On Friday, the Blackfalds Bulldogs faced the Okotoks Oilers in a close game, which ended with a 4-3 score in overtime. The match took place at the Okotoks Centennial Arena. The Bulldogs concluded their three-week road trip with a record of 1 win, 2 losses, 1 tie, and 0 overtime losses against the Alberta teams in the BCHL.
Jack Silverberg opened up the scoring for the Oilers at 8:15 of the first period with the assists on the goal going to a pair of ex Drayton Valley Thunder players in Hayden Fechner and Rylan Brown
Alexander Dimitriadis replied back for the Bulldogs to make it a 1-1 game just 28 seconds later when he scored at 8:43 of the first period. The assists on the goal went to Otto Hanson and Jayden Joly.
Bulldogs outshot the Oilers in the first period 10-9
Jayden Joly scored wide side on Kingo to make it 2-1 at 2:36 of the second period with the assist on the goal going to Otto Hanson. That gave the Bulldogs their first lead of the game.
Oilers tied it up to make it 2-2 when Canada West Captain Jack Silverberg got his second goal of the game at 5:19 of the second period on a very strange bounce. The assists on the goal went to Hayden Fechner and Jackson Rowland.
Gabe Gratton left the net during the second period. It wasn’t after the second goal but left the ice at 7:36 of the second period. It was unclear as to why. There has been some that say it is from an injury but no further updates were available.
Otto Hanson scored at 17:10 of the second period with a nice feed from Jayden Joly and the other assist going to Alexander Dimitriadis. The line of Hanson-Dimitriadis-Joly has scored all the goals tonight. I love how the announcer says “Otto Hanson scores after Alexander Dimitriadis makes MINCE MEAT out of the Oilers defence.
Shots in the second period were 11-8 for Okotoks
This Michigan attempt that Hunter Brown did in the third period was a little neat. Mikael Kingo seen it coming from a mile away and wasn’t having any of it, but it would of been neat if he had scored. On the other hand I truly believe that if you are to attempt this during a game any penalty or cheap shot an opposing player does to you while you attempt the move is free game. If you are going to play fantasy Mighty Ducks Cinderella hockey others should be able to play Mortal Kombat. I am pretty sure no one else was more shocked than Brown and Kingo that he was allowed all that time by the defence to do that.
Connor Gourley tied the game at 3 right after a Bulldogs penalty expired at 3:42 of the third period. Assists on the goal went to former Medicine Hat Tigers captain Owen MacNeil and St. Lawrence commit Sam Hall.
Shots in the third period were 8-5 for the Bulldogs
10 minute overtimes in the BCHL is something I like alot better. Shootouts are stupid. You do have to watch however when Sam Huck is out on the ice in overtime. Or anytime really. Especially when he has been fairly quiet for Sam Huck during the game. We seen it in the AJHL most seen it at the WJAC. He scores. He likes to do it in overtime alot too.
Sam Huck scores in overtime on the Bulldogs at 2:07 of overtime (time on the site seems a little off from the game I think). The assists on the goal went to Captain and Alaska Fairbanks commit Dean Spak.
Shots in Overtime was 1-0 for the Oilers. The shots in the game were tied with both teams getting 26
Mikael Kingo made 23 saves on the 26 shots that he faced for the win. For the Bulldogs Gabe Gratton made 15 saves on the 17 shots he faced. Gratton was replaced by Wilson Maxfield at 12:49 of the second period.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Jack Silverberg 2) Sam Hucks 3) Otto Hanson
Attendance in Okotoks was 1292 which was Okotoks highest attendance so far in their BCHL history.
Bulldogs next game is Friday March 8th against the Sherwood Park Crusaders in Blackfalds
Former Bulldog and current Drayton Valley Thunder player Alexey Trischuk played in his 150th AJHL game last night. It was a Thunder 5-2 loss to the Lloydminster Bobcats. Trischuk played 55 games with the Bulldogs in the 2023-24 season. He got 12 points. He was traded last off season to the Thunder along with Ty Gordon for a kid that never showed up to Blackfalds and played in the NAHL instead. Trischuk so far this season has 10 points in 55 games with the Thunder. I don’t really know right now how the AJHL is doing their playoff format. It appears that every single team is making the playoffs. That sounds very bush. I am not certain what is going on in the AJHL anymore I just hear rumors. I have heard the same rumor that the Thunder are leaving Drayton after the season. But I heard that for a few years now. Someone said Devon. Again it was hear say so I am not certain on what is going on there.
