For the second time in just five days, the Dogs and Silverbacks took to the ice Thursday night at the Dog Pound. The game had immediate fireworks as Trent Dorais and Brett Knowles dropped their mittens just 3 seconds off the opening puck drop. Four penalties in four minutes took some flow out of the first as neither team could connect on short power play chances.
After a scoreless first period Salmon Arm scored a beauty on the power play to take a 1-0 lead just short of nine minutes into the second as Mark Zengerle found Travis Statchuk with a perfect backdoor pass that he one-timed past Frank Slubowski before he could get over. Jagger Dirk also drew an assist on the scoring play at 8:40 of the second. That lead would carry over into period three, where an even prettier power play goal six minutes in made it 2-0 Salmon Arm on a backdoor-backdoor play as David Killip put his first shot at the open net off the base of the post but jammed it in on his second attempt. The two backdoor passes were by Statchuk and Zengerle again. The goal came just short of six minutes into the third. An odd occurrence then happened as the Silverbacks would pick up a bench minor for unsportsmanlike conduct before the officials could even drop the puck as Salmon Arm took too long to change. Less than 30 seconds later the Bulldogs found the net as Mark MacMillan put a cross crease pass off of his brother Mitch that found its way over the line to make it 2-1 6:15 into the third. Josh Mitchell also assisted the power play goal. The Bulldogs weren?t able to build on it though, as they ended up in the penalty box again and 2:55 later the Silverbacks got all the insurance they needed as they silenced the pound with their third power play goal of the game as David Killip scored his second of the game deflecting a Jagger Dirk point shot past Frank Slubowski with 10:50 to play in regulation. The Silverbacks would then push for more, but Slubowski came up with several big stops to give the Dogs a chance. The Dogs then fought hard to get back into it and mustered several scrambles around the Silverback net, but they couldn?t get a bounce to get one past Tony Ierfino.
Shots favoured Salmon Arm 28-25 with Frank Slubowski taking the loss in net. Tony Ierfino picked up the win and third star honours. The Dogs were 1 for 7 on the power play while the Silverbacks were 3 for 6.
The Bulldogs week of action concluded Saturday as the Nanaimo Clippers visited the Dog Pound for the second meeting of the two teams this season. This one would prove to be a crazy and wild game at times. The game started with a bang as the Dogs took a 1-0 lead just 2:48 in as Kevin Ross sent Mitch MacMillan down the right wing over the Clipper line where he roofed a short-side snap shot high glove on Loic Boivin for a 1-0 Dogs lead. With the Dogs looking for more on the power play, it would be the Clippers that found the scoreboard as they raced away on a 2 on 1 off the faceoff in the Clipper end where Colton Cyr found Kyle Kramer with a cross ice pass that he directed past Frank Slubowski as the Bulldog goaltender ended up in the back of the net with the puck as everyone crashed the net. The goal came at the 7:47 mark in the first. The Dogs would then get into penalty trouble as with Mark MacMillan already in the box Trent Dorais was called for checking from behind on the shorthanded fore-check and ejected from the game as the Dogs went down two men. Just 14 seconds later it would be 2-1 Clippers as Luc Olivier Blain potted the end board bounce off a Joe Perry one-timer from the blue line into the open net. Victor Newell also picked up an assist at the 15:42 mark of the first. Strap on your helmet for a wild ride in the second period. Before the period was even a minute old Joe Perry and Brody Lynott had a spirited scrap. Then, less than 30 seconds later it was Colton Cyr and Nick Cecere having a quick dance. The game took another turn just over five minutes in when Robert Lindores finished his check in the corner, and then went to the net where he was pushed on top of Boivin, who reacted by putting his glove around the head of Lindores, and then punched him with his blocker. He would then fall on top of Lindores, and then appear hurt or ill as he stayed down and was attended two for close to five minutes. The goalie would end up getting a roughing penalty. On the ensuing power play the Bulldogs would get the puck to the net and behind Boivin, but a Clipper defender saved the puck from going in. The referee, who was standing behind the net, would then point to centre ice. It would end up with Mitch MacMillan taking a penalty shot for the Dogs, where Boivin made the initial stop and then grabbed the puck in the air behind him to keep it out. After play resumed again Mark MacMillan fired a one-timer from the right circle that hit traffic, and to me, appeared to hit the post and stay out. The referee waved off the play, but the goal light came on. Action would continue until Andy Smith of the Clippers raced away on a shorthanded breakaway where he was taken down by Kevin Ross, resulting in a penalty shot being awarded to Nanaimo. However, before the shot would be taken the referee conversed with his linesmen and then the goal judge in the Clipper end before ruling that the Mark MacMillan attempt had indeed not gone in. It would then be Smith vs. Slubowski on the penalty shot, where Slubowski stayed with him all the way to turn the shot away. The period would end with the Bulldogs taking two straight penalties, the second of which resulted in a 3-1 Nanaimo lead when a Nicholas McIntyre one-timer from the line hit a body in front and landed on the stick of Colton Cyr who scored into the open net at the 17:44 mark of the frame for what would be the only goal of the period. The Bulldogs came out flying in the third with Mitch MacMillan scoring again from the right wing with a short-side shot just 1:22 in to make it a 3-2 game. Nick Cecere had the only assist. The score stayed that way until Ryan Corbiell scored his first career goal with the net empty and the extra attacker out with a seeing eye wrist shot from the left side as the game would go to overtime. In sudden death Johnny Rogic was called for a trip on the boards at the red line, resulting in a Clipper power play where they found the winner with their third power play goal of the game. This one was another end board bounce, this time with Luc Olivier Blain?s slap shot from the top of the right circle bouncing out the opposite side onto the tape of Andy Smith who made no mistake to make his first in the BCHL a very special one.
Final shots favoured the Dogs 38-20, with Loic Boivin earning the win and Frank Slubowski taking the loss. The goalies were the winners in the penalty shots category going 2 for 2. This was a true special teams game for the Clippers on the scoreboard as they went 3 for 6 on the power play and scored the other one shorthanded. The Dogs went 1 for 6 with the man advantage.
If I would have told you that the Dogs wouldn?t give up and even strength goal in two games, you probably wouldn?t have believed it but that?s the case as both Salmon Arm and Nanaimo scored three each and the Clippers added one while down a man. While the Dogs played hard in both games and had their fair share of chances, they ended up on the short of the stick both nights. Next up for the Dogs is three in three next weekend ? they are in Nanaimo Friday, home to Westside Saturday, and home Sunday afternoon for the ?Pink in the Rink? game against the Penticton Vees.
