The Dogs began the 2007-2008 season Friday night in Nanaimo on the losing side of a 5-1 score to the defending BCHL Champion Clippers, before travelling to Powell River Saturday where they ended up on the wrong side of a 4-1 score in a much closer game. In Nanaimo Friday, the game couldn?t have started any worse for the Dogs as they were down 1-0 just over a minute in, as Mikael Bedard picked up a rebound off a Warren Muir wrap around and jammed it past Harrison May before he could get back in position. Eric Filiou had the other assist on the scoring play at 1:04. The Dogs got their paws under them after that and they did a good job of staving off the early Nanaimo pressure to stay in the game. After killing off a Clipper power play, the Dogs earned a man advantage of their own. On that man advantage they made hay as Marcello Ranallo just plain threw a shot on net from the top of the right circle that found it?s way through the traffic and past the blocker arm of Mike Garman for a 1-1 tie at the 10:31 mark of the first with assists to James Kerr and Isaac Smeltzer. The Clippers struck on a power play of their own before the first was out to restore the lead, as newcomer Brodie Zuk took a cross ice pass out of the left corner after some good work by Brad McConnell and Russell Goodman. Zuk tapped it in past May and it was 2-1 Clippers after one. Although this next goal is credited on the box score as happening in the first period, TRUST ME, it didn?t. The second period started much the same as the first as the Clippers struck early again, this time again on the power play, as Warren Muir was left unattended just off the slot in the right circle where he took a feed from down low behind the goal line from Eric Filiou and one timed it past Harrison May for the first two goal lead of the game with 1:52 gone in the second. While the rest of the second would be the best part of the game for the Dogs, they couldn?t find the net on several power play opportunities. In what could?ve been the turning point, James Kerr fed a beauty backdoor pass to a streaking Daniel Moriarty with time ticking down at the end of the period. Moriarty one timed the puck off the post and it stayed out, keeping it 3-1 Nanaimo heading into the third. In the final period both teams got in penalty trouble, but it was the Clippers that capitalized on their advantages while the Dogs could never get going. With just 1 second left in a 5 on 3 situation Matt Irwin ripped a cross ice one-timer top shelf with exactly 10:00 left for a 4-1 lead. Assists on the play went to Braden Birch and Russell Goodman. The final goal of the game saw Kevin Noble drive the net to find a rebound in the slot off a low hard shot by Carson Shell that he put off the post and in for the 5-1 final score. Final shots were 47-19 for Nanaimo, with Harrison May being tagged with the loss in net. The BCHL boxscore has the Dogs as 1 for 16 on the power play, while the Clippers were 3 for 16. With the amount of rubber he ended up seeing Michael Garman ended up working more on his focus than he did his game. Saturday in Powell River the game started much better, with end to end action seeing both goaltenders getting to feel the puck a time or two. The Dogs then took their first lead of the season when they led 1-0 on a nice passing play on the man advantage, with Evan Michalchuk roofing a pass on the door step from Jordan Principalli. Marcello Ranallo also assisted on the play, as it was 1-0 Dogs with 3:12 left in the first period. In the second the Kings got back on even terms quickly with Darcy Oakes banging in a rebound (off a shot that I thought had gone in already) off the stick of Erik Vos. Mark McKamey also assisted the play as it was 1-1 2:05 into period two. The Dogs penalty kill and the strong goaltending of Kevin Genoe kept the game 1-1 throughout most of the second as again the Dogs were in penalty trouble. Late in the second and into the third the score stayed 1-1 with the Kings were in the box as the Dogs couldn?t make them pay with the man advantage. More penalties factored into the game play in the third, with both teams in trouble and both teams with chances. It was the Kings finally breaking the 1-1 deadlock as Erik Vos picked up a loose puck after Clay Harvey had drove the net. Vos slid it past Genoe with assists to Harvey and McKamey for the go-ahead goal on a 5 on 3 power play for a 2-1 Kings lead with 8:15 to go. Just 17 seconds later it was Vos scoring again, this time tipping in a Jake Areshenko point shot for a 3-1 lead with 7:58 left. The final goal saw Brennan Strang out work two Bulldogs from behind their own net to stuff the loose puck into the empty cage for the un-assisted short handed goal with 1:56 to go, as Kevin Genoe had been lifted for the extra attacker in a last gasp effort. Final shots were 33-21 in favour of Powell River, as Kevin Genoe was outstanding in goal to keep the game 1-1 until the final 10 minutes. Chris Rawlings was good when he had to be, which wasn?t nearly enough if you were a Bulldog fan. The Dogs were 1 for 13 on the power play, while the Kings were 2 for 15. While the Dogs improved on their effort into Saturday night, the end result still wasn?t the desired one. The discipline factor is just one thing in my opinion that obviously needs to be improved with the amount of penalties the team took over two games. The Dogs also scored just two goals in two games, both on the power play. That will never get it done unless you are New Jersey. While the shots for and against stat improved Saturday in Powell River, it could only have gotten better after the spread from Nanaimo on Friday. It won?t get any easier for the Dogs with the Cowichan Valley Capitals coming up on the sked for two games this week with a home and home series starting at the BIG STICK Friday night, and then heading back to Port Alberni and the DOG POUND for the home opener Saturday night. I?ll have more on those games to come later in the week with my preview.
Hammer’s Weekly Recap
