Bulldogs visit Spruce Kings tonight to kick off three-in-three weekend

It's the start of a busy and long three game in three day weekend for the Bulldogs (11-7-1-2, 2nd Island) as they kick things off tonight from the Coliseum in Prince George, also known as the "Castle" where they face the Spruce Kings (14-9-0-2, 1st Mainland) for the third meeting between the teams this season.

It's a grand ole barn - and I say that with the utmost sincerity - if I'm not mistaken once an old aircraft hanger....or so the legend goes from what I remember... that was converted to a rink, with smaller than regulation dimensions, different corners and crazy boards and overall tight confines with a great atmosphere when a good crowd shows up. Due to the Spruce Kings consistent success over the last couple of years, that's more often than not as the last three home games for the Kings have brought in crowds of 982, 1082 and 1054. Not bad at all.

The Bulldogs were last in action Saturday night at home, where they picked up a 4-2 win over the Chilliwack Chiefs, while the Spruce Kings were in Chilliwack Wednesday night where they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Chiefs. 

Here's a glance at how close the Bulldog's bench is to the broadcast booth - if the visitors are in control and the rink is quiet, I'm feel like I'm pretty much broadcasting to the bench!

As previously mentioned, it's the third meeting of the season between the teams after a 6-5 Prince George win at the season-opening Showcase and a 5-4 Spruce Kings win on Sunday, October 19th when they showed considerable grit in playing their fourth game in five days, snapping the Dogs winning streak at four games, still a season high.

Tonight's broadcast kicks off with the pregame show at 6:45 with the puck drop and play-by-play to follow at 7:00pm on Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Justin Morissette, play-by-play voice of the Surrey Eagles , who the Dogs visit tomorrow night.

Hammer

Bulldogs face Eagles tonight in Surrey

One night after playing up in Prince George in the smaller-than-regulation ice surface at the Coliseum, the Bulldogs (12-7-1-2, 2nd Island)  face the Eagles (3-16-0-3, 5th Mainland) on the International/Olympic sized ice sheet at the South Surrey Arena.

There will be no time for bus legs in this one, as you have to be ready to skate on the 200 x 100 rink. It's a game where the Dogs need to show their commitment and maturity, and play the game - not the opposition. I don't say that with any offense intended to the Eagles - losers of 11 in a row, and outscored 72-22 in the process. It's obvious that they are struggling, and everyone knows it. However, preparing to play a team and preparing for anything less than your best usually ends up seeing you bring exactly that - less than your best.

An example that comes to mind from this season might be the 3-2 last-minute Bulldog win over a struggling Capitals team a week after they beat them 7-3 and 8-1. The Dogs fell into a 1-0 hole before the game was 30 seconds old, and didn't look ready to play compared to their opposition and it took until the final minute of the game to finally get a lead.

If you aren't ready to play - it's not going to be a fun night, and more often than not the night ends in a loss.

The Bulldogs enter play winners of two in a row after a 4-3 last-second win last night in Prince George, while the Eagles lost their 11th in a row 5-2 last night in Langley.

I will have the call for you on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM with the pregame show getting underway at 6:55, with the puck dropping at 7:11pm and the play-by-play to follow.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Eddie Gregory, play-by-play voice of the Coquitlam Express, who the Dogs face tomorrow afternoon to finish their weekend off. Check out his great blog HERE

Hammer

Cooke retires, Harvey to VIJHL, Bulldogs in Schools program

Scott Cooke Retires, Harvey Reassigned to Oceanside
PRESS RELEASE

November 15, 2014
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Port Alberni, BC – The Alberni Valley Bulldogs are very sad to announce that 1994-born veteran forward Scott Cooke has retired from the game of hockey due to medical reasons.

Cooke joined the Bulldogs in October after having played three full seasons in the WHL split between the Vancouver Giants and the Moose Jaw Warriors. In the first game with the Bulldogs, Cooke suffered a concussion and has experienced reoccurring symptoms ever since. Cooke remained with the team hoping to get back on the ice but unfortunately that didn’t happen.

“It’s with great sadness that my hockey career is over,” said Cooke in a statement. “I have played hockey since I was three years old. Although my time with the Bulldogs was brief, I loved playing here and will miss the players, organization, fans, and especially the game,” added Cooke.

Cooke signed off with one final message to his teammates by saying, “Bring home a championship.”

Cooke’s jersey will be hung in the Bulldogs dressing room for the remainder of the season as he begins the next phase of his life by attending school in Kelowna in the New Year.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs would like to thank Scott for wanting to be a part of our family in the last year of his junior career and wish him all the success in the world in a healthy transition to life after junior hockey. His character and cheerful personality will be missed around the rink.

In another move this week, the Bulldogs have reassigned 1997-born defenseman Josh Harvey to the Oceanside Generals of the VIJHL. Harvey, from Port Alberni, BC, was with the team since opening day as the team wanted to provide him with every opportunity to close the skill gap en route to becoming a full-time BCHL player. Harvey will continue to be in the Bulldogs plans and will continue to practice with the team. With the acquisition of two veteran defensemen this past week, it became harder to get Harvey in the line up and he needs to play in order to continue his development.

In Harvey’s first game with the Oceanside Generals on Thursday, he factored in on all the Generals’ goals (one goal, one assist) in a 8-2 loss to the Nanaimo Buccaneers.

For further information or comment on the above story please contact Alberni Valley Bulldogs’
head coach and general manager Kevin Willison

______________________________________________________

Here's some recent feedback regarding the Bulldogs in Schools program - such a cool thing to have the guys in local schools making a difference. 

Hammer

We would like to have the presentation from the Bulldogs on Thursday, November 27th. It is the day that really works best for us. Will we be getting the 2 Bulldogs Eric & Everett that have been at our school? Will we get them for the full day? In order for us to have all 12 classes get the presentation we would need the full day.

Eric & Everett have been amazing!! They have attended every single day. They are always on time and sometimes even stay later when the kids ask them to. They are both outgoing, take initiative and so helpful to have in the classroom. Nothing but positives are coming from our teachers about these 2 boys. Many of our French Immersion teachers are especially happy to have Eric in their classes as he speaks some French and that is sooo helpful and something that hasn't happened in the past.

I love seeing that the program is working with the community in the schools. Also, I am very pleased with how the program is giving tickets not only to the students but also to their parent so they can go with their child for free too. What an amazing way to promote family activities and bring our community together.

Thank you,

Lindsay McIvor

Alberni Elementary

Dogs top Chiefs 4-2

A fantastic, hard hitting start to the game as both sides looked everything like a couple of teams trying to atone for losses the night before as just 6:58 into the game the hits were 12-11 Bulldogs. There wasn't much in the way of offense to speak of, with both Billy Christopoulos and Aidan Pelino only having to make a solid save or two each through 20 minutes with the shots favouring the Bulldogs 9-7 and hits an incredible 19 aside.

The Bulldogs came out with a great start to the second period, killing off a carry over power play for the Chiefs and dominating the play, hemming the Chiefs in their zone for extended periods. Despite a 13-1 advantage in shots through the first 12 minutes of the period the game remained scoreless. It didn't stay that way for long though, as the Chiefs capitalized on a Bulldogs mistake and scored on just their second shot of the period, albeit a quality one as they worked a 2 on 1 rush to perfection as Rory Bell out-waited the Bulldog defender and put a perfect cross-ice pass onto the tape of Craig Puffer who put it into the open side past Christopoulos at 12:17 of the second with Eric Roberts also drawing an assist on the play. The Chiefs all of a sudden would have all the momentum, and they had a series of solid chances to build on their lead around the Bulldog net but Christopoulos came up with a series of good saves to keep it 1-0. The Bulldogs would answer back to tie it up on the rush late in the period as Drake Brown made a great pass at centre ice to Mitch Makin who walked in on goal and put a shot on goal that was stopped by Pelino, but he couldn't control the rebound as Chris Schutz drove the net and backhanded it home before Pelino could recover to make it 1-1 at 16:44 of the second period. Shots favoured the Bulldogs 17-13 for a two period 26-20 after 40 minutes.

The Bulldogs would take their first lead of the game just short of four minutes into the third when Mitch Makin put a perfect pass at centre ice ahead for Drew Blackmun who drove past the Chiefs defender and in alone on goal where he slid one low through Pelino to make it 2-1. Drew Weich also picked up an assist on the play at 3:50 of the third. Just four minutes later it was 3-1 as Justin Marreck puck the puck up the left wing boards where Zak Bowles fought it out of the zone and then raced away with blazing speed up the left wing through centre and over the Chilliwack line around the Chiefs defender and in on goal where he one-handed one through Pelino. Kurt Gosselin also drew an assist on the play at 7:28 of the third. The Dogs would be caught up ice several times in the ensuing minutes, allowing a partial breakaway that Christopoulos stopped but the Chiefs drew a penalty on. The Dogs would kill it off to protect the lead, but the Chiefs didn't quit, finding the net with 6:16 to go as Jordan Kawaguchi picked up a perfect pass from Jake Hand walking in on the back door where he roofed a top corner far-side wrist shot under the crossbar over the glove of Christopoulos to make it 3-2. The game would stay that way until the late stages of regulation when the Dogs iced it with the teams playing four aside hockey as Kurt Gosselin cleared it out of the Dogs end and Dylan Haugen raced onto a loose puck in the Chiefs zone and fired it home for a 4-2 lead with 10 seconds to go.

Final shots favoured the Bulldogs 36-28 with Billy Christopoulos picking up the win while Aidan Pelino took the loss while earning 3rd star honours. I had both teams at 0 for 3 on the power play.

Next up for the Bulldogs is a three-in-three roadie starting next Friday in Prince George.

Hammer

Bulldogs host Chiefs tonight, Election Results in 2nd Intermission

It's right back to action tonight for the Bulldogs (10-7-1-2, 3rd Island) as they host the Chilliwack Chiefs (12-5-0-1, 2nd Mainland) on a night where both teams will be no doubt raring to go as they are coming off of tough losses the night before. 

The Dogs lost 5-2 to the Clippers in Nanaimo, their second straight defeat, while the Chiefs opened up a three game weekend road trip with a 6-1 loss to the Kings in Powell River.

These teams last met in a wildly entertaining game in Chilliwack as the Dogs picked up a 4-2 win on October 25th handing the Chiefs their first, and to date their only, loss on home ice.

All the action as always can be heard on Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM starting with the Pregame show at 6:45 tonight with the play-by-play, colour commentary/analysis and team and player stats at 7:00 courtesy of myself, Bruce MacDonald and Dan Tisserand.

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com

We won't have a feature guest tonight , as there's much bigger fish to fry... The Peak's David Wiwchar will step in during the 2nd Intermission to provide a full update on the Municpal Election. 

Don't forget to get out and vote today everyone!

Dogs fall 5-2 to Clippers in Nanaimo

There was a high pace of play off the opening puck drop in this one, but offensive chances were hard to come by as the game was played fairly tight and neither team made any mistakes. The Clippers would have the game's first power play but the Dogs killed it off well and didn't give up much if anything in the way of chances. As the period went on, the Clippers would build up a sizeable lead in shots, but for the most part the Bulldogs kept them to the outside or did a good job of protecting Nathan Warren. The Bulldogs would get a power play chance in the back half of the period, and they would make good on it as Brett Stewart put a shot on net from the right circle that was stopped by Decelles. A large scramble ensued that saw the puck bounce loose to Kurt Gosselin at the left side of the net where he roofed it under the bar to make it 1-0 from Josh Adkins and Dylan Haugen at 13:32 of the first. The Dogs would carry that lead into the room after 20 minutes, with the Clippers holding a 22-8 advantage in shots.

The Clippers would get an early power play to start the second on a Bench Minor to the Bulldogs for too-many-men. While the Dogs would again do a good job of killing the penalty, they couldn't get possession or clear the zone before Jake Jackson walked into the high slot un-touched where he put a wrist shot top corner, far-side off the post and in past the glove of Nathan Warren. The Bulldogs would protest, but it looked clearly in to me up in the booth. The goal was given to Cole Maier by the Referee, but it was clearly Jackson that scored. Just three minutes later the Clippers took their first lead of the game on a 1-on-1 rush where Anthony Rinaldi cut across the slot from right to left and fought a backhand on goal against the grain along the ice that slid in just past the post far-side to make it 2-1 Clippers at 7:31 of the second, with the only assist going to Yanni Kaldis. The Bulldogs would battle back with their second power play goal of the game with six minutes and change to go in the period as Brett Stewart took a quick touch pass from Mitch Makin at the top of the point and fed Chris Schutz in the left circle where he quickly released it and beat a screened Decelles top corner short-side to make it 2-2 at the 13:46 mark of the second. The Clippers would take the lead right back five minutes later as penalties began to play a factor as just twenty one seconds into a power play Nick Gushue put a shot on net from the right point that deflected in off a Bulldog defenders stick past Nathan Warren to make it 3-2 at 18:14 of the second with Brendan Taylor picking up the only assist. Just over two minutes the Clippers would strike on the power play again, this time just nine seconds into the advantage as Edwin Hookenson kept the puck in at the right point and went D-to-D to Yanni Kaldis who put a shot on goal from the left point. Nathan Warren made the first save, and the initial rebound bid hid a stick and went up in the air where it was bunted into the goal by Brett Roulston at the left side of the net to make it 4-2 at 19:43 of the period with the only assist going to Cole Maier. Shots were even at 12-12 for a 40 minute advantage for the Clippers of 34-20.

The Bulldogs appeared somewhat flat to start the third period, with Nathan Warren required to come up with back-to-back breakaway saves to keep it 4-2. After a couple of good shifts by the Dogs to push back to try and get in the game. The Clippers instead would go up 5-2 as Sheldon Rempal was allowed to walk in to the right circle where he put a perfect shot top corner, far-side under the bar past the blocker of Warren. Edwin Hookenson picked up the only assist on the play. The Bulldogs would do a good job to show no quit over the remainder of the game, but not a good enough job to show the urgency to get a goal to get back into it. Guillaume Decelles when called upon was good as the Dogs did a good job of getting pucks on net.

The Dogs out shot the Clippers 23-16 in the third period for a game total of 50-43 in favour of the Clippers with Nathan Warren taking the loss while Guillaume Decelles picked up the win. Unofficially, I had the Dogs at 2 for 5 on the power play and the Clippers at 2 for 7.

The Dogs are right back at it tomorrow night at home when they host the Chilliwack Chiefs.

Hammer

Line ups, Dogs @ Clips

Bulldogs and Clippers faceoff tonight at Frank Crane Arena

After not seeing each other through the first two months of the season, it's the second meeting in a week as the Bulldogs (10-6-1-2, 2nd Island) again tonight travel to face the Clippers (14-6-0-0, 1st Island) at the Frank Crane Arena.

These teams met here a week ago tonight, a 5-4 OT win for the Clippers in a wild and crazy game. The Bulldogs were last in action Tuesday afternoon in Powell River where they fell 4-3 to the Kings in yet another OT game. The Clippers were last in action Saturday night at home when they won their second straight, 3-2 in overtime against the Penticton Vees.

The Bulldogs will be short-staffed tonight with some big holes in their line up as I don't expect Evan Tironese to play due to injury, and Scott Clark will also not play as he received an automatic two game suspension for his Major Penalty for a Blow to the Head in Powell River on Tuesday.  On the other hand, the Dogs will get some reinforcements as I expect Drew Weich to make his 'Dogs debut tonight.

Tironese and Clark are tough to replace - any team without 2/3rds of their first line and their top two scorers is going to miss those players for sure. Having said that, I think that the Bulldogs should be confident after how they finished the game without Tironese and Clark on Tuesday in Powell River because it was very impressive to watch. Everyone to a man up and down the roster has to step up and up their game, plain and simple. With the depth the Dogs have shown and with how the Coaching Staff has played all their players in as many situations as possible and tries to keep all four lines in it, I think it's an adjustment that they can make. 
   

Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM  with Bruce MacDonald providing the Colour and Analysis, Dan Tisserand compiling the team and player stats and play-by-play called by myself gets underway with our pregame show at 6:45 and the puck drop coming up at 7:00pm.

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com


Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Jacob Bestebroer, a.k.a "JB", the Director of Scouting and Colour Commentator for the Chilliwack Chiefs, who the Dogs host tomorrow night at the Dog Pound.

Hammer

Gosselin's OT winner "Call of the Week", words on Fighting, and Officiating....

I received a pretty cool heads up from the BCHL yesterday that "the call" from Bruce and I of Kurt Gosselin's OT winner against Powell River on Sunday will be featured on this Saturday's BCHL This Week program on TSN 1410 in Vancouver as the "Call of the Week"

It's pretty cool to get some extra recognition for the broadcast, for the Bulldogs, for Kurt, for the Alberni Valley!

Here's the full show line up:

SUBWAY BCHL This Week:

-         Saturday at 9:30 a.m. on TSN1410 – Guests will be current BCHL Player of the Week Corey Mackin, Bemidji State head coach and BCHL dad Tom Serratore and former Vernon Vipers star Kellen Jones, now in the ECHL with the Bakersfield Condors.

-         Call of the Week this week is Evan Hammond’s description of Kurt Gosselin’s OT winner Sunday against Powell River

Here's the "full" version of the call on the broadcast. It's a fun process when we pick our prospective winners. The first time in at least two seasons that I actually went first. Bruce and Dan usually steal my guys. Pretty fun to hear Bruce "chuckle" when I ask him who his picks are, as he only picks one guy after being right in the past, but for the wrong team! Great stuff!

A few short words on fighting, and officiating. 

I have heard all too often that fans are mad at the lack of fighting, and are directing that anger at the BCHL. That is just simply 100% wrong, and I don't think it's fair that the BCHL would take the heat for a decision that they haven't made, and I don't think would make if it was up to them. 

This directive has come down from "on high", from Hockey Canada, the Canadian Hockey Association, and the very top, in the companies that insure them to operate. 

I'm not happy with how the stick-swinging, the after the whistle cheap shotting, stick work, and face-washing and stinky-mittening is up a staggering rate. I don't think the BCHL is either. Just know that this is something that has been dictated to the BCHL brass, and every other Junior A league, and it's not a decision that they have made themselves!

On Officiating in the BCHL - it's a developmental league. For the players, coaches, broadcasters, referees, heck even the game night volunteers. On some nights, the standard of officiating is pretty bad. Not everyone can have a good night, and not everyone has a future in this game when it comes to the ultimate toughest job of policing the game and upholding the rules and making all these snap decisions to be fought over by everyone else. 

I have seen first hand how hard the BCHL is working to work with their officials. 

From the off-season training camps to in-season visits to rinks and views of games and thorough adjudications of the performance of Officials, the league really is trying it's best to have a high standard of Officiating in their games. 

It may not seem like it on some nights, but like I said, some guys just maybe can't do it at this level. The problem is that the guys that can don't stay here long, as they are off to the WHL and Pro Hockey. 

While I have been unimpressed on some nights with how the game has been called,  I for one am very impressed with how the BCHL and their Staff and working to work with these guys to give everyone a good product. It may not seem like it on some nights, but trust me, the effort is there, and what more can you ask for?

Hammer

Kings top Dogs 4-3 in OT in circus of a game

The game started about 8 minutes earlier than scheduled following the Remembrance Day ceremonies, with the Kings controlling the first few shifts in the Dogs zone. The Dogs pushed back and got their legs going in a hurry, taking a 1-0 lead just 4:24 in as Josh Adkins fed the puck back to the left point for Kurt Gosselin who just made the simple play of getting the puck on net in a hurry. It eluded a screened Brett Magnus and slid just under his right pad. Everett Putz also drew an assist on the play at 4:24 of the first. The Kings would control the better of the play over the middle parts of the period, but Billy Christopolous was solid and his teammates did a good job around him of clearing pucks and blocking shots to keep it 1-0. The Dogs would take a 2-0 lead late in the period when Brett Stewart moved the puck up the middle to Evan Tironese who carried over the Kings line and fought off a defender to put a low, hard shot on net that was padded away by Brett Magnus. He couldn't control the rebound though, as Dylan Haugen beat a Kings defender to the net and one-timed it top corner under the crossbar to make it 2-0 at 17:39 of the first. Shortly afterwards the Bulldogs would end down a man on an interesting call, as Kurt Keats hit Kurt Gosselin low and knee-on-knee behind the Dogs net after Gosselin had passed the puck. Garrett Halls would give Keats a bump on the shoulder in defence of his teammate, and Keats responded with a punch to the face of Halls. Only Halls would go to the box. The Kings would score with 4 seconds left in the period on a pretty set up off a faceoff win as Jarid Lukosevicius one-timed a cross-ice pass from Jacob Pritchard past Christoplous. Keats would be announced as the goal scorer in the building, but it was clearly Lukosevicius, with the assists going to Jacob Pritchard and Carmine Buono at 19:55 of the first. Just a second after the puck went in, Keats would get his arm up into the face of Christopolous and bump him on his way to the celebration, leading to a huge dust up as the Bulldogs understandably responded. The Kings led the shots 14-9 after 20 minutes.

The Dogs began the second on the power play, but played pretty much the rest of it shorthanded, as the Kings scored back-to-back five on three goals as the Dogs had the book thrown at them repeatedly by the Referee. The first 5 on 3 came I believe Mitch Makin finishing a check on Kurt Keats, no doubt for his contact with Christopolous. The Kings would connect on the 5 on 3 as - you guessed it, Kurt Keats, found a loose puck in the slot after a Garrett Halls shot block that he fired top corner, short-side past Christopolous. Assists on the play went to Jacob Pritchard and Stephen Hiff at the 6:47 mark of the second. The Bulldogs were immediately penalized off the centre ice draw, resulting in another two-man advantage and just under two minutes later, the Kings connected on a pretty cross-ice set up for Jarid Lukosevicius as he put a one-timer past Christopolous who made a great read to get over but just couldn't get a piece of it. Kurt Keats and Stephen Hiff drew the assists at 8:45 of the second to make it 3-2. The Bulldogs would be again on the short end of the stick on another ugly dust-up later in the period. Scott Clark would be hit awkwardly from behind into the side boards. The puck came back to the wall where a battle for possession ensued. Clark would take two cross-checks in the back in front of the Official, but failed to draw a penalty. He would turn around and cross-check a King in the helmet, for which he was given a five-minute major. Drake Brown would also be thrown out for fighting in the long and ugly skirmish that continued, although he didn't appear to drop his gloves or engage in a fight, although he did throw a King hard down to the ice. A good indication in regards to how the calls went throughout the game might be that Bulldog Head Coach Kevin Willison was kicked out of the game by the Referee for his first career ejection since joining the Bulldogs. That's 229 games by my count. The Bulldogs would kill off the 5 on 3, and the remainder of the Major Penalty, and showed great passion in doing so to end the period, as the whistle seemed to be inexplicably swallowed at this point. Shots favoured the Kings on the period 13-7 for a two period total of 27-16.

The moment the puck dropped on the third period, it was noticeably obvious that the Bulldogs were an inspired and angry team. They carried the better of the play and had the better of the chances, and eventually drew a power play as an after-the-whistle skirmish finally saw them come out on the better end of the calls for the first time in the game. They would make the most of the advantage, tying the game at 3-3 as Brett Stewart blew a slap shot home from the top of the point past a screened Magnus to make it 3-3 at the 9:58 mark of the third, with Eric Margo picking up the only assist. The Dogs would continue to carry the play despite being without Evan Tironese and Scott Clark and Drake Brown, but despite several glorious chances they couldn't get the go-ahead goal. A late chance by Dylan Haugen was stopped by Magnus, with Haugen then appearing to take a shot to the nether regions by a King. Haugen would be visibly upset - as mad as I've seen him over his three years in the league - and he came out swinging. He would get the only penalty on the play as the game went to overtime with the Kings having a power play. The Dogs out shot the Kings 22-10 over the period, for a three period total of 38-37 Bulldogs.

The Kings would be awarded the winner on a banker from behind the net by Kurt Keats inside the first minute of overtime. It's almost fitting with how the Officiating went all game, that the end would be controversial and decided by the Referee. I couldn't see the puck over the line, but the Referee emphatically called it in and raced away from the Bulldogs players trying to chase him down. Give him credit, he was at least in a position to make the call, but it's hard to accept it being made correctly with how the rest of the game was eviscerated. Keats would get credit for it, with the lone assist going to Jarid Lukosevicius at :53 seconds ofovertime. The boxscore indicates 1:32 but that's a mistake.

Here's the play that was deemed the game winner.

Final shots favoured the Kings 39-38 with Billy Christopolous taking the loss while Brett Magnus earned the win. I had the Dogs at 1 for 4 on the power play and the Kings at 4 for 7, but those are unofficial numbers as it was pretty hard to keep track with how often the Dogs were dodging the book that was being thrown at them.

Next up for the Bulldogs is another meeting in Nanaimo against the Clippers on Friday before they return home to host Chilliwack on Saturday.

Hammer

  

Dogs head to Powell River today to face Kings for 2pm puck drop, Jay Deo interview

It's the second meeting in three days between the teams as the Bulldogs (10-6-1-1, 2nd Island) travel to Powell River to meet the Kings (8-7-0-5, 3rd Island) today for a 2pm puck drop at the Hap Parker Arena.

These teams of course last met on Sunday afternoon, a 5-4 OT win for the Bulldogs.  It would be safe to say that the Kings deserve a lot of credit for showing a no-quit attitude and a great work ethic to salvage a point at the end of a three-in-three weekend with two goals in the final five minutes to force overtime. While the Dogs no doubt feel that they let a point slip away to a divisional rival, it was also nice to see them steel their resolve and get at least a point back with an overtime win. 

Now, up onto my soap box for a minute. Sorry in advance.....

I don't blame the Kings, or the Dogs, or the BCHL, I know the schedule is very very tough to put together and it's a very complicated process. Having said all that, I just don't think a day reserved for remembering our Veterans should be a day on which there is hockey played. Maybe on the positive side, you can look at today's game as an opportunity to get a large group of people together in a public setting to celebrate Remembrance Day.

The Bulldogs will certainly be missed at home in Port Alberni today, as over the last couple of years the Coaching Staff had the team attend the ceremonies at the Glenwood Centre in suits and ties as a mark of respect to the vets and what today stands for. I brought my son Griffin to the ceremonies as well to teach him what today is all about, and I saw first hand how impressed everyone was that the team was in attendance.

Thanks to all vets and peacekeepers for everything you have done and to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to give us this great freedom and live we get to live everyday! One more thing, and then I'm off my soap box - please take a few minutes and watch the below video, which I post every year on November 11th. It's "A Pittance of Time" by Terry Kelly, and it powerfully illustrates what today is really all about!

 Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM kicks off with our pregame show at 1:45 with the puck drop and play-by-play to follow at 2pm with myself and Bruce MacDonald providing the play-by-play and colour/analysis.

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Jay Deo, entering his second year with the NCAA's University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire BluGold.


Hammer

Bulldogs trade Henry to Okotoks, add Drew Weich

The Bulldogs made a move today, sending 1994 born Defenceman Darian Henry to the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL in return for 1995 born Defenceman Drew Weich.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Port Alberni, BC – The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have made a significant trade with the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL, swapping top defensemen.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs send 1994-born defenseman Darian Henry to the Okotoks Oilers of the AJHL in return for 1995-born defenseman Drew Weich (pronounced “wike”).

In Weich, the Bulldogs get a 6’4, 200lbs, right-handed, steady, two-way defenseman who is capable of putting up points on the power play.

Henry’s rights were originally acquired by the Bulldogs back in August 2012 in exchange for forward Justin Morello.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs have also signed veteran 20 year-old defenseman Drake Brown. Brown split his CJHL Junior A career between the Weyburn Red Wings (SJHL) and the Bonnyville Pontiacs (AJHL). Brown is a big, steady, stay-at-home, body-crunching defenseman and has been skating with the Bulldogs for the past week.

The Bulldogs did not give anything up in signing Brown. A 20 year-old spot on the roster was made available as a result of the Weich/Henry trade.

Brown will wear #3 for the Bulldogs and Weich will wear #25.

The Alberni Valley Bulldogs welcome Drew and Drake to the Bulldogs family and they are sure to be a perfect fit to a very hardworking team. The Bulldogs wish Darian continued success with Okotoks. 

Full details on the Bulldogs website HERE

Hammer

Dogs top Kings 5-4 in OT in another wild finish

A tight checking start to this game with not a lot in the way of offensive chances. The Kings would get the first power play of the game on a very odd situation where the back Referee made the call, but neither Referee or anyone on the ice had any clue to the penalty call was made on. In the end the Bulldogs sent Evan Tironese to the box off the bench, but I don't think it was he who was guilty. In the end the Dogs killed it off well, not allowing a shot and controlling the better of the play while down a man. The game remained scoreless through the 10 minute mark, but just 4 seconds after the media time out the Kings opened the scoring when Stephen Hiff won a draw in the Dogs end and went to the net. Jacob Pritchard would feed the puck back to Jeremy Leclerc at the blue line, where he put a quick one-timer on goal that Hiff deflected home past Christopolous to make it 1-0 at 10:08 of the first. The Bulldogs would get a power play and make the most of it, tying the game at 1-1 late in the frame when Evan Tironese walked the line and put a wrister on goal that was deflected past Stefan Wornig by Mitch Makin for his fourth goal in as many games. Scott Clark also drew an assist on the play at 18:31 for a 1-1 tie after 20 minutes and the Kings holding an 11-10 advantage in shots.

The Bulldogs took a 2-1 lead just past the five minute mark of the second on a great effort by Eric Margo to win a battle in the corner and get the puck to the slot to Drew Blackmun who put a shot on net that was stopped by Magnus. He couldn't control the rebound as it went across the crease to a wide open Marcus Russell who tapped it home for his first as a Bulldog to make it 2-1 at 5:24 of the second. The Bulldogs were penalized soon afterwards, and despite lots of pucks on net by the Kings they killed it off to protect the lead. The Kings would answer seconds later to tie the game on the rush as Hunter Findlater sent Stephen Hiff up the left wing where he got a step around the Dogs defence and drove the net and tapped one home past Christopolous to make it 2-2 at the 10:46 mark. The Dogs would answer back less than two minutes later on a great effort by Evan Tironese who went forward on a draw in the Kings end to himself, before dancing in on goal and deking out Magnus for the unassisted marker at the 12:02 mark of the second for a 3-2 lead. The Dogs connected on the power play for the second time on the game on another great effort by Eric Margo to work the puck free to Marcus Russell in the right corner. He would find Drew Blackmun on the half boards, where he set up Brett Stewart at the top of the point where he one-timed one home through the legs Magnus to make it 4-2 Dogs at 14:16 of the second. The Dogs would take that lead into the room and a 22-19 lead in shots after the out shot the Kings 12-8.

The Kings opened the third period on the period on the power play, but they couldn't connect to get within one. They would seize the momentum though, and control a good portion of the play and put plenty of pucks on Christopolous, but they couldn't beat him to make a game of it. The Bulldogs would push back and carry a good portion of the play themselves and have several good chances around Wornig, but they couldn't build on their lead. The Kings would all of a sudden score against the flow of play to make it a brand new game as Kurt Keats found a loose puck after Jarid Lukosevicius had his stick checked on a shot attempt. Billy Christopolous would go for the poke-check, but Keats showed some fantastic hands to pull it around him to make it 4-3 with 4:11 to play in the third. The Kings would push and the Dogs appeared to panic under the pressure as just 1:01 later it was 4-4 when Hunter Findlater put a wrister on goal through traffic that beat a screened Christopolous to tie the game, with Jacob Pritchard picking up the only assist at 16:51 of the third. The Dogs would steel their resolve after that, but the Kings still generated a fantastic chance to go ahead with just 24 seconds to play when Billy Christopolous somehow got over in desperation to stop a Stephen Hiff wrap-around attempt. The Bulldogs would race up ice off the ensuing draw as Kurt Gosselin drove the net only to be stopped by Worning. A crazy scramble would ensue with the Dogs having 2 or 3 chances but they were unable to find the net as the game went to OT. Much like on Friday night in Nanaimo the Dogs controlled the puck and the play off the top, but this time they got the winner as Kurt Gosselin took a pass over the line and made a pretty move to make a defender miss before skating into the slot and ripping a shot past Wornig top corner, short-side over the glove and under the bar for the 5-4 Final, with assists going to Evan Tironese and Chris Schutz at the 37 second mark of overtime.

Final shots favoured the Kings 38-35 with Billy Christopolous picking up the win while Stefan Wornig took the loss. The Dogs went 2 for 3 on the power play while the Kings went 0 for 4.

The teams meet again Tuesday afternoon in Powell River for a 2pm start.

Dogs host Kings this afternoon at the Mutliplex

It's the third meeting of the season between the Bulldogs (9-6-1-1, 2nd Island) and Powell River Kings (8-7-0-4, 3rd Island) this afternoon at the Dog Pound, and the first of two straight between the teams as they will also faceoff Tuesday afternoon in Powell River. The teams both have 20 points in the standings, but the Bulldogs are sitting in the second when you look at the standings as they have a higher winning percentage as they have played two less games than the Kings.

The two teams split the first two meetings, with each team picking up a 4-3 win in their own barn. It's a rare occasion (or maybe not so rare) where each team might think they should have won both of them, or that they at least both let one get away, at the very least. The similarities between the two games are pretty interesting.

The Bulldogs won the first meeting in their Home Opener 4-3 on September 27th, a game that they trailed 2-0 after the first period. They would take a 3-2 lead with 10 minutes to go in the third, only to have the Kings answer back to tie it up with seven minutes to play before Chris Schutz scored the winner with 1:36 to play.

The Kings won the second meeting in their Home Opener 4-3 on September on October 5th, a game that they trailed 3-1 at the midway point. They trailed 3-2 in the third, before coming all the way back to tie it up on a power play goal at the midway point of the third, before scoring the winner with 1:54 to play.

The Bulldogs are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss in Nanaimo in a wild and crazy game Friday night that saw them carry a 3-1 lead into the last 10 minutes of the game, only to see Nanaimo score four straight, including twice in 18 seconds to all of a sudden lead 4-3 with less than three minutes to play. The Dogs would answer back to tie it a minute later, only to lose a minute into OT after they dominated the overtime. The Kings were in Victoria last night where they had a four game winning streak snapped with a 4-2 loss to the Grizzlies. 

Get all the action on Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM with myself, Bruce MacDonald and Dan Tisserand providing the play-by-play, colour commentary and analysis and statistics. The pregame show gets underway at 1:45 with the puck drop slated for just after 2:00pm following the introductions of the Bulldog parents.

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com

Today's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Josh Mitchell, now with the RIT Tigers.

Yes, I've talked to Josh already this season. No, this isn't a repeat interview!

It's actually an interview that Josh did with host Jeff Patterson on yesterday's BCHL This Week program on TSN 1410.

Although we just caught up with Josh, it's interesting to hear him interviewed with someone else asking the questions. There is also a BCHL Player of the Week report and a BCHL Alumni update mixed in for good measure. You can catch the BCHL This week Saturday morning at 9:30 on TSN 1040 or 1410.

Hammer

Dogs drop a crazy one, 5-4 to Clippers in OT

 
After a delay to start the game due to the introduction of the Clipper's parents, it was game on in a hurry as the Bulldogs took a 1-0 lead making quick work of an early power play opportunity as Evan Tironese lunged to keep the puck in and get it to the left point for Kurt Gosselin, who threw a quick shot on the net that was deflected by Mitch Makin. Guillaume Decelles would make the first save but he couldn't control the rebound as Chris Shutz lifted it into the open side for a 1-0 Bulldogs lead just 2:17 into the game. After a great attacking follow up shift by Eric Margo, Drew Blackmun and Marcus Russell saw several good looks at the net, the Clippers would start to carry the play. They would tie the game at 1-1 on their second power play opportunity of the game on an odd broken play as a puck that was in the air bounced in the slot where it was one-timed on goal on the bounce by Brendan Taylor. There would be no assists on the play at 15:02 of the first. Shortly afterwards, the Clippers went to a full, two minute two man advantage after a too-many-men penalty against the Bulldogs was followed up by an after-the-whistle penalty. The Dogs would kill it magnificently, with Nathan Warren coming up with a couple good saves to keep it 1-1 after one, with the shots favouring Nanaimo 21-7.

The second period saw the Bulldogs come out and play a much better game, getting chances around the goal and pushing the pace. The game would slow considerably when Kurt Gosselin was drilled, head-first into the corner without the puck by Ryan Forbes. Zak Bowles would immediately drop his gloves and come to Gosselin's defence with Forbes dropping the gloves in return. The Referees would somehow not give a check-from-behind to Forbes, but instead a minor penalty, with a double minor for roughing, while Bowles picked up 2-5 and a game, resulting in four-aside hockey. The Bulldogs would immediately start dominating when the puck was dropped, generating a series of glorious chances before eventually finding the net as Evan Tironese carried the puck back to the line with two Clippers chasing him, before dropping it down the boards for Scott Clark. Tironese then drove the net and accepted a return pass from Clark for a partial breakaway where he snapped one low past the glove of Decelles to make it 2-1 at 8:56 of the second. The Clippers would be penalized after the whistle late in the period, resulting in the Bulldogs capitalizing and going up 3-1 as they battled through what looked like bad ice on several instances that saw the puck bounce out of the attacking zone. Kurt Gosselin would walk to the left circle before setting up Scott Clark wide open in the slot where he ripped a shot on net that was deflected home by Mitch Makin at 18:13 of the second. The Dogs out shot the Clippers 16-10 for a two-period advantage for the Clippers of 31-23.

The Clippers pushed hard to get back into it in the third period, and the Bulldogs pushed back, hitting three successive posts on a breakaway by Everett Putz, and on rebounds in tight on the power play. The Clippers would make a game of it just past the midway mark when Ryan Forbes stepped up and found a puck that was blocked at centre ice by one of the linesmen. He would carry it over the Bulldogs line and rip a slap shot from the right circle, top corner past the blocker of Nathan Warren to make it 3-2 at 10:35 with Corey Renwick picking up the only assist. The Dogs did a good job to respond to the lead being cut in half, doing a good job to get pucks deep and kill the clock. The Clippers would continue to push however, and got the equalizer with 3:10 to play when a shot from the left point was deflected home by Brett Roulston, with assists going to Cole Maier and Kale Bennett. The Clippers would get the go-ahead goal and their first lead of the game with 2:52 to play on a questionable icing call against the Bulldogs as a faceoff win was found by Jake Jackson who walked un touched to the slot where he fired one home past he glove of Warren to make it 4-3 Clippers with Jacob Hanlon and Cole Maier picking up the assists at 17:08. The Bulldogs would answer right back immediately to tie it back up however, as Brett Stewart threw a puck on goal from the right point that somehow found it's way through Decelles. Assists on the play went to Scottie Clark and Evan Tironese at 17:31 of the third to make it 4-4 and force overtime with the Clippers out-shooting the Dogs . 19-11 for a 60 minute total of 50-34.

In OT the Dogs would control the play early, with Evan Tironese making a nifty move to make a defender miss and get in on goal where Decelles made a great save on a one-handed backhand attempt. Another chance a moment later saw Decelles stop a Christ Schutz one-timer from the top of the crease. Tironese would go back to the front of the net while the Dogs kept posession, only to be cross-checked in the back without the puck. The Clippers would immediately skate up ice and win the game on a gorgeous set up as Yanni Kaldis out-waited the Dogs defender and threw a cross-ice pass onto the tape of Brendan Taylor who one-timed it home top corner, short-side before Warren could get over at 1:04 of overtime for the 5-4 final.

Final shots favoured the Clippers 51-35 with Nathan Warren playing fantastic in taking the loss while Guillaume Decelles picked up the win. The Dogs went 2 for 5 on the power play while the Clippers went 1 for 6.

A fantastically entertaining game against two great games, really tough calls both ways made and missed, in the end well worth the price of admission.

The teams meet again next Friday in Nanaimo. Next up for the Dogs is their involvement in the Battle of the Badges Charity Hockey game tomorrow night at 7:00, while they host Powell River Sunday afternoon at 2pm. 

Line ups, Dogs @ Clips

Bulldogs and Clippers meet for first time tonight at Frank Crane Arena, Midget tourney, Battle of the Badges tomorrow

It's pretty incredible that it's November already yet it's the first meeting of the season tonight between the Bulldogs (9-6-0-1, 2nd Island) and the Clippers (12-6-0-0, 1st Island) at the Frank Crane Arena.

Maybe the schedule makers knew what they were doing, as it seems like the fact that's a 1 vs 2 match up makes it even more interesting. Not that the Bulldogs and Clippers rivalry need any extra incentive either, as both games between these great rivals never fail to be lively.

It goes without saying that this is a big game, or as big as a game as this juncture of the season can get I guess. The Dogs are five points back of the Clippers, they have played two less games, and this is a four point game. Here's hoping the Bulldogs fan bus will make some noise and give the guys a little extra boost tonight on the road!

Here's one of the all-time great pictures (courtesy of Jamie Penner and V3 Mediaworks) of the Bulldogs-Clippers rivlary as Harry Zolnierczyk, now in the New York Islanders system, gets some serious air while screening the Nanaimo net.

As far as I can remember, this is the first time that the Bulldogs and Clippers have been involved in a 1st vs 2nd match up this late in the season since the very memorable 2005-2006 season. Correct me if I'm wrong on this?

If you can't make the trip to Nanaimo, we'll make you feel like you are there on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM with the pregame show getting underway at 6:45 and the puck dropping shortly after 7:00. The full crew will be bringing everything to you, I'll provide the play-by-play, Bruce MacDonald the colour and analysis and Dan Tisserand the team and player stats.

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Alex Rawnsley, play-by-play voice of the Powell River Kings, who the Dogs host Sunday afternoon. Check out his blog for everything from the Kings side of the puck HERE

The Midget Bulldogs host a tournament this weekend, with action kicking off tonight at 5:15 when they host Kerry Park. All the details on the fantastic Alberni Valley Minor Hockey website HERE

The Battle of the Badges charity hockey game to raise funds for the Port Alberni Association for Community Living goes tomorrow night as the PA RCMP take on the PAFD with the Bulldogs taking part as special guests. Game time is 7:00pm - admission is by dontion! I'll be providing some PA announcing! Should be fun!


Hammer

Dogs top Capitals 6-1

For an afternoon start, this one had great end-to-end hockey from the get go with both teams pushing the pace. The Bulldogs opened the scoring just over four minutes in when Mitch Makin chased down a Garrett Halls dump in and threw a cross-crease pass that went off Eric Margo and on goal, only to be stopped by Matthew Zentner. He couldn't control the rebound though, as Drew Blackmun found it out front and roofed it under the crossbar to make it 1-0 at the 4:05 mark of the first, with the only assist on the play going to Eric Margo. The Capitals would answer back in short order to tie it back up as a turnover  behind the goal was found by Jacob Switzer at the top of the right circle where he blew a slap shot on goal that was tipped by Brayden Gelsinger through the legs of Christopolous and JUST over the goal line to make it 1-1 at the 5:27 mark. The score remained tied 1-1 after 20 minutes, with the Capitals leading the shots 11-9. It certainly didn't feel like the Dogs were out shot in the period, but perhaps their advantage in territorial play didn't translate to enough pucks on net. The Capitals certainly had their chances, mostly on transition on the rush.

The second period saw the Bulldogs come out and control the bulk of the play from the opening draw, running up a large advantage in shots, but failing to capitalize as the score stayed 1-1. The Capitals would have a great chance to take the lead in transition as Kyle Horsman walked in on a breakaway down the right wing, but Billy Christopolous made a great save with a poke-check to keep it 1-1. The game would take a big turn in the late stages of the second when Zak Bowles finished his check in the Capitals zone, only to be jumped from behind by Rylan Bechtel from behind who had his gloves off and sucker punches Bowles several times without giving him any chance to defend himself. With Bowles bleeding profusely on the ice, the Bulldogs would be given a seven minute power play and would make the Capitals pay for the lack of discipline, blowing the game open with three goals on the long power play. They scored immediately off the first draw, with Mitch Makin winning it back to Chris Schutz, who dished off to Kurt Gosselin. He would walk to the top of the line and blow a slap shot past a screened Zentner to make it 2-1 at 11:09 of the period. The next couple of minutes saw the power play sputter, but the Dogs would reset and go back to work, making it 3-1 on Justin Marreck's first as a Dog as Mitch Makin threw a puck on net from the left circle that went off Marreck and in. Eric Margo also picked up an assist at 14:58 of the second. Two and a half minutes later it was 4-1 as Evan Tironese put a puck on goal that hit traffic before ending up on the tape of Scott Clark who fought a backhand over the line and past the arm of Zentner, who just missed making a desperation save. Evan Tironese and Kurt Gosselin drew the assists at 17:30 of the second as the Dogs carried the 4-1 lead to the room after two periods with a shot advantage of 19-11 in the period for a 28-22 lead after two.

The Bulldogs would again come flying out of the gate to start the third period, building their lead to 5-1 as Evan Tironese raced up the right wing on a partial breakaway before delaying and putting a perfect pass onto the tape of Scott Clark who danced in on the breakaway where he deked out Zentner and slid a backhand home just 54 seconds into the period. The Capitals would have a great chance to build the lead on a breakaway by Ben Brar who was stopped not once, but twice by Billy Christopolous to protect the lead. The Dogs would go to a four-minute power play late in the third period, as Brett Stewart was clipped by Kyle Horsman. It was a pretty tough afternoon for Stewart who was also cut by a high stick from Brayden Gelsinger in the second period that went undetected by the four Officials. The Dogs would score one second after the first-half of the minor elapsed on a wild scramble at the side of the net as Chris Schutz poked a rebound home off a Troy Dobbs point shot to make it 6-1 with 3:02 to play, an assists going to Josh Adkins and Mitch Makin.

Final shots favoured the Dogs 38-32 with Billy Christopolous earning second star honours with the win while Matthew Zentner took the loss. Unofficially I had the Dogs at 4 for 6 on the power play while the Capitals were 0 for 4.

The Dogs are next in action Friday night in Nanaimo when they meet the Clippers for the first time this season.

Hammer  

 

Line ups Dogs @ Caps

Bulldogs travel to Duncan today to face Capitals for 2pm start

It's back to the big stick this afternoon for the Bulldogs (8-6-1-0, 3rd Island) for another meeting with the Capitals (3-13-0-0,  5th Island) at the Island Savings Centre. It's the fourth meeting of the season between the clubs, with all four meetings coming in the last 17 days.

The Bulldogs won the previous three, by scores of 7-3, 8-1, and most recently 3-2 on October 24th at the Dog Pound. The most recent game for those that don't remember saw the Capitals come out and open the scoring before the game was 30 seconds old. The Bulldogs scored the winner with less than 1:30 on the clock in the third period.

The Capitals were last in action Wednesday night at home where they lost 8-1 to the Clippers. Much like the two big Bulldog wins the game was closer possibly than the final score would indicate, as the Caps scored four minutes into the third period to make it a 3-1 game, only to then give up five more before the final buzzer. The Capitals previous outing saw them score twice in the final five minutes to erase a two-goal deficit before getting the winner in overtime for a 6-5 triumph over the West Kelowna Warriors on October 25th to snap a four game losing streak. 

Tune in to all the action from the Big Stick on Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM with the pregame show getting underway at 1:45 in advance of the 2pm puck drop with Bruce MacDonald providing the colour and analysis while I call the play-by-play.

If you aren't in radio 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.fasthockey.com


Today's 2nd Intermission guest is Dan Marshall, play-by-play voice of the Nanaimo Clippers on our sister station 106.9 The Wolf as the Bulldogs and Clippers meet for the first time this season next Friday in Nanaimo. I've talked already several times about the crazy schedule this season, and this is another odd quirk. I certainly can't remember the Bulldogs and Clippers not facing each other until November in any previous season. They will get familiar with each other this month though, as they meet four times through November.


Hammer

Dogs fall to Grizzlies in crazy finish

A blazing fast paced start to this game, with each team getting their fair share of chances early as both Billy Christopolous and Michael Stiliadis were tested in the opening minutes. Just five minutes into the game, each team had five shots a piece. The Bulldogs would earn the first power play of the game, but despite good puck movement, the Grizzlies did a good job to block shots as nothing got through to Stiliadis. A rare scrap erupted between Zak Bowles and Storm Wahlrab, and that seemed to pick up the emotions of the game as both teams started to go out of their way to finish their checks. The Grizzlies would open the scoring late in the period with a quick pass from behind the net by Dane Gibson being jammed into the open side from Matt Kennedy who was standing in the crease. Jay Mackie also picked up an assist on the play at the 15:38 of the first. The Dogs had a great chance to even it up with just seconds left in the period when Mitch Makin drove the net and cut across the crease, but he couldn't lift it over Stiliadis as the Grizzlies took a 1-0 lead to the room after the first, with the Dogs leading the shots 14-12.

The Bulldogs began the second period on the penalty kill, and an effective two minutes saw them kill it off and give up just a single shot to start the period off on the right skate. They would even the game up shortly afterwards when  a turnover up the middle in the Victoria zone was found by Mitch Makin, who walked across the slot and put a backhand top corner, far side over the glove of Stiliadis for the unassisted marker and a 1-1 tie at 4:32 of the second. The score would remain that way into period three, with each team again having their chances around the net but both goalies standing tall. The Dogs had their chances on the rush, but couldn't get a bounce around the net. The closest they came was when Evan Tironese walked in down the left wing and ripped a shot off the cross-bar that stayed out. With less than five minutes to play in the period an ugly incident saw Evan Tironese targeted behind the play by Cody Van Leirop. I didn't see the play, and the camera didn't catch it either, as it was so far away from the puck. One of the Linesman did see it however, as Van Lierop was given a five minute major for slashing as Tironese left the game. The Bulldogs failed to capitalize on the advantage, before taking a penalty of their own with a minute and change to go in the power play as the period ended in a 1-1 tie with the Dogs leading the shots in the period 11-9 for a two period advantage of 25-21.

The third period began with four-on-four hockey as a result of the Major Penalty carrying over. Neither team would find the net as the hockey was played tight to the vest. Victoria took their second lead of the game just over eight minutes into the period on a funny play as an attempted D-to-D pass ended up hitting a discarded stick as the Grizzlies got possession back. It would end up in a 2-1 lead as a puck bounced off several arms before Cole Pickup gloved it down in the slot and fired it home over the glove of Christopolous to make it 2-1, unassisted at 8:12 of the third. The Grizzlies would do a good job to limit the Dogs chances for the most of the remainder of regulation, and were also helped with back-to-back power play opportunities in the last six minutes of the game. The Bulldogs would tie the game, while shorthanded with just 2:14 to play as Darian Henry picked off a pass and centre and raced over the Victoria line where he blew a slap shot through the seven hole on Stiliadis. It would spin like a top and JUST cross the line, or so it appeared from the Broadcast Booth. None of the three Officials were in any position to make the call, but they would allow a goal after a talk amongst themselves and a discussion with the Goal Judge to make it a 2-2 game. It was the first shorthanded goal the Grizzlies have conceded this season. It wasn't tied for long though, as the Grizzlies scored on the remaining power play time as Dane Gibson threw the puck at the net where it was deflected home by Matt Kennedy from the top of the crease with 1:18 to play to make it 3-2. The Dogs would pull their goalie after calling time out to try for the equalizer, but the last man back misplayed the puck and the Grizzlies scored an empty netter tap in, with Mitch Barker getting credit for the 4-2 goal, with the assist going to Ayden MacDonald at 19:18 of the third. Kevin Massy would score another empty netter on a banker from the Grizzlies zone with 12 seconds left for the 5-2 Final score.

Final shots favoured the Grizzlies 33-31, with Michael Stiliadis picking up 1st star honours with the win in net, while Billy Christopolous took the loss while earning 2nd star honours. The Dogs went 0 for 3 on the power play, while also scoring once shorthanded. The Grizzlies went 1 for 4.

Not a lot of time for the Dogs to dwell on this one (although an extra hour, don't forget to set those clocks back) as the Dogs are in Duncan tomorrow to face the Capitals for a 2pm puck drop.

Hammer