Playoff Hockey returns to the Multiplex, Bulldogs host Grizzlies tonight for Game Three

It's a huge Game Three of this best-of-seven Island semi final series, and the return of playoff hockey to the Dog Pound as the Bulldogs (0-2) look to respond and hold their home ice, while the Grizzlies (2-0) hope to continue their momentum to take a 3-0 stranglehold.

It's hard not to appreciate the bluntness of playoff hockey. For the Bulldogs it's as simple as this - win....and they're looking at a brand new series. Lose....and they'll be forced to face the reality of a win or go home scenario to continue their season, and for some players, their careers.


The Bulldogs need to forget the past two games and treat them like they are ancient history. They simply weren't good enough and the Grizzlies were full value for their wins. The Bulldogs need to have a major increase in their intensity, urgency and execution because the threat exists as soon as tomorrow that they could be facing a must-win scenario. That's too wide of a focus perhaps, and maybe the best thing they can do is narrow it down to absolutely nothing but the task at hand tonight, and that is BE BETTER.

They need to be consistently better though. 10 minutes won't do it against the Grizzlies. 25 won't either. Maybe 60 won't even be enough. The Bulldogs looked great through the first period and into the early moments of the second period of Game two.

A pessimist can argue that the end result is all that matters. It's of course true to a point - getting back to back losses is by no means an ideal result no matter how they happen. At the same time there's a large mental factor between getting down 1-0 a minute into the opener and chasing all night and barely being in the game en route to losing 8-3, and what they did the next night. They DID respond. I thought their answer back after getting thumped in the opener into Game two was impressive. They came out with a noticeable urgency and desperation to their game, they were physical, they just plain looked good and a step ahead. They killed off 2:45 of a power play to start the second, and then *poof* all of the good things that were so evident quite quickly were non existent, and it felt like only a matter of time until they went from chasing the game to trailing in the game. That's exactly what happened. At time of year you can't take shifts off or periods off or plays off and hope to beat anybody.

Here's hoping that tonight that same jump and intensity and desperation is again there - but consistently there for 60 minutes, or more. It's going to be a new series, or the same series. The Bulldogs can ill afford to put themselves in the position where it's the latter.

I can't wait to get back on the air inside the rink tonight. There's nothing like it this time of year. If you can't make the game, we will do our best to make you feel like you're there on Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM Bruce MacDonald is responsible for game analysis and colour commentary, Dan Tisserand tabulates team and individual statistics and I call the play-by-play. Our pregame show goes live at 6:45, with the puck dropping just after 7:00

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Captain Tryg Strand, who's currently on a fantastic run to the National Championships in his Senior season with the CIS's Guelph Gryphons. Tryg picked up a goal and two assists in the three-game series win. 

If you aren't in listening range of 93.3 The Peak FM you can listen/watch the game by:

Listening Live on your computer: www.933thepeak.com
Listening Live on your SmartPhone : www.tunein.com/mobile/
Watching Live on your computer/SmartPhone www.hockeytv.com

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