Tiger Trauma
05-10-2007, 02:06 AM
Lambs slammed
Power play kicks into gear in final period as Giants even series
Ian Walker, Vancouver Sun
When Derek Dorsett turned into Hannibal Lecter, the Vancouver Giants turned the Medicine Hat Tigers into lambs.
Dorsett, the Tigers' agitator, was penalized for trying to eat Kenndal McArdle's fingers during a scrum near the end of the second period and the Giants capitalized with a power-play goal early in the third that earned them a 4-0 victory in front of 8,548 fans at the Pacific Coliseum on Wednesday. The best-of-seven Western Hockey League final is tied at 2-2.
Dorsett, who did everything but break out a nice Chianti and some fava beans, was assessed a match penalty for attempting to injure. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick could be suspended for Game 5, set for Friday at the Pacific Coliseum.
"I don't know what to say - he jammed his finger down my throat. What am suppose to do?" said Dorsett. All match penalties are automatically reviewed by the league.
"He stuck his hand in my mouth. It's a natural instinct to bite down. There's no reason for his finger to be in my mouth. It was the right call made, but you've got to look at both sides. It was a facewash and he stuck his finger down my throat. I got three scars in my mouth to prove it."
The incident occurred with 53 seconds remaining in the second period with the game deadlocked at 0-0. McArdle and Dorsett got into an after-the-whistle altercation, with the Giants' leading goal scorer exiting the melee minus a glove and showing the refs what he described as a swollen and red middle digit on his right hand.
"It was a scrum in front of the net and he crossed the line - I'm not really going to comment on it more than that," said McArdle, who has a history with Dorsett dating back to Game 1 when the two were assessed double roughing penalties at the end of regulation. In Game 2, the two combatants looked set to fight off the opening faceoff, but Dorsett backed away to let defenceman Jordan Bendfeld fight his battle.
"I'm definitely happy with the way our team responded after that. There's two ways our team could have handled something like that, but we really focused on the task at hand and kept on building from there," McArdle said.
Milan Lucic ended the Giants' futility streak on the power play with the first of two goals on the night at 3:45 of the third period. Michal Repik added an insurance marker at 13:32 while rookie James Wright scored his second in as many games after being a healthy scratch for the first two games of the championship series.
Giants goalie Tyson Sexsmith was solid throughout and made a number of outstanding saves, none bigger than a couple of quick pad stops midway through the final frame with Vancouver leading 1-0. Sexsmith finished with 18 stops for his third shutout of the season. The Tigers' Matt Keetley was also solid, but was pulled with 3:45 left in the game. Vancouver finished with 34 shots, despite having registered only eight through the game's first 30 minutes.
The series shifts to Medicine Hat for Games 6 and, if necessary, 7.
ICE CHIP: Giants defenceman Cody Franson left the ice gingerly and did not return after being nailed by Dorsett at 16:45 of the second period. He is listed as day-to-day.
I thought we were playing really well defensively, untill that late string of penalties. The breaks didnt go our way tonight in the third. Dorsett definitly shouldn't have bit down on Mcardle hand, but i do understand dorsett's point of view. There were too many players in the way of the camera's, so we couldn't get a good view of it.
I thought there were a few elbows, and checking from behind that went unnoticed by the officials, but hey i was only watching the game on tv, and not on the ice like the refs were.
Dorsett was a little lucky earlier when he gave a follow-through slash on franson, that should have been a penalty.
It truly looks like these teams hate each other. Every whistle thiers a small scrum/verball assualts. Tigers may be in tough friday possibly without dorsett. After 4 games of the series nothing has been settled, except for some controversy.
Power play kicks into gear in final period as Giants even series
Ian Walker, Vancouver Sun
When Derek Dorsett turned into Hannibal Lecter, the Vancouver Giants turned the Medicine Hat Tigers into lambs.
Dorsett, the Tigers' agitator, was penalized for trying to eat Kenndal McArdle's fingers during a scrum near the end of the second period and the Giants capitalized with a power-play goal early in the third that earned them a 4-0 victory in front of 8,548 fans at the Pacific Coliseum on Wednesday. The best-of-seven Western Hockey League final is tied at 2-2.
Dorsett, who did everything but break out a nice Chianti and some fava beans, was assessed a match penalty for attempting to injure. The Columbus Blue Jackets draft pick could be suspended for Game 5, set for Friday at the Pacific Coliseum.
"I don't know what to say - he jammed his finger down my throat. What am suppose to do?" said Dorsett. All match penalties are automatically reviewed by the league.
"He stuck his hand in my mouth. It's a natural instinct to bite down. There's no reason for his finger to be in my mouth. It was the right call made, but you've got to look at both sides. It was a facewash and he stuck his finger down my throat. I got three scars in my mouth to prove it."
The incident occurred with 53 seconds remaining in the second period with the game deadlocked at 0-0. McArdle and Dorsett got into an after-the-whistle altercation, with the Giants' leading goal scorer exiting the melee minus a glove and showing the refs what he described as a swollen and red middle digit on his right hand.
"It was a scrum in front of the net and he crossed the line - I'm not really going to comment on it more than that," said McArdle, who has a history with Dorsett dating back to Game 1 when the two were assessed double roughing penalties at the end of regulation. In Game 2, the two combatants looked set to fight off the opening faceoff, but Dorsett backed away to let defenceman Jordan Bendfeld fight his battle.
"I'm definitely happy with the way our team responded after that. There's two ways our team could have handled something like that, but we really focused on the task at hand and kept on building from there," McArdle said.
Milan Lucic ended the Giants' futility streak on the power play with the first of two goals on the night at 3:45 of the third period. Michal Repik added an insurance marker at 13:32 while rookie James Wright scored his second in as many games after being a healthy scratch for the first two games of the championship series.
Giants goalie Tyson Sexsmith was solid throughout and made a number of outstanding saves, none bigger than a couple of quick pad stops midway through the final frame with Vancouver leading 1-0. Sexsmith finished with 18 stops for his third shutout of the season. The Tigers' Matt Keetley was also solid, but was pulled with 3:45 left in the game. Vancouver finished with 34 shots, despite having registered only eight through the game's first 30 minutes.
The series shifts to Medicine Hat for Games 6 and, if necessary, 7.
ICE CHIP: Giants defenceman Cody Franson left the ice gingerly and did not return after being nailed by Dorsett at 16:45 of the second period. He is listed as day-to-day.
I thought we were playing really well defensively, untill that late string of penalties. The breaks didnt go our way tonight in the third. Dorsett definitly shouldn't have bit down on Mcardle hand, but i do understand dorsett's point of view. There were too many players in the way of the camera's, so we couldn't get a good view of it.
I thought there were a few elbows, and checking from behind that went unnoticed by the officials, but hey i was only watching the game on tv, and not on the ice like the refs were.
Dorsett was a little lucky earlier when he gave a follow-through slash on franson, that should have been a penalty.
It truly looks like these teams hate each other. Every whistle thiers a small scrum/verball assualts. Tigers may be in tough friday possibly without dorsett. After 4 games of the series nothing has been settled, except for some controversy.