The Dogs week began Thursday night at home as they looked for their second win in a row for the first time this season as they hosted the Burnaby Express. After a scoreless first period the Dogs took a 1-0 lead early in the second as Johnny Rogic cleared a loose puck from the front of the Dogs net to Jackson Garrett.
Garrett would carry the puck up the right wing and bank it off the side boards past the Express defender before catching up with it over the Burnaby line where he moved in to the top of the right circle before ripping a shot far side past the blocker of Mike Chan. The only assist on the play went to Johnny Rogic 3:38 into the second. The Dogs built the lead to 2-0 just over five minutes later as Robert Lindores settled down a bouncing puck at the blue line before walking to the high slot and ripping a shot top corner glove side on Chan. Brian Kang and Zack Mazo picked up the assists at the 8:45 mark of the period. The Express would fight back to try and get on the board, but Colin Rundell came up big with consecutive saves on Brent Vandenberg – first on a breakaway chance, and then a 2 on 1 rush set up by Max Grassi. Moments later the Dogs went to the power play, and it took them just 19 seconds to score as Sam Mitchell picked up a perfect pass from Kevin Ross in full flight down the left wing through centre. Mitchell would walk into the Burnaby zone before ripping a shot through Chan from the top of the left circle for a 3-0 lead, the first time this season the Dogs led by more than two goals. Assists on the play went to Johnny Rogic and Kevin Ross 14:19 into the second. That would be it for Mike Chan?s evening, as he was replaced by Richie Virtanen in the Express net. Before the period was out the Dogs built the lead to 4-0, as Mitch MacMillan walked down the right wing on a 2 on 1 rush and sent a perfect cross-ice feed for Evan Witt who tapped it into the open side with just 1:08 left in the second as Virtanen had no chance. The Dogs made it 5-0 in the third as Brian Kang came out of the penalty box and promptly put the puck in the back of the net with a high hard slapper from the high slot that went of the shoulder of Virtanen and into the top corner. Assists on the play went to Eric Fraser and Sam Mitchell at the 7:07 mark of the third. The final icing on the cake came with just over five minutes left as Evan Witt found a loose puck off a face off in the Burnaby end and sent a cross ice pass onto the tape of Mitch MacMillan on the top of the crease where he made no mistake scoring into the open side. Brett Mohler also picked up an assist on the play at the 14:48 mark of the third as the Dogs clamped down defensively the rest of the way to earn their first shut out of the season.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 40-24, with Colin Rundell picking up first star honours and his first BCHL shut out with the win. Mike Chan took the loss for Burnaby giving up the first three goals before Richie Virtanen gave up three the rest of the way. The Dogs were 1 for 5 on the power play while the Express were 0 for 3.
It was a night of firsts for sure, as the Dogs hit 6 goals for the first time, while giving up 0 for the first time. They also hit 40 plus shots for the first time in 33 games as well. The win marked the first two game winning streak of the season, and it also marked the first time the team has won back to back games on home ice, after the 5-4 OT thriller over Surrey.
The Dogs then travelled to Duncan on Friday to take on the Cowichan Valley Capitals. The Dogs hit the scoreboard first late in the opening period as Warren Muir scored from right side of the net as he threw a sharp angle shot through the legs of Chris Rawlings with 5:17 left in the first. Assists on the play went to Mark Morikawa and Chris Moulson. The Caps would get it back just over two minutes later on a nifty passing play on the rush as Mickey Spencer drove the net down the right side and tapped a perfect pass into the open side before Colin Rundell could get over. Nick Anderson and Kevin Walrod picked up the assists on the play with 2:38 left in first. The only goal of the second came from the Capitals as Taylor Holst was set up on the doorstep where he put it past a sliding Colin Rundell at the 4:41 mark. Assists on the play went to Spencer Edwards and Nick Anderson. The game would stay 2-1 all the way until the last half of the third period, as Mitch MacMillan was hooked up on an in-alone breakaway chance after he slid the puck through the legs of a Capital defender and walked around him, resulting in a penalty shot. MacMillan would make no mistake against his former teammate, cutting down the left side before out waiting Rawlings and lifting it short-side over his blocker to tie the game at 2-2 with 7:07 left. The Capitals would get the winner 2:11 into sudden death overtime as Spencer Edwards threw a rink wide pass across the crease that hit a Bulldog stick and found its way through Colin Rundell for the heartbreaker. Spencer Fraipont picked up the only assist.
Final shots favoured the Caps 31-25, with Colin Rundell picking up 3rd star honours with and the loss in goal. Chris Rawlings got the win for the Caps. Both teams went 0 for 3 on the power play.
Saturday night the Dogs hosted the Nanaimo Clippers at the Pound on ?Teddy Bear Toss? night. It would be the Clippers that had most of the shots early, and they would find the net first when Tyler Pistone deflected a Stephen Simms wrister from the right point through the legs of Colin Rundell. Russell Goodman also picked up an assist on the play at the 6:18 mark of the first period. The plush would fly just under three minutes later when Taylor Orser scored the Teddy Bear goal with a short side snap shot from the left wing that went through Evan Smith. Adam Hout and Zack Mazo picked up the assists on the goal at the 9:13 mark of the first. The Clippers retook the lead just 2:03 later when a pass from the right corner was put right on the tape of Steve Mason for the tap in at the back post. Anders Franzon and Michael Boivin got the helpers at 11:16 as the Clippers led 2-1 heading into the dressing room. The Bulldogs would tie it just past the halfway mark of the game as Adam Hout sent a pass for Curtis Tonello up the right wing out of the Dogs zone. Tonello got his feet moving and rushed over the Clipper line before putting a slap shot on net from the right side that resulted in a big rebound in the slot that Sam Mitchell put home. The goal came at the 10:10 mark of the second. Immediately after the goal Warren Muir and Aaron Enns had a very spirited scrap. Minutes later, the Dogs went to another power play, and then a 5 on 3 advantage for over 90 seconds. It wouldn?t take the Dogs long to find the net as Evan Witt put the puck out front for Mitch MacMillan, who was stopped by Smith. A scramble ensued before the puck came into the high slo
