The Bulldogs make their only trip of the season to Cominco Memorial Arena tonight to take on the Smoke Eaters for the second and final time in the regular season.
Here's a look at the rink. Sorry, last year's camera!
These teams met two weeks ago tonight, a 4-2 Dogs win at the Pound.
With a win the Dogs would sweep their fourth straight 3 in 3 roadie, and they would win their 18th straight game on the road which would break the league record set by the 1990 New West Royals, and tied earlier this year by the Vernon Vipers.
The Smoke Eaters snapped a five game losing streak with a 3-2 win last night over the Salmon Arm Silverbacks on home ice. You can get more info on Shawn Mullin's Trail Smoke Eaters Blog.
The Dogs would be ill-advised to take the Smokies lightly as they are surely a motivated team who feels probably pretty good about themselves after their streak-snapper last night.
The motivation will no doubt come from the fact that they are playing for their playoff lives.
On one hand, they are a losing streak away from sliding out of the playoffs. On the other hand, they are a winning streak away from climbing to as high as fifth in the Conference.
The Smokies are two points up on Prince George for the final Interior playoff spot, although they do have two games in hand. Having said that, their schedule is a daunting one. They have the Dogs tonight, and then Penticton-Westside-Westside-Westside-Surrey-Merritt and then Penticton one more time. Prince George doesn't have a cake walk either with their schedule - Victoria-Vernon-Penticton.....no disrespect intended to these teams but it gets a little easier after that: Williams Lake-Williams Lake-Burnaby. Three games against, as of right now, two non playoff teams.
So again, ALL games are of critical importance for the Smokies so the Dogs had better be ready.
Being "ready" won't be exactly easy, with the overnight travel here to Castlegar seeing the Dogs in their beds sometime between 3 and 4am today.
Try telling that to the Smokies though who have a tough travel schedule ALL the time. For the Dogs it comes at the end of a road trip, so hopefully the guys got some good bus sleep last night and a good nap in today.
Speaking of naps, I'm almost good for one myself here.....
Tonight's pregame show is on the air at 7:15 with the puck drop at 7:30 on 93.3 The Peak FM
Tonight's second intermission feature guest is former Bulldog Brian Stewart, now with the Northern Michigan University Wildcats so be sure to tune in to hear "Stewie"There's a campaign on right now to get Stewie voted into the NCAA Frozen Four Skills Challenge.
If anyone can do it, it's Bulldog fans so CLICK THE LINK (Mens West) AND SPREAD THE WORD!!!
Just as cool - you can click on "Men's East" as well and vote for one-time Bulldog goalie Andrew Brathwaite, now playing for Merrimack!
Hammer
No comments:
Post a Comment