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Thursday, March 05, 2020

Bulldogs season ends with 2-1 loss in game four





The game started with the Bulldogs having an obvious level of desperation, that saw them have the better of the chances and the play early in the contest.  They came close to opening the scoring when Josh Zary found his own rebound off a deflection on an early power play chance, and slid it through the legs of Jordan Naylor on his backahnd. It didn't make it over the line though, with a defender saving it on the goal line. The Clippers had a similar chance at the other end, with a cross-crease pass going off a skate before it was saved by Luke Pearson. Another great Bulldog chance later in the period saw Mitchel Deelstra pick up a bank pass up the right wing to skate in alone, but he couldn't elevate it over Naylor who kept it out. At the other end, Luke Pearson came up with a big save on a shorthanded rush later in the period by Tim Washe to keep it scoreless. Shots in the first were 11-10 Clippers.


The second period brought about the same from the Bulldogs, with the pace high both ways, and the game continuing to remain tight. The Bulldogs finally opened the scoring - the first time in the series that they achieved the feat as Tim Gould started it all off with a fantastic defensive play on a Nanaimo 2 on 1 rush. He would then lead a rush the other way with blazing speed right on net where a stick knocked his shot wide. The Bulldogs found the loose puck, and Mitchel Deelstra set up Tommy Bannister who put a pass from the right circle back to the top of the slot for Mattias Dal Monte, who snuck a low slapper through Naylor to make it 1-0 at 6:01 of the second. The Bulldogs carried the play for the following few minutes, but couldn't bury or get a  bounce on several chances to build their lead, or take advantage of a power  play opportunity. The Clippers would push back to tie it late in the frame after a series of bounces and battles won to keep it in, as Luke Pearson made two great saves on both Kyler Kovich and an Ethan Scardina rebound attempt, before Scardina found it again and lifted it home to make it 1-1 at 19:27 of the second. Shots in the period were 16-11 Bulldogs, for a 26-22 total in their favour heading into period three.


The Bulldogs appeared tight to start the third, and/or the Clippers were motivated - and they carried the better of the play early with a series of big saves by Pearson to keep it tied. The Clippers kept pushing though, and took a 2-1 lead four minutes into the period on a pass out of the left corner to the net where Pearson made the first save, but Tim Washe one-timed the rebound home glove side from the top of the crease. Assisting on the play were Ethan Scardina and Kyler Kovich. 2-1 would prove to be the final, with the Bulldogs killing off two penalties throughout the third, one with just over five minutes to play to keep it a one-goal game, with Luke Pearson coming up with several big saves to give his team a chance. They would generate a couple of good looks, but there wasn't much in the way of Grade A chances or sustained attack zone time as the Clippers salted the time away and didn't give up much to defend their lead to the buzzer.


Third period shots were 16-9 Clippers, for a game total of 38-35 in their favour. Luke Pearson earned 2nd star honours with the loss, while Jordan Naylor earned the win. The Bulldogs went 0 for 3 on the power play while the Clippers went 0 for 2.


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 Clippers tonight for must-win game four





Break out all the cliches - do or die. Now or never. 'Backs against the wall. Live to fight another day. That's the scenario that the Bulldogs find themselves in tonight as they host the Nanaimo Clippers for game four of this Island Division semi final series. 

How about simplify it and say - just win. 

The Clippers sit on the edge of advancing after winning a third straight game to open the post season Tuesday night at the Dog Pound by a 3-2 score. 

There was much to like from the Bulldogs in game three. I thought that in the third period they looked as good as they have looked in a lonnnnnnng time. They actually looked like....themselves - when they were at their best earlier in the season prior to the seemingly never-ending run of at times ludicrious adversity that they've been fighting through. It's not a coincidence that it's only the second period that they've won so far in the series either, after the first period of game two. Having said that - the Clippers are way too good a team - any team is, at this juncture of the season - to only win a period, and expect to win a game. The Bulldogs need to play like they did in the final 20 minutes on Tuesday night for a full 60 minutes (or more) tonight. If they do that, they'll give themselves a chance to keep playing. 

I can only hope that the players believe as firmly as I do that everything they've gone through to this point has only served them in a positive way, to steel their resolve for what's to come on the rest of their journey.

Whether you think it's over...or you think it's far from it, and just beginning....you're right. It's all mind over matter, and the task at hand and nothing but now. See - Warriors, West Kelowna. They fell into a 3-0 series hole with a 9-2 loss in game three. They didn't pack it in - they won game four 2-1 in overtime to force game five. And while their season ended in the fifth game last night - they were ONE shot away from coming home to play a sixth game, as the Vees ended it in overtime. You never know. From 9-2 on the ropes, to overtime with a chance to come home to put the other side on the ropes and force a seventh game. It won't be easy. It never is. Believe - and you're half way there already! 



The full crew will be back in the booth tonight to cover it all - I'll call the play-by-play, Bruce MacDonald provides game analysis and adds colour commentary and Dan Tisserand tabulates team and player statistics. 

Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM is on the air for our pregame show at 6:45, with all the live game action to follow after 7:00pm. 


Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is former Bulldog Jake Witkowski, already in his Junior season with the NCAA's Boston College Terriers. 

Spoiler alert from the interview - here's Jake's favourite memory as a Bulldog. 


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




Let's drop the puck already!  


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

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Clippers take 3-0 series lead with 3-2 win in Game three



The start was energetic, and physical with the Bulldogs having a couple solid hits early. They had the first couple of  shots on net too, before the Clippers put a couple of their own on net. Then the game would be changed drastically when the Bulldogs were penalized on an Ethan Scardina net drive. The Clippers were dangerous throughout it, with Luke Pearson coming up with a couple big saves in tight early in it. They kept pushing, and took a 1-0 lead on a Liam Ryan deflection from the top of the crease off an Aiden Hansen-Bukata point shot. Also drawing an assist on the play was Steven Agriogianis at  7:21 of the first. A minute and change later, the Bulldogs were penalized yet again. The Clippers would push hard to build the lead, but Pearson was solid and the penalty killers held on to kill it off. The Bulldogs kept clawing away, and finally earned a power play of their own with under four minutes to play in the period. They would have a couple of looks on it, but couldn't generate a Grade A chance to beat Jordan Naylor to tie it up. Shots in the first were 20-8 Nanaimo.


The second period saw the Bulldogs have a fantastic chance just 15 seconds into the period as Mitchel Deelstra got in alone down the right wing and in on Naylor, who made a glove save to keep it 1-0. Seconds later, the Bulldogs lost a board battle in their zone and Kyler Kovich was allowed to walk right in tight to the faceoff dot where he picked the far corner, low-stick side just inside the post to make it 2-0, with Ethan Scardina assisting at 58 seconds into the period. The Bulldogs spent the  next few minutes on the defensive, and Luke Pearson was solid to keep it a two-goal game. He would be further tested throughout the period, with the Bulldogs being penalized three times, one appearing to be a complete phantom call on Ryan Doolin. Pearson kept them in it repeatedly, with big saves around his net, and a big save on a 3 on 1 rush in the late stages of the period on Kyler Kovich deflection attempt on a cross-ice set up. Shots in the period were 19-8 Nanaimo, for a 40 minute total in their favour of 39-20.


The Bulldogs came out again flying to start the third, with Mitchel Deelstra again getting a step in on net. Naylor would make the save from a sharp angle, before Dawson Tritt was drilled from behind bringing about a Bulldog power play. They would cash in on it on a pretty passing play, as Jackson Munro set  up Ryan Doolin walking in off the right point. He put a perfectly placed backdoor pass onto the tape of Jackson Doucet, who deflected it home top corner over the blocker of Naylor to make it 2-1 at 1:33 of the third. The Bulldogs came painfully close to tying the game in the following few minutes, but couldn't get a bounce around the Nanaimo net as it looked tied on several occasions but the puck stayed out. The period wore on into the back half of it, where the Clippers padded their lead on yet another hard to even believe break as an end-board bounce saw the Referee inadvertently kick it out of the reach of Mitchel Deelstra, and onto the tape of Tim Washe, who played it back to the left point for Aiden Hansen-Bukata, who scored on a wrist shot through traffic that snuck inside the far post past the glove of Pearson to make it 3-1 at 11:22 of the third, with Kyler Kovich also drawing an assist. The Bulldogs didn't sit back but instead got right back on the attack, and less than two minutes later were back within one as Isaac Pascoal fought the puck initially out of the Bulldogs zone, before winning a battle in the Nanaimo end on the right  wing where Tim Gould found it, and walked to the slot before dishing off to Dawson Tritt at the right side of the net where he went high over Naylor to make it 3-2 at 13:37 of the third. The Bulldogs would push to the final buzzer, with several near misses around the net, but couldn't find the equalizer.


Third period shots were 21-11 Bulldogs, for a game total of 50-41 Clippers. Jordan Naylor earned the win while Luke Pearson took the loss while earning 2nd star honours. The Bulldogs were 1 for 3 on the power play while the Clippers were 1 for 5.

Break out all the cliches - the teams next meet for Game four Thursday night. It's win and move on for the Clippers, while it's win or go home for the Bulldogs.


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

Playoff Hockey back at the Dog Pound tonight for Game Three


It's the 2020 postseason home ice debut for the Bulldogs,  as they host the Nanaimo Clippers for game three of this best-of-seven Island Division semi final series tonight at the Multiplex. 

The Clippers lead the series 2-0, after back-to-back wins by the same 6-3 score on Friday and Saturday night at the Frank Crane Arena.

Whether the scores were 10-3, 6-3 or 1-0 in triple overtime, it doesn't matter. It's in the past, and the Bulldogs - and Clippers as well - can ill afford to spend a single joule of energy looking in the rearview mirror. The Clippers did their job and held home ice. Now the Bulldogs MUST do the same. I've always believed in the saying - sorry I have no clue to whom I should attribute the quote... "a series doesn't  begin until someone loses at home"

A Bulldog win, and it's a brand new series. A Clipper win, and it's a series that could be facing the possibility of ending. The Bulldogs successfully defending their  home ice? That would bring about a scenario Friday where they can win and earn their  chance  to end the series at home. 

That's all way too far ahead to be thinking of course. You can  bet that the  Clippers  will be feeling confident, and will be motivated to take a stranglehold in the series tonight. Simply said, the Bulldogs must be more motivated. desperate. hungry, passionate resilient - and last but not least consistent in their efforts tonight. 

There's nothing like playoff hockey at the Dog Pound.... I can't wait! 



We'll go live for our pregame show tonight at 6:45, with the game getting underway at 7:00pm. Pacific Chevrolet Bulldogs Hockey on 93.3 The Peak FM will see Dan Tisserand work the team and player statistics while Bruce MacDonald provides game analysis and colour commentary. I will call the play-by-play.

Tonight's 2nd Intermission guest is Justis Doucet, the play-by-play voice of the Cowichan Valley Capitals. They're in Powell River to face the Kings tonight, up 2-0 in the other Island Division semi-final series.


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




Make some noise tonight! 


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