Harrison May from the hash marks with Derek Grant and Chris Ickert assisting for a 3-2 Langley lead with 50 seconds left in the second. In the third period the Dogs came out and worked hard and had their chances to even it up after two big penalty kills. The Dogs then finally earned a power play of their own but that ended up over in just 9 seconds after a penalty on the ensuing faceoff on the power play. The Dogs would be in penalty trouble for the remainder of the third period, but they stayed in the game tha
