The Blackfalds Bulldogs closed a demanding three-games-in-three-days trip through the Okanagan and Shuswap with a 4-1 loss to the Vernon Vipers on Sunday afternoon at Kal Tire Place. Vernon controlled much of the pace and the special-teams battle, scoring once in each of the first two periods before adding two more in the third. Blackfalds handed the Vipers nine power-play chances and spent 35 minutes in the box; Vernon converted twice, including Toms Trockis’s game-winner. It was one of those afternoons where nothing seemed to go in. A Bulldogs goal was waved off earlier in the game, and even the looks that did get through were turned aside. Luke Walkauskas finally got one past Samuel DiBlasi early in the third to pull within one, but a later penalty shot was stopped and Vernon sealed it with an empty-net goal. Olivér Király was busy in the Bulldogs net, turning aside 29 of 32 shots.
The afternoon also produced a call that is hard to square with what people could actually see. Krisjanis Sarts was given a three-game suspension for apparently leaving the bench to fight, but there is no video of it, and from the stands it was tough to tell what happened. It is also hard to believe given who it is. Sarts is not that kind of player, and the other side of it was Vernon’s Cole “Speed Bag” Bieksa, which only makes the whole thing more questionable. Both were assessed fighting majors and Sarts a game misconduct at 14:43 of the second after a video review of the altercation.
The result drops Blackfalds to 2-5 and extends a five-game skid after an opening-weekend pair of wins. The trip was a tough one—shutouts in Salmon Arm and West Kelowna before Sunday’s lone goal—and discipline was the clearest issue against a Vernon side that moved to 5-1 and stayed perfect on the penalty kill. Credit where it’s due on the broadcast side: the Vernon play-by-play crew does a hell of a job calling the game, and in my opinion they are one of the best in the league. There is still plenty of season left, and the teams meet again later this month, so the focus turns to tightening up the box and finding a way to buy a few more goals once the Bulldogs are back home.
20 year old Latvian Toms Trockis made it a 1-0 game for the Vipers at 2:37 of the first period. The assist on the goal went to Minesing, Ontario native Ryan Fairbain.
Shots on goal in the first period, the best one the bulldogs have played all road trip were 12-9 for the Vipers
Bulldogs finally tied the game but wait no goal as the goal was going on behind the play the Bulldogs got a penalty, Vipers are going to the Power Play The Bulldogs haven’t scored a goal in over 7 and a half periods. And the Vipers scored within a few seconds of given a Power Play to make it a 2-0 game when Toms Trocik gets his second of the night and 4th of the season at 10:28 of the second period. The assists going to Josh Denes and Evan Schulha.
Shots on goal in the second period were 14-4 for the Vipers
Bulldogs get on the board and make it a 2-1 game at 1:23 of the third period when Luke Walkauskas gets his second goal of the season. The assist on the goal went to Antoine Gauthier.
Toronto native Mason Kim makes it a 3-1 game for the Vipers on the Power Play at 6:56 of the third period. The assists on the goal went to London, Ontario native Ben Trebicky and former New Hampshire Mountain King Van Martin.
Vipers make it 4-1 with an empty net goal at 18:25 when Cole Bieksa gets his first of the year from Van Martin.
Shots on goal in the third period were 12-9 for the Bulldogs. The Vipers outshot the Bulldogs 35-25 in the game.
For the Vipers Saginaw, Michigan native Samuel DiBlasi made 23 saves on the 24 shots that he faced for the win. For the Bulldogs Oliver Kiraly stopped 31 of the 34 shots that he faced.
Three Stars of the game were 1) Tomas Trocik 2) Mason Kim 3) Samuel DiBlasi
Attendance in Vernon was 1623
Bulldogs next game is Friday October 9th against the Victoria Grizzlies
