Dog Pound Weekly

Published on April 19, 2006 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Bozeman Icedogs News Release


The ICEDOGS accomplished a major goal last weekend in opening the second round of the playoffs with two games on the road: Win one of them. The series now shifts to Bozeman, where they need to win any three of the remaining five games at home.

This ICEDOGS team, arguably the best yet, have had an amazingly successful year and are looking forward to winning the Borne Cup at home in front of their hometown fans. If this task can be accomplished, the 2005-06 ICEDOGS will have only a Robertson Cup Championship remaining.

Season Ticket Holders will be able to use their complimentary "Game 3" coupon at Friday's ICEDOGS home playoff game and "Game 4" coupon at Saturday's playoff game.

ICEDOGS Split With Fairbanks

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The Bozeman ICEDOGS traveled north to Alaska to open the Western Division Finals on the road against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. After sweeping the Billings Bulls, Bozeman waited 11 days for Fairbanks to finish off Wasilla, a series that went five games. The Boys from Bozeman arrived on Wednesday afternoon and practiced Thursday, in preparation for Friday's opening game. Video sessions and team meetings filled the days on Thursday and Friday, and when Game One started, Bozeman was thrown a curve ball from Fairbanks. The Ice Dogs came out with a different look than what Bozeman had seen previously, but a few adjustments found Bozeman on top 1-0 at the end of the first.

In the second, a period that Bozeman dominated during the regular season, Fairbanks turned the tables. AJ Hau scored 1:24 into the period to tie the game and Chris Johnson tallied a power play goal to put them on top with under ten minutes to play in the second. The third period saw Bozeman apply pressure and get some scoring chances late in the game. With Dalton on the bench for the extra attacker, Bozeman batted at a loose puck in front. When Fairbanks netminder Shane Madalora snagged it with the glove, he fell back across the goal line, which would constitute a goal, but the referee had already blown the whistle before Madalora fell back and the goal was disallowed. Fairbanks held off the final seconds to win Game One 2-1.

With Game Two the following night, Bozeman once again headed to the meeting room for video and meetings with a split on their minds. The ICEDOGS went to battle Saturday night, and evened the best of seven series with Fairbanks, winning 4-2. The special teams owned the contest as four of the five goals scored by both teams came with the man advantage. In goal, Matt Dalton proved once again why he is the league's best goaltender, turning aside 19 shots and coming up with two huge saves in the final minute. Ryan Bunger sealed the deal with :20 seconds to go with an empty net goal to even the series at one game apiece.

Bozeman scored first when Jason Krispel tallied his fourth goal of the playoffs on the power play, knocking home a Brian Moore wrap around attempt, but the Fairbanks power played answered shortly after. Chris Johnson scored two power play goals 58 seconds apart to give Fairbanks a 2-1 lead. With time winding down in the period, Bozeman got another power play and Brian Moore hustled to the end. With seven second remaining and a face-off in the Fairbanks zone, Shane Wheeler tried to eat the puck and kill the remaining time, but Mark Columbus stole it and centered it to Moore who fired it home with one second on the clock. After discussion, the official said the goal was in before the clock hit zero and Bozeman tied the game at the end of one period.

In the second, Josh Heidinger stepped up his play and took control. Heids, who told Bozeman's radio announcer Jim Stephens that he was going to make a difference in the game, held true to his word when he fired home the eventual game-winning goal on the power play, mid- way through the second period. In the third, Bozeman held on to the one goal lead and Matt Dalton showed the league that he could stop the best. First, Fairbank's Jameson Lundquist came in on a breakaway, which Dalton denied with the right pad. Moments later, with an empty net in the Fairbanks zone, Dalton came up huge on a Brendan Olinyk shot, flashing the glove and snagging the puck through traffic for the save. Off the ensuing face-off, Heidinger blocked another Olinyk attempt and the puck popped out to Ryan Bunger behind the Fairbanks defense and he tapped home the empty net goal as Bozeman evened the series at one game aside.

With the split, Bozeman turns the series into a best- of-five holding the home ice advantage for the remainder of the Western Division Finals, which starts with Game Three Friday night at the Valley Ice Garden and continues on Saturday with Game Four. Face-off for both contests is 7:05 pm.

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North American Hockey League Stories from April 19, 2006


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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