Grizzlies take 2-0 series lead with 5-0 win

The game was played with a physical element early, with the Bulldogs showing an increased urgency to their game. Each side their chances through the early minutes of the period, with the Bulldogs having the better of them but being unable to cash in on them. The best of them certainly was near the middle of the period when Ryan Miotto was sent in alone on the rush by Aaron Bohlinger, and appeared to have Kurtis Chapman down and out on a deke to his backhand, but the puck rolled off his stick. The Bulldogs had a power play opportunity that saw them get a couple of pucks on net in the final minute of it, but they weren't able to get much in the way of sustained pressure. The Grizzlies would earn a four minute power play late in the period on a high stick that drew blood on Alex Campbell, but the Bulldogs killed it off to the buzzer.  Shots werte 12-10 Grizzlies.  lost the handle

The second period saw the Bulldogs kill off the remaining 2:45 of the penalty without not giving up much and supporting Hawthorne. The remainder of the period saw the Bulldogs lose their intensity and the crispness to their game, as they weren't able to move the puck with any degree of accuracy and spent too long in their zone as a result of it. The Grizzlies weren't especially sharp themselves, but were the better team, and eventually took a 1-0 lead just past the midway point of the period as Alex Newhook knocked the puck down at centre, and then blocked a play up the middle before carrying it over the Bulldog line up the left side into the circle where he snapped one top corner, perfectly placed short-side over the blocker of Hawthorne. The goal was unassisted at 10:40 of the second.  A fantastic chance was a game changing moment a few minutes later as a Sam Pouliot shot from the right point resulted in a rebound to the slot that saw Mitchel Deelstra pull it across the crease be be unable to pot the equalizer into an open net as a desperate paddle in mid air by Chapman got enough of it to keep it out, with the post also perhaps getting a chunk of it afterwards. A minute later, it was 2-0 as the Grizzlies connected on the rush when Nico Somerville drove the net and no one picked him up, as he finished a cross-crease pass out of the right corner by Alex Campbell past a lunging Hawthorne. Alex Newhook picked up a second assist on the play at 15:58, however it should have gone to Riley Hughes.  The Bulldogs before and after the goal got away with a surprising number of apparent infractions including a couple of trips and a stick across Kyle McGrath who was in alone on Hawthorne behind the Bulldog defence, but no arms went up. Perhaps not surprisingly, the game became dangerously out of hand soon afterwards, as a Bulldog chance at the Victoria net was stopped by Chapman on a 2 on 1 rush. I didn't see anything at their net following that as I was drawn behind the play where Alex Newhook and Isaac Tonkin-Palmer had just become separated after being tied up for an extended period behind the play with one Referee and one Linesman getting both players separated and diffusing the situation. Or so it appeared, until both Ryan Nolan and Carter Berger would come off the Grizzlies bench to give Tonkin-Palmer the business simultaneously, as one Linesman walked Alex Newhook all the way to the Grizzlies bench.  Nolan would bump into Tonkin-Palmer, and then threw a right hand punch to the head of Tonkin-Palmer at the same time as Berger throwing a couple of high and low cross-checks also on him. A Tonkin-Palmer retaliatory shot resulted in another right by Nolan, which was a moment later followed by cross check across the mouth of Tonkin-Palmer from Nolan. Ryan Miotto had arrived in the interim to play peacemaker and get in front of Berger, with Marcus Walter also arriving to speak to the Referee while Jackson Doucet attempted to get between Nolan and Tonkin-Palmer. A punch thrown by Tonkin-Palmer in response to the cross check was followed by another response punch by Nolan, which was seen by Walter, who then stepped in to defend Tonkin-Palmer. Walter at the time would be manhandled out of the pile all the way across the ice to the penalty boxes while the donneybrook continued, resulting in one Linesman to deal with the other 11 or so players, while one Referee watched with forced the other Referee to physically restrain Brady MacDonald from getting involved. Carter Berger re-engaged in the scene to throw a couple of punches over the pile, that might've actually been delivered onto Ryan Nolan. That would result in Miotto to step back in to control Berger, with Mitchel Deelstra getting into that pile while Jordan Guiney and Nico Somerville hovered with Keaton Mastrodonato on the outskirts with Riley Hughes also stepping in, but only to get Deelstra to leave the fray with him. Whew. I think I got that right - or at least that's how I interpreted it to shake down. Old time hockey? The Officials when the dust settled handed out roughing penalties to Tonkin-Palmer and Deelstra along with a double minor to Berger and only a single minor to Nolan, who might've delivered the most in both quality and quantity of shots out of the group. Nolan also picked up a 10, with Marcus Walter given a 10 and a Game misconduct. In the end, the Bulldogs couldn't cash in on the power play to make it a new game, with a couple of shots on net but no traffic or rebounds allowed by Chapman. Hawthorne would make a great save on the rush at the conclusion of the penalty to keep it a two-goal game after 40 minutes. Shots in the period were 12-7 Grizzlies, for a two period total in their favour of 23-17.

The Bulldogs were on their heels on the opening shift of the third, with Hawthorne tested several times but being able to hold the fort. On the next faceoff an almost carbon copy of the 6th goal from the night before made it 3-0 Grizzlies, as Cole Noble went D-to-D from a faceoff win from the left point to the top of the line for Kenny Johnson who blasted a one-timer that Hawthorne got a large piece of, but it just slid over the line at 1:21 of the third. The bulk of the following ten minutes were uneventful, with the Bulldogs having at most a couple of opportunities but being unable to get much on net in what initially looked like promising rushes. The Bulldogs were sent to the box for spearing with under six minutes to play, They managed to kill the first two minutes, but the Grizzlies cashed in late in the second minor during another interested scenario that saw one Referee and one Linesman both spectating and physically intervening between the benches as Kenny Johnson and Austin Spiridakis were tied up and throwing punches. The whistle wouldn't sound and play continued and it became 4-0 as Carter Berger put a backhand feed across the crease to the back post where Hawthorne made a valiant attempt and got a pad on a Kyle McGrath one-timer but it went high short-side off him and in. Jeremie Bucheler also got an assist at 14:06 of the third. One final tally came at the end of a long shift in the Bulldog zone that ended when Alex Campbell was set up at the top of the crease on a short pass from Alex Newhook that was all set up when Riley Hughes was allowed to walk across the zone off the wall into the hashmarks. That would complete the scoring at 17:53 of the third. 

Shots in the third were 19-5 Victoria, for a game total of 42-22 in their favour. Kurtis Chapman earned the win and 2nd star honours with the shut out, with John Hawthorne taking the loss. Unofficially, the Bulldogs went 0 for 3 on the power play while the Grizzlies went 1 for 4. 

The Bulldogs host the Grizzlies Tuesday night for Game Three and Wednesday night for Game Four. 

Hammer

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Bulldogs visit Grizzlies tonight for Game Two at the Q

It's Game two of this Best of Seven Island Division Semi Final,  as the Bulldogs visit the Grizzlies tonight looking to respond and even the series at 1-1 to take home ice advantage back to the Multiplex for Game Three Tuesday night.


RESPOND is what the Bulldogs must do, as they took one on the chin last night in falling 8-3 in the series opener. The Grizzlies elevated their game, and the Bulldogs just plain didn't. They started a step behind and trailed just over a minute into the game. While they showed some resolve in hanging around and fighting back, the Grizzlies kept the push on and the Bulldogs couldn't recover.

It is a series - whether you lose a game or win a game 1-0 in quadruple overtime or by a 10-1 score is irrelevant and in the past. Park it, learn from it and respond to it.

Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey will be on the air on 93.3 The Peak FM for our pregame show once again starting at 6:45, with the game action to follow the 7:00pm puck drop. I'll take care of the hosting and play-by-play responsibilities while Bruce MacDonald handles the game analysis and colour commentary.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Cole Poliziani, currently playing his Freshman season with the NCAA's Trinity College Bantams.  Cole was HUGE in the series last year against the Grizzlies, with six points in seven games. He had a couple critical moments early in the series, tying Game 1 in the third period before winning it in overtime. In Game 2, he again tied it in the third period on a penalty shot before the Bulldogs won it in overtime.

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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There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Grizzlies hammer Bulldogs 8-3 to take 1-0 series lead

The Bulldogs fell into a 1-0 hole just over a minute into the contest, as Brady MacDonald took a pass behind the Grizzlies goal line from Kurtis Chapman off a Bulldog dump in. He would play it ahead up the right wing for Marty Westhaver, who carried it up the wall and over the Bulldog line where he was poke checked by Aaron Bohlinger. It would bounce right back onto Westhaver's tape, before he put a rink-wide pass to the deep slot for Nico Somerville, who snapped one short-side past the blocker of Hawthorne at 1:12 of the first. Assists on the play incorrectly went to Henri Schreifels and Kyle McGrath. The Bulldogs did a good job to get in the game over the following minutes, not letting the deficit grow. They would earn a power play a few minutes later when Michael Hodge hustled onto a loose puck where he was cut by a high stick. The Bulldogs had several good opportunities and six shots on the four-minute power play, but Chapman made a couple good saves to protect the lead, with Hawthorne also tested on a shorthanded rush that he kept out. The Grizzlies doubled their lead later in the period, benefitting on what looked like an icing call that was waved off at centre ice that led to a long attacking zone sequence that saw Kenny Johnson dump the puck from the left point to the right corner where it was retrieved by Alex Newhook. He would drop it to Alex Campbell, who fought past a Bulldog defender and across the crease to somehow get it through Hawthorne to make it 2-0 at 14:07 of the first, with Alex Newhook and Riley Hughes given the helpers. The Bulldogs would answer back quickly to get back into it, as Stephen Castagna played an Aaron Bohlinger rim up the left wing to the middle of the zone where it was put rink-wide onto the tape of Isaac Tonkin-Palmer who put a head man pass onto the tape of Mitchel Deelstra in full flight up the left wing who fought around a defender into the left circle where he beat Chapman, but hit the crossbar. It would carom right to the top of the crease where it hit the shin pad of Kenny Johnson and bounced in to make it 2-1 at 16:53 of the first. Assists on the play went to John Hawthorne - who did not touch the puck - and Stephen Castagna. Shots in the period were 20-13 Grizzlies.


The second period began with the Grizzlies on the power play for just under a minute, with the Bulldogs defending well to keep it a one-goal game. Evan Googins would have a great chance to tie it exiting the penalty box to skate in on a breakaway, but Chapman made a big save with his blocker to protect the 2-1 lead. John Hawthorne would come up with a breakaway save of his own a few minutes later, staring down Marty Westhaver to keep it a one-goal game. A few minutes later what would end up being a gigantic turning point saw Jackson Doucet take a late, blindside, blow to head from Jeremie Bucheler. It not only took him out of the game permanently,  but it also resulted in neither of the two Referees calling a penalty, with also neither of the two Linesman being able to assist them in calling a Major Penalty after the whistle. It's hard to understand none of the four Officials seeing it, but perhaps that could've been due to the lateness of it, as Doucet had already passed the puck. Instead of the Bulldogs being on what one could argue was a five minute power play in an attempt to tie game and take the lead, they would take an undisciplined penalty as tempers flared, and the  Grizzlies would blow the game wide open, going up 3-1 on a broken play on the rush as Alex Newhook cut in on goal where Hawthorne made the save while taking contact from Newhook and his defender which took him off his feet. He wouldn't be able to recover before a rink-wide pass out of the right corner was just slid home by Carter Berger, with Riley Hughes also drawing an assist at 8:19 of the second. Less than two minutes later it was 4-1 as a cross-crease pass appeared to be well defended, but instead took a bounce again off a Bulldog and right onto the tape of Cameron Thompson who snapped it home into the open side before Hawthorne could cross the crease, with Alex Campbell and Charlie Campbell getting the assists at 11:21 of the second.  A futher minute and change afterwards it was a 5-1 game on another play that was similar to the previous play in that it looked to be well defended initially in front, only to end up right onto the tape of Carter Berger inside the hashmarks where he fought it on net high over Hawthorne to conclude the barrage, with Alex Campbell and Alex Hewhook at 12:40 of the second. The Grizzlies would have ample opportunities to build their lead, and eventually tacked on another one with under a minute to play in the period as Alex Newhook won a draw in the Dogs zone back to the left point for ColeNoble, who went D-to-D across the line to the top of the point for Kenny Johnnson who blasted a one-timer glove side past a screened Hawthorne to make it 6-1 at 19:09 of the second. Shots in the period were 19-5 Victoria, for a 39-17 edge after 40 minutes.


The Bulldogs earned a power play inside the first minute of the third, on what appeared to be minimal contact at best on an Issac Tonkin-Palmer attempt to split the D and drive the net. The Bulldogs would make good on the opportunity, as Ryan Miotto set up Aaron Bohlinger at the top of the point where he threw a high wrister on goal that was deflected home through the legs of Chapman by Josh Zary. The Grizzlies would complain, not without reason as it certainly looked to be close to the crossbar. The Referee at the net signalled goal immediately, and that call stood as it was 6-2 at 1:09 of the third. The Bulldogs continued to push, but couldn't make it a three goal game before the Grizzlies replied on a pretty goal off a draw in the Dogs zone that saw Jeremie Bucheler put a low shot to the slot where Alex Campbell perfectly deflected it top corner, high over the glove of Cole Demers (who came on to start the period) to make it 7-2 at 3:57 of the third. The Bulldogs made good on another power play two minutes later when a similar set up to the previous goal saw Aaron Bohlinger fire a one-timer off a Ryan Miotto set up from the top of the point low and wide of the net stick side on Chapman. Keaton Mastrodonato would pounce on the end-board bounce to lift it home short-side to again trim the gap to 7-3 at 6:05 of the period. The Bulldogs weren't able to trim away further at the deficit as the Grizzlies salted the time away into the final five minutes. The Bulldogs where then awarded a power play as Kurtis Chapman appeared to show some intent in swing his stick heel first into the face of Keaton Mastrodonato in the crease at the end of a scramble to earn a minor penalty. The Bulldogs threatened early in the advantage, before an unfortunate bounce on a D-to-D pass caught bad ice and bounced out of the zone. Kurtis Chapman would rim the dump in to the far corner where Kenny Johnson relayed it ahead up the left wing for Jordan Gainey, who put a perfect backhand flip to a wide open Marty Westhaver behind the defence at centre ice where he made no mistake with a quick release stick side on Demers for the shorthanded tally to complete the scoring at 16:13 of the third. Assists would go to Chapman and Bucheler instead of Gainey and Johnson to complete the scoring.


Third period shots were 14-10 Grizzlies, for a game total in their favour of 53-27 with John Hawthorne taking the loss giving up six goals on thirty nine shots through forty minutes before being replaced my Cole Demers while Kurtis Chapman picked up the win. The Bulldogs went 2 for 5 on the power play, while the Grizzlies went 0 for 2 while also scoring once while shorthanded.


Gamre two goes tomorrow night at the Q Centre, a 7:00 puck drop.


Hammer

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There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs visit Grizzlies tonight for Game One

After a seven game battle in the first round last year, these teams meet again in the post season as the Bulldogs (21-34-3-0, 4th Island)  visit the Grizzlies (36-18-0-4, 1st Island) tonight at the Q Centre in Victoria for Game one of this best-of-seven series.


The Bulldogs finished the regular season with a 3-2 shoot out win over the Powell River Kings Sunday afternoon at home to snap a two game losing streak. The Grizzlies also last played Sunday afternoon at home, where they won a second consecutive game 7-4 over the Cowichan Valley Capitals.


The Bulldogs won the most recent meeting between these teams, 3-1 in Victoria on Saturday, February 16th. The Grizzlies took the season series with a head to head record of 5-3-0-0 for 10 points, while the Bulldogs went 3-3-2-0 for 8 points. The Grizzlies out scored the Bulldogs 28-19, and went 8 for 39 on the power play. The Bulldogs went 3 for 31 while scoring once while short handed, and were out shot by the Grizzlies in the season series 331-282. 

You can forget about ALLLLL of the above though, as it all means absolutely nothing now as the slate is wiped clean and the teams and players all have a stat line of zero. Are you a player that has had an average or disappointing season and want to atone for it? Or are you a player who's had a good season, and do you want to prove that you have the same success individually and with your team when it REALLY matters? Well this is what it's all about.

Here's a quick look at the standings as of today.....zeros across the board. Everything as of today is in the past. 

I have been very lucky in my career to witness some fantastic playoff runs - five league championships, two Royal Bank Cup tournaments and two semi final series in the BCHL. I'm hoping the Dogs can make this run a long one was well. Playoffs are everything, it's why we are involved in the game. They are about passion, intensity, drive and sacrifice. At the same time, they are about the opposite - composure, discipline, playing smart.  Mostly, they are about having a short memory. What happened last game/period/play doesn't matter, it's only about what's up next. 

One quote that always stuck with me at this time of year comes from former Bulldog Coach Nolan Graham (2009-2010), who basically outlined it like this - One night you can be sky high off a huge overtime win and the next you can be so low after a tough loss that you are lower than a snakes belly in a tire rut. Win or loss, you have to play the next day.  PARK IT and look to the next play/shift/period/game.  Expect the unexpected. Look no further than last year. If ANYONE tells you that they would've predicted the Dogs to race out to a 3-0 series lead, might I suggest asking them if they are selling lanes on their bridge to Vancouver from the Island. 

One thing that can be expected is - adversity. Last year, the Bulldogs faced it in losing three defenceman in the first period of Game three at home. They got a couple back, but they weren't the same, before losing a fourth defenceman the next night. The Bulldogs didn't wilt when that faced them last year. If anything I was impressed with how close they came to winning that fourth game to advance considering how uphill the climb suddenly became, out of no where, when it looked like they were at the top of the mountain and it was going to be all downhill the rest of the way. Certainly not. Expect the unexpected. Again, have a short memory - I've seen the Dogs win game one on the road only to lose the next four and have their season end in Game 5. I've seen them go down 3-0 in a series, and be down by three goals late in the third period to not only win that game, but the next two, to take Game 7 into the final 10 minutes of the third tied 1-1. I've seen them take a 2-0 series lead with a 13-2 win.... yes THIRTEEN...only to drop the next four straight to lose the series in Game 6. You just never know. Control what you can control, try to minimize the swings in momentum and just keep playing and skating. It's all so simple to say, of course and much harder to do.  

A final thought on adversity. How do you deal with it? Be being resilient. It's not a stretch to argue that the Bulldogs most consistent attribute through this season has been that they have been consistently inconsistent. Looking a little deeper and reflecting on the 58 games played to this point, one thing that has always stood out with this team to a man is their resilience, stubbornness and their outright refusal to pack it in or "check out" when the going has gotten tough. An argument could perhaps be made that I've highlighted this character trait to try and find a positive in a loss, and a point could conceded there as I always admit that I'm guilty of being positive to a fault. 

I don't buy that though. There have been too many games to mention this season where the Bulldogs have made a mistake or two, and had a couple of minutes off where the puck ended up in their net and they painted themselves into a corner. They NEVER threw in the towel or tried to get out of the ring. They just kept swinging... and skating, and more often than not they fought their way back into games that they looked completely out of. While it's an intangible that will serve them well when the going gets tough, let's hope that they've learned it's best not to end up in that position. 

Drop the puck already!

I'm sure that they'll be a sizable contingent of Bulldog fans making the trip down tonight, but for those that can't it's always our goal to make it feel like you're there. Be sure to tune in to Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM, with our pregame show on the air starting at 6:45 with the puck drop and play-by-play to follow at 7:00. Dan Tisserand tabulates team and player stats, Bruce MacDonald provides analysis and adds colour commentary and I'll call the play-by-play.

Catch the final edition of the Island Division this Week in the 2nd Intermission tonight, with the Island play-by-play voices providing an end of season recap and a playoff preview. A special thanks to Dan Marshall of 106.9 the Wolf in Nanaimo for conceiving this idea and doing the lions share of the work along with Alex Rawnsley in Powell River, with a tip of the cap to Scott Didmon of the Grizzlies and Justis Doucet of the Capitals for their contributions to the report all year long. 

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

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Did someone say...... Playoffs?! Version 3.0 Bulldog fans on the road....

This one..... is just plain bonkers. The fact that a video from a game in 2004 is available is crazy in itself... but you just gotta watch this one.

This is a clip of the last minute of play from Game two of the second round of the 2003-2004 Playoffs.

The clip starts and follows the play, showing also the left side of the rink. It's not empty, but its certainly not full.

As the final 30 seconds wind down, a low buzz grows into a rolling roar. THEN the camera shows the right hand side of the rink. And it is PACKED with Bulldog fans.

I was talking about this last night at the Bulldog banquet as another example of some of the crazy stuff that has happened with this team and their fan base. This isn't said in disrespect to Surrey - but I did a little research to make sure when I was recalling this memory that it wasn't getting blown out of proportion, like the fish that got away, so to speak.

The game before this one in Surrey against Victoria the attendance was listed at just over 600.

THIS game? Attendance - 1300.

Just....WOW.

Hammer

Bulldogs 2018-2019 Year End Award Winners

Academic Players of the Year 

Unifor Local 592&686

High school 

Dawson Tritt 

GD Auto

College

Aaron Bohlinger 

Coulson Group

Humanitarian of the Year

Marcus Walter

Alberni Power and Marine 

Community Hero

Keaton Mastrodonato

Port Boat House 

Most Improved

Most Valente 

Schill Insurance 

Unsung Hero

Dawson Tritt 

Buy Low Foods 

Most Sportsmanlike Player

Jackson Doucet

Dave and Eric McCormick

Best Defenceman

Aaron Bohlinger 

Port Alberni Port Authority/Fan Choice

Hardest Working Player 

Aaron Bohlinger 

Paul Cyr - Perseverance 

Sam Pouliot 

Hertel Meats 

Coaches Award

Isaac Tonkin-Palmer 

Stephen Castagna 

B & A Transmission

Rookie of the Year

Aaron Bohlinger

B & A Transmission

Top Scorer 

Ryan Miotto

Schill Insurance

Most Valuable Player 

John Hawthorne

Sent from my iPhone

Bulldogs Year End Awards Banquet...

Info on the awards to follow....

Hammer

Did someone say Playoffs?! 2.0 .... Forgotten moment....Mak Barden ties it late....

I found this forgotten and downright epic highlight clip deep in the back corners of internet history.

I/we/Bulldog fans can't be blamed for forgetting this one, as it was unfortunately over shadowed by the downright ridiculous moment when Marlon Sabo won it later in overtime. Sabo's goal doesn't happen if Mak Barden doesn't tie a MUST WIN Game Four (of a Best-of-Five) at 3-3 with two minutes left. Barden doesn't tie it without a superb next level play and effort by Evan Tironese. "What a story Mark Barden is" ... is perhaps the understatement of all time considering what happened the NEXT night. How about the atmosphere in the building?

Did someone say..... Playoffs?!

*UPDATED with HIGHLIGHTS+Playoff schedule *Bulldogs end regular season with 3-2 shootout win over Kings

Enjoy the highlights from yesterday's win below ... and here's the dates for the Island Division Semi Final series announced by the Bulldogs today...

Bulldogs Season Members, just a reminder that you have until Thursday to purchase your seats for games 3 & 4 of the Island Division Semi-Final presented by AV Financial. After Thursday, all un-purchased seats will be open for sale.

The box office hours for this week are:

Tuesday and Thursday: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Next week we will be open

Monday March 4th: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm

Tuesday March 5th: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm (Game 3)

Wednesday March 6th: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm (Game 4)

The Island Division Semi-Final Schedule is as follows:

Game 1- Friday March 1st - Q Centre

Game 2- Saturday March 2nd - Q Centre

Game 3- Tuesday March 5th - Multiplex

Game 4 - Wednesday March 6th- Multiplex

Game 5- Friday March 8th- Q Centre *If Necessary

Game 6- Saturday March 9th - Multiplex *If Necessary

Game 7- Monday March 11th- Q Centre *If Necessary

There was lots of flow and few whistles early, and the energy was higher than expected with the game of no consequence in the standings, perhaps due to the number of affiliate players on both sides of the puck who were excited at the opportunity.  Each side had a couple of opportunities through the first, but both John Hawthorne and Matteo Paler-Chow kept it scoreless through 20 minutes. One especially scintillating save came late in the period while the Bulldogs were on the power play on a pretty Rowan Miller set up across the crease that saw John Hawthorne make yet another highlight reel save by kicking out his right pad to rob Ben Wozney of what looked like a sure goal. Shots in the first were 14-12 Bulldogs.

The second period saw the Kings have an early power play, but be unable to find the net on it with John Hawthorne making a couple good saves in tight early. The Bulldogs would be unable to answer back to generate any momentum before the Kings opened the scoring two minutes later as Deepkaran Hans intercepted a clearing play up the wall and raced in alone where he fought off a backchecker to beat Hawthorne with a quick release short-side from the right side of the slot to make it 1-0, unassisted for his first career goal at 6:17 of the second. The Bulldogs killed off another Kings power play opportunity to keep it tied, before they got the equalizer on a power play of their own with under six to play in the frame as Michael Hodge set up Aaron Bohlinger at the top of the left point where he simply put a quick release on goal that was deflected through Paler-Chow by Josh Zary at the front of the net to make it 1-1 at 12:24 of the second. The Bulldogs weren't able to build on the momentum, as the Kings continued to generate opportunities on Hawthorne, resulting in them taking a lead late in the period after Hawthorne had made the first save on a Matthew Byrne deflection of a Brendan Saether point shot. He but couldn't get help on the rebound as Ethan Schmunk found it and slid it home at the far side of the crease to make it 2-1 at 18:18 of the second, with assists to Matthew Byrne and Jacob Paler-Chow.  Shots in the period were 17-5 Kings, for a 40 minute total in their favour of 29-19.


The third period flew by through the early minutes, with neither side able to generate much on net or in the way of sustained time in the attacking zone. As the period approached the midway point, the Bulldogs tied it up when Keaton Mastrodonato went down to block a shot and quickly got back to his feet to accept an outlet up the left wing from Austin Spiridakis that he carried over the Kings line before delaying and throwing it across the zone for Aaron Bohlinger walking through the right circle where he threw it on goal. Paler-Chow would make the first save, but he couldn't find the rebound before Austin Spiridakis swept it home at the side of the net. There would be no scoring through rthe remainder of the third, with Hawthorne again coming up with a couple big saves in tight, with some help from Dawson Tritt on a loose puck on an open net that kept it tied. Third period shots were 10-7 Bulldogs, for a 60 minute total of 36-29 Kings.

Overtime started with a bang, with Isaac Tonkin-Palmer racing in alone in the opening seconds but just putting a shot high and wide. Seconds later, Aaron Bohlinger flipped the puck to the middle and split the D to race in alone where he drew a penalty in being stopped by Paler-Chow. The Bulldogs had a couple good chances before being whistled for a penalty themselves. They would kill that off, and again have a fantastic chance when it was back to 3 on 3 that saw Evan Googins go forward off a draw and set up Michael Hodge across the crease, only to have Paler-Chow make a highlight reel glove save to keep the game going. Another late Bulldog penalty put the Kings back to the power play in the dying seconds, but shot blocks by Isaac Tonkin-Palmer and Stephen Castagna killed the clock to force the shoot out. Overtime shots were 5-4 Kings, for a game total of 41-33 Powell River,

In the shoot out, Keaton Mastrodonato and Mitch Williams went first on either side but neither of them could battle the ice to get a shot on net. Aaron Bohlinger went next, and gave the Bulldogs the lead walking slowly down the left side to the slot where he snapped it far-side low off the post and in to make it 1-0. Hawthorne would give the Bulldogs a chance to win on their next shooter, as he came up with a left toe save in tight in out waiting Ben Thomas. Dawson Tritt would be the next shooter, and he made good on the opportunity as he attacked in the same fashion as he flew in at high speed up the left side of the slot before ripping it far-side low past the glove of Paler-Chow for the game winner.

John Hawthorne earned the win in goal with first star honours, while Matteo Paler-Chow took the loss. The Bulldogs went 1 for 3 on the power play, while the Kings went 0 for 5.

The Bulldogs are next in action Friday and Saturday for Games 1 and 2 of the Best of Seven Island Division Semi Final series as they visit the Grizzlies at the Q Centre. Games 3 and 4 are back in Port Alberni March 5th an 6th. Game 5 if necessary would be in Victoria March 8th, a Game 6 if needed is March 9th in Port Alberni and if a Game 7 is required it would be at the Q Centre on March 11th.

Hammer

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There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Bulldogs host Kings this afternoon to conclude regular season

It's the final game  on the regular season schedule today for the Bulldogs (20-34-3-0, 4th Island) as they host the Powell River Kings (34-21-2-0, 2nd Island) for a 2:00pm puck drop this afternoon at the Multiplex.

The Bulldogs were in Duncan last night, where they lost their second straight, 3-2 to the Capitals. The Kings were in Nanaimo last night, where they fell 6-4 to the Clippers, solidifying the first through fourth seeds in the Island Division - the Kings will finish second, meaning they'll host Nanaimo in the first round while the Bulldogs will visit the Grizzlies to open the post season next weekend.

These teams last met Friday night in Powell River, a 3-2 Kings win. The last meeting in Port Alberni was a 3-2 Bulldog win on February 1st.

We'll be on the air for our pregame show at 1:45, with the game action shortly after 2:00. Catch it all live from the Multplex on 93.3 The Peak's Van Isle Ford Bulldogs Hockey, with Bruce MacDonald providing analysis and colour commentary while I call the play-by-play.

Today's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Captain Ryan Lough, part of the unforgettable 2013 Island Championship run, who just recently made the decision to retire from professional hockey and move into the work force.

Unforgettable....

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

Thanks for stopping by the blog! 

Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around

Dogs fall 3-2 to Capitals in Duncan

The game certainly had the feel of a contest with no consequences in regards to the standings in the early moments, as both sides appeared somewhat loose with the play being less than sharp. The Bulldogs would open the scoring before the game was two minutes old, as Dawson Tritt won a faceoff in the Capitals zone that Michael Hodge got a piece of before being tied up. Evan Googins would jump on the loose puck off the pile and beat Jack Grant with a quick release short-side inside the post to make it 1-0 at 1:51. Almost instantly, the Bulldogs were penalized off the centre ice puck drop. The Capitals would make good on the opportunity as Dimitri Mikrogiannakis one-timed an Olivier Gauthier pass at the left point on net through traffic. Cole Demers would get a good chunk of it, but not enough of it as it just rolled over the line to make it 1-1 at 3:49 of the first. There would be no scoring the rest of the way, with a couple good opportunities either way but the goalies coming up big. Shots in the first were 8-7 Capitals.


The pace was high to start the second, with each side getting pucks on net, but not much materializing in the way of chances. A rather battling scenario played out near the midpoint of the period, as Stephen Castagna got tied up with Preston Brodziak behind the play at the Capitals bench. Brodziak would drop his gloves and throw a handful of haymakers on Castagna, who didn't drop his gloves or stick of throw a single punch.  Unbelievably, it was just two minutes each for roughing......moving on before I get too far into that one, there would be no scoring the rest of the way, with again not much in the way of wide open chances, but a couple good saves either way. Demers was the busier of the two netminders, as the Capitals out shot the Bulldogs 13-6 for a two period advantage of 21-13.


The third period saw plenty of penalties to the Bulldogs early, with the Capitals going up 2-1 at 5:02 of the period when Preston Brodziak took a headman pass to race in alone on Demers, who would make the first save but be unable to find the loose puck before Cruz Cote jammed it home in the paint. Like they did twice last night in Powell River, the Bulldogs immediately responded to tie it as Evan Googins went forward off the draw in the Caps zone before sliding a perfect pass across the slot to Dawson Tritt, who made no mistake with a quick release far-side past the stick of Grant to make it 2-2 at 5:14 of the third. The Capitals would immediately go to the power play, but Demers and the penalty killers kept it tied. The Capitals continued to push throughout the period, and eventually went ahead 3-2 in the back half of regulation on an odd man rush that saw a cross-ice pass find Brady Lynn in the slot who beat Demers with a quick release. Assists on the play went to Paul Selleck and David Melaragni at 11:04 the third. The Bulldogs showed no signs of packing it in through the remainder of regulation time, but weren't able to mount much of a sustained attack to create the equalizer as the Capitals made the lead stand.


Third period shots were 17-6 Capitals, for a game total of 38-19 in their favour with Jack Grant earning the win while Cole Demers took the loss. The Bulldogs went 0 for 3 on the power play while the Capitals went 2 for 5.


The Bulldogs conclude their regular season tomorrow afternoon at home when they host the Powell River Kings.

Hammer

______________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around 

Bulldogs visit Capitals tonight *6:00pm start*

It's the penultimate game of the 2018-2019 regular season, as the Bulldogs (20-33-3-0, 4th Island) visit the Capitals (16-34-5-1, 5th Island) for another edition of the "Battle of the Valleys" at the Island Savings Centre.

The Bulldogs were in Powell River, where they had a two game win streak halted with a 3-2 loss to the Kings. The Capitals haven't played since last Sunday at home, where they dropped their fourth in a row 6-1 to the Coquitlam Express.

These teams most recently played head-to-head last Friday at the Multiplex, a 6-2 Bulldog win which ran their head-to-head winning streak to four games. The previous meeting in Duncan was a 4-0 Bulldog win on January 23rd.

Neither team can do anything to their position in the standings heading into the post season tonight, with the focus instead on getting their game where they want it to be when the second season begins next weekend.

Note the start time of 6:00pm, which means we'll gp live from the Island Savings Centre tonight at 5:45 to commence Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM  with our pregame show. The puck drop and play-by-play will follow at the top of the hour. I'll call the play-by-play while Dan Tisserand tabulates team and player statistics.

Catch the final Regular Season edition of the Island Division This Week in the 2nd Intermission, courtesy of Dan Marshall at 106.9 the Wolf in Nanaimo. It's a compilation of previews, recaps and highlights from the Island Division play-by-play voices.

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



Thank you for checking out the blog!

Hammer

______________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around 

Kings top Bulldogs 3-2 in fantastic game, with circus ending

Editors note - I always get a post buzzer scoreboard picture for the top of postgame updates, but not only do they turn the board off quick here, there was also the distraction of the after the game fight followed by an incident at the Bulldog bench and my being surrounded in my broadcasting position in the crowd so accept my apologies for the omission.



The game didn't have a lot of flow early, with the Kings having the better of the initial opportunities on net as Cole Demers made two good saves in tight, one with his left toe, the other with a poke check. The Kings would open the scoring on a pretty goal that Demers had no chance on, as Mitch Williams put a pass out of the right corner to the deep slot for Ben Thomas who one-timed it perfectly placed top corner, short-side over the glove of Demers to make it 1-0 at 5:28 of the first. The Bulldogs would counter less than a minute later making quick work on a power play opportunity as Ryan Miotto took a pass at the top of the right circle from Aaron Bohlinger and walked in and threw it on goal. It would go off a stick, and then the hand of a King defender before clanking off the crossbar and onto the goal line behind Mitch Adamyk. Josh Zary would locate it first and jam it home to make it 1-1 at 6:20 of the first. There would be no scoring in the remainder of the frame, with both Demers and Adamyk tested a couple of times but neither team was able to take the lead. Shots in the period were 11-10 Kings.

Action was tight to begin the second, with the Kings getting one good early chance where Ben Wozney was stopped on a high-hard one by Demers. Quite similary to the first, the Kings took the lead six minutes into the frame, and the Bulldogs again answered immediately. Powell River made it 2-1 when the Bulldogs misplayed a D-to-D pass back of their net, that allowed Levi Glasman to chase it down and throw it out front where it went off Demers and onto the stick of Ethan Schmunk who walked across the crease and managed to just slide it through Demers to make it 2-1 at 6:19 of the second. The Bulldogs responded seconds later, as Aaron Bohlinger stepped up to break up a play at centre, that was picked up by Evan Googins. He would attack the Kings zone with speed up the right side before putting a cross-ice pass onto the tape of Michael Hodge between the hashmarks where he wasted no time with a quick release into the top corner far-side over the glove of Adamyk to make it 2-2 at 6:34. The Bulldogs earned two power play chances later in the period, and while threatening on them, they couldn't generate enough to take the lead. The Kings went up 3-2 later in the period on a interesting scenario that saw icing signalled by the back Linesman, and the Bulldogs appear to win the race but the front Linesman waved it off.  The puck would go back to the line, and immediately end up in the net as Ben Wozney put a low slapper to the far post where it was tipped in by Ryan Brushett to make it 3-2 at 10:56 of the period. The Bulldogs again earned a power play, but couldn't respond this time. The Kings went to the advantage immediately afterwards, but the Dogs did a good job to defend it to keep it 3-2 after two. Shots in the period were 12-10 Kings, for a 23-20 total in their favour after 40 minutes.

The third period was hotly contested and played at a high place with few whistles through to the back half of regulation, with the score staying 3-2 thanks to both goalies, most notably Cole Demers who made great saves in tight on Levi Glasman twice, and Ryan Brushett. The pace continued through to the late stages of the third, with neither side generating either much in the way of chances or consistent zone time. The Bulldogs would pull Demers for the extra attacker with over two minutes to play, but despite forcing the Kings into a series of icings and getting the puck around Adamyk they couldn't generate much of a good scoring chance to tie it as the Kings made the lead stand to the buzzer.

After the buzzer, a slash that I didn't see, led to a dust up between Christian Buono and Ryan Miotto. That was followed by an ugly incident at the Bulldog bench where an apparently repeatedly verbally abusive fan crossed over that line and spat on the Bulldog players leaving the ice resulting in them responding to it. Security would eventually intervene,  for again what was a most unfortunate ending to what was a wildly entertaining game.

Third period shots were 9-7 Bulldogs, for a 30-29 Kings advantage. The Bulldogs went 1 for 5 on the power play while the Kings went 0 for 1.

The Bulldogs are in Duncan tomorrow night when they visit the Capitals for a 6:00 puck drop.

Hammer

____________________________________________________________

There has never been a subscription fee for this blog - and there never will be, but if you enjoy stopping by here, why not consider donating to the cause? Just click HERE. . . and thank you very much. *

*As eloquently said by Gregg Drinnan of Taking Note - the best hockey/sports blog around