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Tiger Trauma
01-13-2007, 02:58 AM
I thought the giants did look a little "off" tonight, compared to when they were here last time. I remember thinking the giants had the better team, last time they played in the arena(Even though we made a comback and lost in overtime). This go-around i thought we had the better team tonight.


Both teams powerplays weren't very good at all. Most times the penalty killers just had go fetch the puck in thier end and rifle it down.

In the first the tigers had a bunch of good chances, and had the arena buzzing during the first intermission.

As for that hit from Milan Lucic, it looked pretty bad from where i sat.
Lucic knocked helm's leg completely around. Helm did make it back though once the third period started, and thats good news!

Dorsett's gotta stop taking those minor penalties. It seems like every game theirs an unessesary holding or interference called against him. He knows the refs keep an eye on him. He's also got bit of an unlucky 2 on 1 streak going

Lately alot of people have criticised bendfeld, and baldwin, (i have on bendfeld).
I think both have been playing some good hockey as of late.
The forwards have been doing a better job of coming back and helping out.

We Still dont have quite the full lineup yet.Jakub Rumpel, Trevor glass, and daine todd still remain out. All in all, i was quite satisfied with our win tonight.

Swando
01-13-2007, 03:19 AM
In another post I mentioned you looked like the 2005/6 Tigers when you had Barker heading up the D.. You basically stopped a top 5 team in Canada in their tracks. Your D looked great as were your back checkers. I hope it was the long 30 bus ride that caught up to the Giants, but I think it was more of getting used to their new teammates. Last year other than picking up Brule late in the year (not a new face by any means) the only other trade dead line player they got was Parker and he didn't join them until very late in the season. This year the Giants actually have 5 new guys in their line- up (McCardle, Neufeld,Thelan,Watchurl and Rabbit) but the fact that 5 are gone makes it tough to meld. I'd say they are basically starting over again building chemistry. Good effort by the Tigers tonight.

Tiger Trauma
01-13-2007, 04:53 PM
Things couldn’t have gone worse on the Medicine Hat Tigers first power play against the Vancouver Giants on Friday night.
Wacey Rabbit, mere shifts into his debut with the Giants, scored a short-handed goal from a breakaway and subsequent five whacks at the rebound.
The Tigers rebounded too, and won the clash of the Division leaders 3-2 over Vancouver at The Arena.
Overager Chris Stevens replied quickly with a 1-1 tying goal, then scrambled to help set up the eventual winner after the ugly start.
“Oh for sure, it was really ugly,” said Stevens, who watched as Rabbit broke loose right off a faceoff in the Giants end.
After Tigers goaltender Matt Keetley made the initial save, Rabbit and linemate Michal Repik were left alone at the side of the net, where they proceeded to bang away until the puck slid in for Rabbit’s first goal of the Western Hockey League season at 13:42 of the first.
Ironically, the goal gave the Tigers life, and at 15:59 of the frame Stevens snuck a puck past Vancouver netminder Tyson Sexsmith.
“I thought for the most part we played really out played them,” said Stevens. “Right after they scored we didn’t give them anything, and that was huge.”
The Tigers won their second straight, and host the Red Deer Rebels (23-15-3-4) on Sunday night, 6 p.m.
The B.C. Division-leading Giants play Lethbridge Saturday to end a two-game road trip to Alberta.
Following Steven’s 17th goal of the season Friday, Medicine Hat took the play to Vancouver. Tigers’ 17-year-old winger Tyler Ennis fired home his 17th of the season in the final minute of the first. Midway through the second period, Jordan Bendfeld jumped on a turnover forced by Stevens down low.
The big blueliner banked a shot off Giants defenceman Jonathan Blum and past Sexsmith. From there the Tigers stood up the Giants with a notable series of penalty kills.
“We’ve worked a lot lately on the penalty kill,” said Tigers associate coach Shaun Clouston. “Tonight the guys executed really well.
With that translating over into 5-on-5 play the Tigers held a two-goal lead until 19:03 of the third period when Giants winger Kenndal McArdle scored with the Vancouver net empty.
In net, Keetley stopped 27 of 29 shots, while Giants netminder Sexsmith made 19 saves in the loss.
Both teams were held scoreless on five power-play opportunities.
“I though both teams played really well on the penalty kill,” said Giants head coach Don Hay. “They didn’t give us much and we certainly didn’t give them much.”
“(Rabbit) was one of our most consistent players,” said Hay, who acquired the 20-year-old early last week after the Boston Bruins farmhand was demoted early this week to junior then traded from his former club in Saskatoon.
“He tried to make a difference for us tonight.”
There was a scary moment for another player making his return.
Tiger star Darren Helm, returning from the world junior championship tournament, fell wincing to the ice late in the second period after a knee-on-knee collision with Giant Milan Lucic, who was assessed a major penalty for kneeing and a game misconduct on the pay.
Helm returned to play parts of the third period, and was working with Tigers trainer Mikki Lanuk following the game.
“I think he’ll be pretty sore,” said Clouston. “But I think he’ll be fine.”


- Medicine Hat News