Game 1 for the Dogs last week was Thursday night at home, where they dropped a tough one, 4-2 to the Powell River Kings. It was a “tough one” because the Dogs had their first two goal lead of the season, as they were up 2-0 after 40 minutes. The Kings came out flying in the third period though, scoring once even strength, twice shorthanded, and once on the power play to seal it. After a scoreless first period where the shots were 8-5 Powell River things picked up in a big way in the second with special teams taking over and 5 on 5 play being a rarity. It was the Bulldogs chance first with a 5 on 3-man advantage but they were unable to connect due to some solid goaltending by Evan Karambelas. After a second 5 on 3 failed to score, Sawyer Eichel planted himself on the door step where he banged in a rebound on a 5 on 4 power play for his first goal of the season making it 1-0 Dogs 8:43 into the second. It was Lee Patzer who put the shot on goal but the official assists were given to Kellan Tochkin and Devin Braden. It was then the Dogs who would then spend the next part of the game killing penalties with back-to-back 5 on 3?s for Powell River and four straight calls going against the Dogs. The penalty kill and Harrison May were solid and got the job done to kill off the penalties and hold the fort and the 1-0 lead. Late in the second it was Sawyer Eichel again scoring to make it 2-0 as he picked up a pass from Adam Hout in the right circle and roofed a wrist shot short-side high glove under the cross bar for a beauty goal and a 2-0 lead, (the first two goal lead for the Dogs this season) with just 17 seconds left in the second period. Assists on the play when to Isaac Smeltzer and Lee Patzer, although it was Adam Hout who put the perfect pass onto Eichel?s stick from the left point. Things certainly looked good heading into the third period with the Dogs up a couple of goals. That picture changed in a big-time hurry early in the third with Darcy Oakes picking up a loose puck off of a broken neutral-zone battle where he scored unassisted, blowing a slap shot from the top of the right circle past Harrison May?s blocker 1:41 into the third and the Kings were on the board and right back in it, down 2-1. It was then with an incredible play making it 2-2 as Erik Vos picked up a backhand alley-oop flipper that Kevin Wilson launched as a clearing play from the Kings goal. The puck tickled the rafters before it ended up landing at the feet of Vos behind the Dogs defenseman at centre ice. It was more like a football play or a basketball play then a hockey play. In the end, it certainly worked, as Vos skated in on the shorthanded breakaway and slid it past Harrison May for a 2-2 tie 4:36 in to the third and the two-goal lead was erased. The score stayed 2-2 until the Kings scored again shorthanded, again it was Darcy Oakes blasting a slap shot past Harrison May this time from the left circle and past the glove side, another shorthanded marker, and it was 3-2 Kings as they had their first lead of the game with 7:18 left in regulation. Brock Sawyer was awarded the lone assist. The Dogs would press for the equalizer and had their chances but they couldn?t find the back of the net. Eventually they found the penalty box instead as Evan Michalchuk was initially held up when trying to chip the puck past a Kings defenseman. In an effort to battle back on the play and sneak by Michalchuk then did almost the exact same thing that had initially slowed him up. It was Michalchuk who was whistled for a penalty and sent to the box as the Kings went to the power play with 4:04 left in regulation. A tough penalty to take no doubt, but it was almost fitting with how the rest of the game was called. The call got even tougher to take moments later when the Kings sealed the deal with a power play goal with just 3:12 left as Brock Sawyer was given credit for a weird goal that was actually scored by Darcy Oakes in what would?ve been his hat trick goal. It was a broken play with traffic in front, and Oakes had his back to the goal and just plain threw it at the net along the ice, where it appeared to go five-hole on Harrison May. I thought the puck looked in from my angle, but the Dogs weren?t so sure. In the end, it was ruled a goal by referee Chris Hahn and the Kings were up 4-2 for the games final score. The Dogs were 1 for 9 on the power play; the Kings were 1 for 10. Shots favoured Powell River 31-27. Harrison May was tagged for the loss in goal, while Evan Karambelas was a winner in the Powell River net, earning third star honours in his BCHL debut.
Friday in Victoria it was a battle of winless teams as the Dogs and Grizzlies met for the first time this season. The Dogs came out of the gate flying, their best start of the season by far with Lee Patzer scoring just 27 seconds in as he potted a feed on the door step from Matt Frydrysek behind the goal for a 1-0 lead before the ice was even dry. The Dogs would then get in penalty trouble and it ended up hurting them. After the Dogs killed three in a row off the Grizzlies finally struck on their fourth power play of the period with Pierre Girard scoring on a redirection from a Jamie Benn point shot at the 12:57 mark. Mike Hammond drew the secondary assist, as the teams headed to the room after the first tied 1-1. Penalties continued to be a problem for the Dogs in the second but they managed to hold the score at 1-1 until Mike Hammond scored a power play goal as he potted a cross ice pass off the back post for his first career BCHL goal with 3:22 left in the period with Shaun Stuart and Brian Nugent getting the assists. Of note in the second was Kevin Genoe stopping Robbie Bailey on a penalty shot to keep the game at 1-1. With the late Hammond goal though it was 2-1 Victoria after two periods. Early in the third Garry Nunn gave Victoria a 3-1 lead as he picked up a rebound and scored into the open side just 1:07 in with the lone assist to Keenan Desmet. The Dogs didn?t lie down though as moments later Daniel Moriarty banged in a rebound off of Matthew Wong with a delayed penalty on the way to Victoria for his first Bulldog and BCHL goal. James Kerr and Kevin Ross drew the assists at the 1:43 mark as it was a one goal game again very quickly. The Grizzlies again went up by two with Mike Hammond scoring his second of the night as he walked into the slot and beat a screened Kevin Genoe blocker side 6:31 in with Tyler Matheson and Ashford McMaster drawing the assists. Yet again the Dogs didn?t lie down?in fact; they played the best I?ve seen them play this season, by far. It took some time, but they finally got back within one with 6:38 to play as Jordan Principalli snuck a point shot past Wong from the top of the blue line with Lee Patzer and Matt Frydrysek getting the assists to make it 4-3 Victoria. Just over two minutes later the comeback was complete with Matt Frydrysek picking up a loose puck off the stick of Sawyer Eichel and walking to the slot where he beat Matthew Wong low glove with 4:20 to play for a 4-4 tie. Shane Malone picked up the secondary assist for his first BCHL and Bulldog point while Frydrysek had his first Bulldog and BCHL goal. The Dogs hearts would be broken again exactly one minute later as Justin Courtnall and Garry Nunn sent Keenan Desmet away up ice and over the Bulldogs line where he put a low shot against the grain and just inside the far post and past Harrison May (who had came into the game in relief after the fourth Victoria goal) for a 5-4 Grizzlies lead with 3:20 to go. The Dogs again didn?t quit and even earned a power play in the final two minutes for a chance to tie it. The comeback bid would fall short though as they couldn?t find the net again and the Grizzlies held on for their first win of the season. Final shots were 40-35 in favour of Victoria, in what was the highest shot count of the season so far for the Dogs. The Bulldogs were 0 for 5 on the power play, while Victoria went 2 for 9.
