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View Full Version : Rockets Edge Giants In Friday Shoot-Out



Kassian
02-26-2005, 03:23 PM
From: http://www.vancouvergiants.com

The Vancouver Giants fought gallantly to end their game against the Kelowna Rockets on Friday, but stood around and watched a little too often in a disappointing 4-3 loss. 12,070 fans paid to watch the playoff-like game – the G-Men got in for free – and then gave up goals in couplets and couldn't claw or scratch their way back in their fourth defeat of the year to the perennial BC Division power.

Gilbert Brule scored once and set up another goal in the first period, striking on a powerplay at 6:21 before clicking with linemate Tim Kraus on a tally by defenseman Brett Festerling at 10:53. Prominent blueliner Paul Albers brought Vancouver to within a single, capping a fine shift with his fourth goal of the season at 17:16 of the middle frame, but that was as close as the Giants would get.

Kelowna got more than half of their whopping 41 shots on Marek Schwarz, with 21 in the opening stanza and got goals about a minute apart on two separate occasions in the first two periods. Edmonton Oilers' draft pick Troy Bodie opened the game's scoring with his 20 th at 3:35 and then at 5:08 Gary Sylvester had the visitors up by two. Chris Ray and Justin Keller restored the Rockets' two-goal bulge in the second at 4:10 and 5:40, giving the defending Memorial Cup champs all they would need to earn the win for goaltender Derek Yeomans, who made 24 saves on 27 Giants' shots in the game.

“In the second period Kelowna really came out, really swarmed us and they were really all over us and out-worked us,” Giants' Head Coach Don Hay said after the Rockets out-shot his club 15-6 in the second. “We got caught standing around and just watching them play. We didn't play the full 60 (minutes). We rebounded and played a pretty good third period after battling hard in the first to get back to two-all. But in the first ten minutes of the second period they just picked up the tempo and we didn't keep up.”

Vancouver may have been guilty of letting up for brief intervals, the two instances when the Rockets scored their goals, but still dished out a constant pounding. Finishing checks all night didn't really seem to matter, however, as Kelowna 's slippery forward brigade still managed to pour on the scoring chances.

“We weren't containing them,” Hay said. “Especially down low – they're a very quick team and you have to do a better job at not letting them beat you off the cycle. We were nowhere near good enough defending than we have to be.”

Albers, a 19-year-old leader on the Giants' back line, logged a ton of minutes against the Rockets and will continue to do so down the stretch drive and in the playoffs. If the season ended today Vancouver would face Kelowna in the opening round and Albers certainly knows what they shouldn't do if they want to be successful against such an opportunistic team.

“We didn't really have the start we wanted,” the Melville, SK native allowed. “We had a good first couple shifts, but then we let down and they took advantage of that. When you don't play consistently (against the Rockets), they're going to score goals, get up and get shots and that happened.”

After three straight wins coming into the contest with Kelowna , the Giants must now try to forget the defeat and start over on Saturday in Everett . Vancouver has beaten the Silvertips all five times they've faced them this season and will attempt to re-gain their momentum right away.

“It's tough, the game's over,” Albers reflected on a lost opportunity. “We've got to come tomorrow, go into Everett and start over I guess, and play for that (full) 60 minutes.”