The Alberni Valley Bulldogs strongly believe they could have been coming back to the Island for Game 3 tonight tied 1-1 in the sa国际传媒 Hockey League final series against the heavily-favoured Penticton Vees.
A controversial Bulldogs disallowed goal in the 4-3 loss to the Vees on Saturday night in Game 2, before 3,148 fans at the South Okanagan Events Centre, hangs over the series like a glowering cloud. The Bulldogs were told the video replay wasn’t working and so the play, with 6:45 remaining in regulation time, couldn’t be reviewed.
“To have something like this impact the series is really disappointing,” said David Michaud, president, governor and majority-owner of the Bulldogs.
“We believe we tied the game. I’m not saying we would have won, but maybe we could have. The main issue is that chance was taking away from our guys.”
The sa国际传媒 reached out to the BCHL but had not received a response by press time.
“Technology is technology. Sometimes these things don’t work. What we are disappointed in is the fact there is not more clarity,” said Michaud.
“It just leaves us with an empty feeling. There were a lot of droopy faces getting on the team bus.”
The Bulldogs, however, were also down 2-0 in the Coastal Conference semifinals before beating the Surrey Eagles in seven games.
“We have showed tons of resilience and will use this [disallowed goal] as motivation,” said Michaud.
“We have to be mentally strong to get over this. Being back in front of our loving supporters will give us a big lift.”
The Bulldogs are 20-1 at home since Christmas.
“This is not an easy place to come into and play for the opposition,” said Michaud.
Penticton won the first game, also 4-3, before 3,216 fans Friday in the South Okanagan Events Centre.
“We had two good efforts but we also realize this is a results-based business and we are behind 2-0,” said Michaud.
The Vees are making their 23rd appearance in the BCHL championship series and looking for their 13th Fred Page Cup title. They are the defending champions after sweeping the Nanaimo Clippers 4-0 in games in last year’s league final.
The upstart Bulldogs, meanwhile, are in the final for the first time since the franchise was founded as the Burnaby Bulldogs in 1998-99 before moving to Port Alberni in 2002-03.
The Vees have been nearly overwhelming and are 14-1 in the playoffs after going 50-3-1 in the regular season as the Interior Division and overall league top seed. The Bulldogs were the third seed in the Coastal Division and beat the Victoria Grizzlies, Surrey Eagles and Chilliwack Chiefs in the conference playoffs to make it to the league final.
The Vees are led by BCHL MVP Bradley Nadeau, ranked 17th among North American skaters for this year’s NHL draft and with 33 points in 15 playoff games, and brother Josh Nadeau, with 32 post-season points.
The Vees have 19 players and Bulldogs 13 players committed to NCAA Div. 1 schools. Dakota MacIntosh, committed to Merrimack, and Union-commit Brandon Buhr, lead Alberni Valley with 23 points each in the playoffs.
The third and fourth games of the final, tonight and Wednesday night, are sold out at the Alberni Valley Multiplex as the Bulldogs run has captured the imagination of the valley.
“This [controversy] could sink us or propel us but it’s up to us to decide how we let it define us,” said Michaud.
