Giants 2 @ Everett 4 Jan 19

[rinkrat]

Is Mahachek going to lace em up tonight?
What about the goalies,who do you think will play the games this weekend?
I would play Neufeld in one of the Everett games to give them a different look.

[Kassian]

Is Mahachek going to lace em up tonight?

It certainly doesn't look like it.


Injuries: #15 Spencer Machacek – Concussion - Indefinite

Link (http://whl.ca/news/injurylist.php?id=40&showToc=)

I'd play Sexsmith for both games against Everett and let Neufeld play on Saturday against Kelowna.

[Beaner]

Machacek is in the lineup, Sexsmith gets the start.

As per the broadcast team.

[Beaner]

Well I only listened online tonight, but sounded like another great battle between the Tips and the Giants. Sounded like the Giants brought an overly physical game, and generated a lot of shots, but were unable to get any 2nd or 3rd chances as the Tips did a great job clearing the rebounds. A lot of bad blood between the 2 teams, and the players obviously have a hate on for each other.

Hopefully those that watched it live and online can offer some more input into the game tonight.

NOTES
Irving and Sexsmith got the starts
Wright, Cunningham, and Toigo were the Giants scratches
Shots 41-26 Giants
PP's Giants 0/6, Tips 1/7

GOALS
2. EVT Harper, (2) (Campos), 6:06 (PP) 5-4, Misplay by Sexsmith behind his net leads to Campos centering the puck to Harper who has the easy tap in.
2. EVT Gendur, (10) (Harper, Zetariuk), 14:20 From behind the net. harper centers the puck to Gendur who pots it in low along the ice.
2. VAN Kraus, (13) (Rabbit), 18:11 Kraus fires a shot from the boards, and it beats Irving low along the ice.
3. EVT Crowley, (6) (Gendur, Harper), 1:15 Crowley from the point gets the feed from gendur and he one times a slapper from the point, that beats Sexsmith high.
3. VAN Rabbit, (2) (Repik, Lucic), 7:47 Repik passes the puck thru the paint to Rabbit and he nails his second of the year.
3. EVT Mueller, (10) (Gutierrez, Fiala), 13:42 Mueller, gets the pass from Gutierrez, and he fires a snap shot that beats Sexsmith.

FISTICUFFS
McArdle vs Gutierrez
Right after these 2 serve matching 2 for unsportsmanlike, they get out of the box and go at it. All McArdle as he hands Guttierrez his lunch as he knocks him down not once but twice. WIN McArdle

Bouma vs Beach.
All rookie fight, and give the decision to beach as he gets the better shots in and cuts Bouma. WIN Beach

Watt vs. Harty
Not sure what happened here as after the big hit from McArdle at the end of the game that drew a large crowd including the linesmen, Watt and Harty started fighting at center ice. Sonne jumped in to try and help Harty at the end.

McArdle, and Alexander got 10 minute Misconducts, Sonne ends up getting 10 minute Misconduct and a third man in Misconduct as well.


OFFICIATING
Just Matsouka tonight, and sounds like he did a good job, despite probably needing the other official to help with all the behind the play things going on.

3 STARS
1. EVT - 31 Leland Irving
2. EVT - 14 Shane Harper
3. EVT - 2 Dane Crowley

[Tipped Off]

Tough 3rd man in for Sonne. Watt and Harty were fighting away from the rest of the pile. All three stripes were at the pile. Watt got the best of Harty and took hom down with a few good shots. Harty covered up on the Ice and Watt jumped down and started pounding him on the Ice. Sonne spotted it from the corner and rushed over to knock Watt off of him. By definition it IS a 3rd man in and he got the penalty, but in reality on of the stripes should have been paying attention to the only REAL fight on the ice at the time.

The Stripes were overmatched in this one. They definately needed the 2nd ref. If there are two on Sunday there will be many more penalties called.

[Kassian]

I've heard a few Tips fans crying about the Watt and Harty fight at the end but it wasn't nearly as bad as some people are trying to make it out to be. Both guys go down with Watt on top and Harty continues to hold onto Watt's arms. After Watt finally got his arm free he threw one extra shot at Harty and Sonne tried to get in to defend his teammate. Nothing wrong with that either way. I know some people have the mindset of "you never throw a punch when a guy is down" but I disagree. It's a fight for christ sakes! Sometimes it happens. This isn't the first time it's happened nor will it be the last time. And it isn't like someone like Beach wouldn't do the same exact thing against a Giants player if given the opportunity. These teams don't like each other. Incidents like this will happen because of that from time to time. Overall it makes for better hockey and a real rivalry. Something the game has been missing at the NHL level...

If anything it helps set up what should be a very intense and emotional game on Sunday afternoon. That is if the officials allow that which is probably unlikely unfortunately.

Either way, Sexsmith let in a few soft goals but he played pretty strong early on into the game. The Giants just didn't generate enough scoring opportunities. They had plenty of shots as usual but not good quality shots until the 3rd period. But by then it was too late. They started to crash the net a bit more in the 3rd and needless to say they started getting more opportunities.

Unless this team is able to start scoring goals the way they should be they aren't going to beat Everett in the playoffs (if in fact it comes down to that).

[SixSixOne]

I might have to buy the archive game on the web broadcast, its worth the 5.99 just to see McCardle throw em!

I really hope this sets a tone for sundays tilt, as there havent been any fights at a home game in at least the last 2 games if im not mistaken applause

[Knuckles Muldoon]

Giants were outskated tonight, and thus were outplayed. The boys were a step slow on the forecheck all night long and couldn't bottle the Tips up at all and force mistakes out of them. Everett played a smart, tough game and were the better team. Some of our impact players didn't do much at all tonight. Lucic had a couple good shifts, but was not the physical presence he needs to be in a game like this. Watt had another disposable game; the kind we've seen far too much of in the past 2 months. Franson didn't do much. This guy is a premier player in this league and needs to STEP IT UP. The team gave up a few more soft goals (ala the Med Hat game). These need to stop. Suddenly the defence is starting to cough the puck up in their own end way too much. Its affecting everyone, including the very reliable FesterBlum combo. Sexy looked good to me. He was sharp and was victimized by two goals as the results of giveaways behind the net. I'm not sure he even saw Crowley's point shot through the screen. He was beaten by Mueller cleanly on the 4th goal as Sexy seemed to lose his angle and was beaten on the far side. The Rabbit-Kraus combo generated some good chances, but all-in-all, I'd prefer they each had their own line. When they're out there together, they both want the puck and it looks kind of dysfunctional. But there were times when they had the Tips chasing after them pretty good as they fed give-and-gos all over the place. We also need more from Repik. He was playing incredible in the period before he left for the WJC and we need him back to that level. And as for all the stuff at the end of the game? No big deal. Nothing you haven't see many times before. No big deal.
We need to send a message to the Tips on Sunday. If we don't, the whispers will start becoming legitimate.

[Kassian]

I actually thought Watt played well last night. Maybe if you expect him to show up more in the scoresheet you'd be disappointed in him but ultimately he played physical for once in a long time and I like how he went out and got into a scrap at the end of the game. He needs to play that in in order to be effective. If he isn't scoring or playing physical the guy is useless. At least now he's picked up the physical play.

[Swando]

I watched the game and to me the difference was the goaltending. It is easy to blame Sexsmith and in this case he was not equal to his counterpart for Everett. In saying this look at the travel schedule he had this past week.
I think that the comments above are all valid, but I think that the Giants still don't know each other. 3 guys were in Quebec all week and this adds to the distractions . Now that all the distractions are over ie WJ, trades, Prospect game... let the season begin after this weekend. Hoefully the boys can rebound tonight and then on Sunday.
PS I too think Franson has been in la la land. Maybe playing with Thelan is a bigger obsticle than thought. Again just getting to know what the other guy does!!

[Kassian]

Franson has been off his game for most of the season, IMO. So this is nothing new in my eyes. He's just starting to make more mistakes during key moments in the game and the difference now is teams are starting to capitalize on those mistakes.