The Dogs are coming off a 5-4 win last night over the Smoke Eaters to snap a mini two game slide while the Kings lost 6-2 last night in Victoria, their fourth loss in a row.
Home ice has been anything but in this series. The Bulldogs have won three straight head to head, 6-3, 6-1 and 4-3 in double OT, all in Powell River, dating back to November 9th. Just five days earlier was the last time the Dogs played an afternoon home game, a 4-2 Kings win, their second straight in the Dog Pound after a 2-0 win in October. It was close to the same situation in that game, the Kings playing their third game in three days, the Dogs having a lighter schedule, but the Kings still came in and out worked them and thoroughly controlled the game. The Bulldogs have won the only game in the series on home ice 4-3 in double OT in September.
The Dogs will most likely be without Jared Wilson for today's game, as he was given a 5 minute major for a check to the head last night on Jesse Knowler in the third period.
I really feel bad for Wilson because everything stacks up against him here - he has been suspended for receiving three blow to the head penalties before, last night's hit WAS NOT captured on video - if you have tape of it PLEASE contact me - and the officiating crew obviously ruled it a penalty. Wilson could possibly sit out three or four games, while Jesse Knowler, the man who took the hit missed all of what, five minutes, and took a regular shift to end the game?
The amount of angry messages and comments in person/email/social media/text messages about the hit, and the call, have almost blown up my phone.
To me, to Bruce, to seemingly everyone else in the building - it was a text book CLEAN hit. Feet remained on the ice, hands were down, shoulders were down, principle point of contact was the CHEST, not the HEAD.
Yet he gets tossed anyway. I can't help but agree with the comment of "If they are going to penalize guys for clean hits like that, all the fans might as well go next door to the other rink and watch the Men's Old-Timer Non-Contact League.
It is almost to the point now where you don't want to be a big player anymore. The game over the last 4 or 5 decades has thousands upon thousands of players that didn't make it, quite simply because they weren't big enough to survive in a man's game, a CONTACT game, plain and simple. Don't get me wrong, I love the skill and speed with the game nowadays, but I'm like every other die-hard hockey fan, I like hits, I want them in the game, I don't want anyone hurt, but if you can't protect yourself, you maybe shouldn't be playing?
6'4 hitting 5'10, another fine example this season that you don't want to be a big guy anymore, as it doesn't matter how clean and perfectly timed your hit is - you are still gone.
Today's 2nd intermission guest is Cowichan Valley Capitals play-by-play voice Alf Orton, as the Bulldogs have a Friday-Saturday home and home with the Caps next weekend starting at the Dog Pound and finishing at the Big Stick.
Hope to see a good crowd at the Dog Pound...it's tough on a Sunday afternoon but just make it an all hockey day, Bulldogs in the afternoon, home for dinner and the Canucks at the Sharks at 5:00pm!
Hammer
1 comment:
If you think back to Vcr and Boston in playoffs a couple of years ago a Canuck got suspended for the same type of hit. It is called a blind side. Don't think Knowler wasn't hurt may not play today vbecause of hit. This is a game that is way to fast for one ref. unfortunate for the player involved but happens all over the league. An yes I am a smokies fan.
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