Please visit the links and support my friends and supporters!!!

Please visit the links and support my friends and supporters!!!

Monday, January 16, 2006

Bulldogs win 2 more, stretch win streak to 17

Bulldogs vs Chilliwack
photo: krisfromthewack

First off, let me apologize for the lack of postings over the weekend. With the Bulldogs playing Saturday night, then the quick turn around to Sunday afternoon, and with the "parents weekend" events all happening I had only enough time to get one broadcast finished and get the next one ready for the next day.

First off, Saturday vs Williams Lake. Great game for the fans, not so great for either team for obvious reasons. For the Bulldogs, obviously not good falling behind 4-0 before the game was thirteen minutes old. Great for the TWolves though, of course. Then, not great for the TWolves that they would blow that lead, and great for the Bulldogs to come back and score 3 goals in the final five minutes of the first to get back within reach. It was amazing to see the crowd rally the team after coach Hiller called the time out with the team down 4-0. It was an impromptu "standing O" that some of the crowd participated in, but it sure seemed to rally the Dogs. When the third goal went in, less than 20 seconds after the second goal, man was it ever LOUD in the POUND. Close to as loud as I've heard it before, and a couple people I talked to echoed that sentiments. After trailing 4-3 after one, Jordan Kremyr scored on the PP to tie it up 4-4. Less than two minutes later Devin Timberlake scored his second of the night, redirecting a point shot home on the powerplay to give the Dogs their first lead of the game, 5-4. Credit due to the TimberWolves for not quitting, and with six minutes to play in the second Drew Rose scored to tie the game 5-5. With just over three minutes to play in the second Devin Timberlake completed his hattrick with a great solo effort driving the net off the boards to put the Dogs up 6-5. In the third the TWolves would again battle back to tie the game at 6-6 with their 5th powerplay goal of the night. With the TimberWolves again on the powerplay, Tyler Ruel scored his Bulldogs-career leading 5th shorthanded goal to finally finish the games scoring with 12:29 to play. A total of 13 goals, as I said great for the fans, great for forwards I guess, but bad for goalies, defenceman, and coaches. And ACE, who had to REALLY work on his summary. A win is a win, and for the Dogs it was sweet 16 in a row.

Sunday the Powell River Kings came to the DAWG POUND for an afternoon tilt. Both teams were streaking, the Bulldogs having won 16 in a row, the Kings having gone 4 and 0 in 2006. Compared to the game the night before, when it came to scoring, Sundays game was a rather tame affair. After a scoreless first period Brayden Melrose put a rebound home short of five minutes into the second to get the Dogs on the board. At the 8:54 mark of the second Aaron Schepers made it 2-0 and that would be the end of Alex Evin's day in the Kings goal. With the Bulldogs up 2-0 and on the powerplay, Ethan Cox was sent in alone on a short handed breakaway. Jim Patterson made a huge save and the games momentum swung as Stephan Pattison made it 3-0 on the powerplay moments later at the 13:07 mark. Before the second was over the Kings got on the board as Lindsay Walker scored on a breakaway to trim the lead to 3-1 Dogs after two. The only goal of the third was a hardworking effort by Evan Michalchuk to dive to a rebound and get the puck past Fleming for the 4-1 final. The game was marred by a couple of incidents and fights. Partik Bhungal was given a five minute major for charging, and Andrew Riddell a five minute major for slashing. Aaron Schepers and Tyler Boice also dropped the mitts against Vincein Scott and Michael Heck respectively. After the dust settled the Dogs had won their 17th in a row to take an 11 point lead on the Nanaimo Clippers and the Salmon Arm Silverbacks for first on the Island, and first overall.

What a weekend coming up, Nanaimo Saturday night and Salmon Arm 3pm Sunday at the DAWG POUND as the Bulldogs wrap up their eight game home stand.

It could be interesting when the National rankings come out tomorrow. Will the Bulldogs, winners of 17 straight remain in second or move up to first in the nation? Last weeks #1 team did not have a perfect weekend. If there's any justice, the Bulldogs in a much deeper league will take #1, but as we've seen a couple times this season the rankings aren't always JUST at least by MY and OUR opinion in Bulldog land and in the BCHL.


Thanks for stopping by the blog,
Go Dogs Go
Hammer.

1 comment:

Hammer said...

Thanks for the comments clipfan and one O one.

clipfan- I hope the boys don't get too friendly and share to many secrets with each other over the all star festivities, haha. should be some awesome hockey this weekend for Clippers and Dogs fans no doubt.

one "O" one- yes, it sure was great to see the salmon come back. As I said on the air, I'm not someone who encourages rule breaking, but when it comes to tradition, sometimes you have to break a rule or two. About Jim Patterson- great so see him play good on Sunday and bounce back from Saturday night. He needed that, and more importantly, the Bulldogs needed that. They need Jim to play like he did Sunday, not just in the event that Brian Stewart could be injured, as so many people say, but also to give Stewie a night off here and there. You said it all about the chuck line- DEPTH. It's something to watch when it's just one line after another, open the door, and roll the lines. Hard for any team to keep up through 60 minutes. One thing I quickly learned after I came to Port Alberni- Clippers vs Bulldogs games aren't just another game. Sure, in the end it's just one of 60 contests throughout the year, but as you said, the atmosphere in the building, the energy in the community, is ramped up for these match ups.