The Alberni Valley Bulldogs began their last weekend of the season Friday night in Duncan where they faced the Cowichan Valley Capitals.
The game didn?t start the way the Dogs wanted as the Capitals led 1-0 just 1:29 in when Nick Anderson came over the Bulldogs blue line down the left wing and blew a slap shot from the left circle off the glove of Harrison May and in. Brian Matte and Willie Coetzee picked up the assists. The Caps lead was 2-0 four minutes later when Spencer Edwards stole the puck deep in the Dogs zone and fed a pass to Alex Gellert who beat Harrison May under the arm from the right side of the slot 5:09 into the period. The Dogs were in full on survival mode at this point, and Harrison May would find his game and make several good saves to keep them in it, especially when the Capitals were on the power play. The Dogs would really get in the game late in the period after they went to the power play and they found the net as Eliot Raibl fed the puck over the Capital blue line for Chris Moulson down the right wing. Moulson would find Warren Muir going to the net, who put a no-look backhand into the top shelf far side for a 2-1 game with 3:18 left in the first. Things would get interesting late in the period when Josh Clare, fresh off a three game suspension for hitting from behind- hit Kevin Ross head first into the boards, resulting in Daniel Moriarty dropping the mitts with Clare in defence of his teammate. Moriarty would get 2 5 and 10, while Clare would get ejected from the game for the hit. The Caps would get a glorious chance to build on the lead in the second when they went to a five minute power play as Mark Morikawa was given a major penalty for high sticking. Harrison May and the penalty killers would hold the fort though until the Capitals took a penalty themselves to lose the power play. The score would stay 2-1 all the way into the third period, due to absolutely outstanding goaltending from Harrison May, who was a human highlight reel all night long. Several saves stand out, but the biggest one had to be a windmill pad-stack glove save on a point blank shot from the slot with the Capitals back on the power play. The Bulldogs would get the equalizer with their second power play goal of the game on just their second power play chance of the game, when Chris Moulson and Marcello Ranallo set Jordan Principalli up as he took a pass in the left circle and blew a slap shot high short side on Kiefer Smiley 9:46 into the third for a 2-2 tie. Just 1:09 later the Bulldogs went ahead as Warren Muir walked down the right side and put a perfect shot into the top corner, short side from what looked like an impossible angle. Jordan Principalli and Chris Moulson picked up the assists at the 10:55 mark. One more penalty kill and several more solid stops from Harrison May salted the time away as the Dogs won their fourth in a row and the Capitals ended their game on a seven game losing streak. Final shots favoured Cowichan 46-22 as Harrison May and Kiefer Smiley were the goalies of record. All three stars in the building were given to the Capitals, but Harrison May was without a doubt the first star of the game. Special teams were a huge difference as the Bulldogs were 2 for 2 on the power play while the Capitals were 0 for 4, including a five minute major to Mark Morikawa in the second period.
This game had it all for the Dogs, good goaltending, good special teams, and a couple of good scraps. In the end, the result was a great comeback and their fourth win in a row.
Saturday the Bulldogs visited the Burnaby Express, looking for their fifth win in a row. Things started very well for the Dogs, as just 1:46 into the game Chris Moulson found a Warren Muir rebound and jammed it past Robert Irwin for a 1-0 Dogs lead. Mandeep Nijjar picked up the second assist on the play. Bulldogs affiliate goaltender Devon Stankoven would then be forced to make several good saves to preserve the lead, as the Dogs gave up several glorious chances. The Dogs would then go to the power play looking to make it 2-0, but it was the Express instead that tied the game scoring shorthanded as a Milorad Kos clearing attempt hit a glass separator and bounced onto the stick of Jordan Soquila who raced away on a 2 on 1 rush with Carlo Finucci. Soquila would dish the puck off to Finucci and then drive the net, where Finucci put a perfect pass onto his tape for the in-alone chance where he made no mistake going to the backhand and lifting it over Stankoven for a 1-1 tie 10:33 into the first. The game went back and forth for the next portion of the period, with both goaltenders coming up with big saves to keep the game tied. The Bulldogs again went to the power play looking to go ahead, and again the Express were the team with the better opportunities as Stankoven was again forced to be solid to preserve the tie. Shortly after the penalty was over, the Express took a 2-1 lead as Rich Manley brought the puck over the blue line down the right wing on an odd man rush where he looked off to his winger going to the net before firing it through the legs of Stankoven with just 1:16 left in the period. Cody Campbell and Greg Bay picked up the assists. Just 14 seconds later the Express led 3-1 into the dressing room after one as Cody Campbell fed a pass to Brodie Reid who brought it over the blue line where he snapped a shot from the left circle top corner glove side on Stankoven. The Bulldogs would get the crucial next goal just short of the games halfway point on the power play as Mark Morikawa roofed a backhand from the left side on a set up by Lee Patzer and Marcello Ranallo as it was 3-2 Burnaby 9:39 into the second. The Express would fire right back though, as Greg Bay one-timed a face off win from the blue line through the legs of Stankoven with 7:38 left in the period to put the Express up 4-2. Rich Manley and Jacob Verheyden picked up the assists. Stankoven and the Bulldogs penalty killers came up big minutes later, holding the Express off to keep it at 4-2. Seconds after they were back to even strength, the Dogs fought back to get within one as Adam Baldassarre fed the puck to Zack Mazo over the Burnaby line. While Mazo?s shot was blocked, it ended up on the tape of Warren Muir who fired it into the open side from the slot for a 4-3 score with 2:44 left in the period. The Express would deflate the Dogs as they went up by two again with just five seconds left in the period as Reid Edmondson walked to the net and tried to jam it past Stankoven. The first save was made, but Spencer Bennett was there to grease it home for a 5-3 lead with just five seconds left in the second. Harrison May would come in to play goal in the third period, and he was forced to make several big saves to keep the Bulldogs hopes alive. The Express would eventually find the net though, erasing all doubt to make<
