They met in the finals in Season 1, when the Victorias claimed the first-ever Creighton Cup.
They met in the finals in Season 4, when the Bulldogs exorcised their demons to claim the ultimate prize.
Now they meet again!
The league's best rivalry kicked off its latest chapter as the Victorias and Bulldogs clashed in Game 1 of the Creighton Cup Finals. Both goaltenders made strong saves in the first, with Bowse Hutton stopping Scotty Davidson on a great chance and Paddy Moran stonewalling Marty Walsh and Newsy Lalonde. Amidst all the goaltending heroics, Tom Hooper -- the double-overtime hero from the frantic wild-card game -- departed with an injury, forcing the Dogs to juggle their lines for the second straight game. As a result, they never really got going in the opening frame and found themselves in a one-goal hole when Cyclone Taylor scored in the final minute.
The scoring continued in the second. Si Griffis lit the lamp with a long slapshot to tie the game at one apiece, but Taylor restored the Vics' lead a moment later with his second goal of the evening. The Dogs bounced back again, however, on Davidson's tally. The rest of the middle period featured a parade of penalties and power plays, but neither team could manage to get the go-ahead goal.
With the score 2-2 in the third, the teams traded shots for the first dozen minutes. Then Tommy Dunderdale slipped one past Hutton give the Bulldogs their first lead of the night. Walsh had a great chance to get the equalizer, but Moran was having none of it. The home team threw everything they had at the veteran netminder but couldn't break through, and when the horn sounded, it was 3-2 in favor of the visiting Bulldogs.
The Vics had lost only one of sixteen regular-season contests, but came up short in Game 1. Now they face the unenviable task of tying up the series on the road. If the Dogs can win Game 2 at home, they'll push the mighty Victorias to the brink.
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