The Bulldogs began their weekend Friday night in Coquitlam for the first meeting of the season between the two teams. The Express would find the net first, snapping the Dogs streak of scoring first at four straight games. The goal wasn’t without controversy, at least from the Dogs side of the puck. With a delayed penalty coming to the Dogs, the Express raced up ice on an odd-man rush. Jay Deo would make a fantastic first save on a cross-ice one-timer, but he couldn’t find the rebound and the Bulldogs couldn’t
get control of the puck before the Express poked the rebound through his legs and just barely over the goal line before a Bulldog defender swept it away. Cameron Marks would get credit for the goal, with assists going to Mitch Nardi and Sam Majka 7:24 into the first for a 1-0 Express lead after 20 minutes.
The Express wasted no time making it 2-0, just seconds into a power play chance as Malcolm McKinney was allowed to walk in on goal untouched down the right side where he deked across the crease and tucked it through the legs of Deo. Assists on the goal went to Justin Georgeson and Mitch Nardi 3:24 into the second. Another power play would see the Express go up 3-0, once again early in the power play and again on a play where the attacker was allowed to walk in on goal as Georgeson snapped one top corner, glove side from the slot. Assists on the play went to McKinney and Callum Hofford at 14:07 of the second. The Bulldogs wouldn’t quit, as they battled back to get on the board shortly afterwards
when Nathan Craft pounced on a rebound in the slot off an Evan Tironese shot and one-timed it past the blocker of Cole Huggins to make it 3-1. Manny Gialedakis also picked up an assist on the play at 18:31 of the second.
The third period saw the Bulldogs go to the penalty box almost immediately, and once again the Express would connect for their third power play goal of the game as Zachary Pryzbek deflected a Marc
Biega point shot through Jay Deo. Also assisting on the play was Alex Kerfoot at 1:43 of the third for a 4-1 Coquitlam lead. Just ten seconds later it was a two-goal game again however as Brandon Halls intercepted a pass in neutral ice before walking over the Express line and slapping a high hard one that handcuffed Huggins, as the puck bounced off his glove and up and over his head into the back of the net to make it 4-2. The goal was unassisted at 1:53 of the third. The Dogs would push hard to get back
into it and control the play in the ensuing minutes, but they were unable to find the net. With everyone in deep and pressing the puck was quickly turned up ice as the Express raced in on a 3 on 1 rush where
Georgeson scored his second of the game walking into the slot and snapping one short-side off the post and in to make it 5-2, with assists to Brady Shaw and Biega 4:41 into the third. While the Dogs were
down three goals, they didn’t show any quit as they battled throughout the third to trim the gap but they were unable to make a dent in the lead before the Express added a late one in the dying seconds as Brady Shaw was left all alone in front of the net where he deked one past Deo for the 6-2 final with just 19 seconds left on the clock and assists to Alex Kerfoot and John Siemer.
Final shots favoured the Dogs in a losing cause 36-35 with Jay Deo and Cole Huggins being the goalies of record. Special teams were the difference in this one, as the Express went 3 for 4 on the power play
while the Dogs went 0 for 4.
The Bulldogs trip continued in Langley Saturday for the second meeting between the teams already this season. The early minutes of the game went back and forth, with the Dogs earning a power play chance
that they failed to connect on. Minutes afterwards the Rivermen got a power play of their own and they would make good on it with a pretty cross-crease set up being one-timed home by Austin Azurdia. Assists went to Trevor Cope and Bo Pellah at 9:04 of the first. Another penalty immediately followed, as did another Rivermen power play goal as Mario Puskarich beat two Bulldogs on the rush before walking in alone on net where he snapped one off the far post and in. Valik Chichkin and James Barr picked up the helpers at 11:04 of the first. The Dogs would continue to be in penalty trouble when the Rivermen went to a four minute power play again after the goal but the penalty kill stood tall to kill it off and keep the game within reach. A fluke goal would appear to deflate the Dogs early in the second as Ben Butcher chopped the puck off the stick of Turner Popoff, then off Popoff’s skate and in past a stunned Adam Todd to make it 3-0 at the 5:46 of the second with assists to Mario Puskarich and Evan Campbell. The Dogs would continue to battle, but they just weren’t able to get anything going as the Rivermen built the lead to 4-0 on a cross-crease set up that was one-timed home by Mario Puskarich at 14:40 from Bo
Pellah and Ben Butcher.
Period three saw the Rivermen continue on the power play where they went up 5-0 just 1:22 in as Ben Butcher potted a rebound in the slot after a good initial save by Adam Todd on a deflected point shot. Campbell and Valik Chichkin got the helpers. The lead was 6-0 Langley with 8:12 to play on a set up from behind the goal line that was one-timed home into an open net by Evan Campbell with Mario Puskarich and Ben Butcher setting it up. The final salt in the wound came with 6:02 to play as Butcher completed the hat trick when a point shot hit him at the side of the net and went in, with Mitch McLain picking up the only helper.
Final shots favoured the Rivermen 34-21 with James Barr picking up the win and second star honours with the shut out while Adam Todd took the loss. The Dogs went 0 for 6 on the power play while the Rivermen went 3 for 11.
The Bulldogs look to regroup and pull themselves together against the Surrey Eagles this afternoon at 4:00 PM. Tune into 93.3 The Peak or log onto FastHockey to catch all the game action live.
