Kassian
03-16-2005, 02:18 AM
From: http://www.vancouvergiants.com
The Vancouver Giants were down but not out on Tuesday, staging a third period comeback and a 4-3 overtime triumph over the Prince George Cougars. The two clubs traded goals in each frame, the Giants second-last tally coming with 10.2 seconds left in regulation time. They won the match at 2:42 of a frantic extra session.
I thought we showed a lot of character and we also showed a lot of emotion, Vancouver Head Coach Don Hay beamed. We came out, we were physical, I thought we battled for a full 60-plus minutes and it's great for the guys to enjoy the thrill of winning after you tie it up late like that.
Gritty winger Kyle Lamb opened the game's festivities at 9:24 of the first period, before Mitch Bartley scored on a partial breakaway during a powerplay at 17:53 of the second. Bartley was also the hero, converting a loose puck after a mad scramble on a play started by Adam Courchaine with six attackers late in the game. Cam Cunning scored the game-winner from the high slot a little past the halfway mark of OT.
PG's first goal was ultra-strange as Giants goalie Marek Schwarz got caught napping when Dustin Byfuglien took a harmless looking shot from near the penalty boxes. The Czech netminder stopped 22 of 25 shots on the night after recovering from his faux pas and let Colin Patterson and Brett Parker score as well. Vancouver sent 31 shots at Scott Bowles in net for the Cougars, who couldn't hold the G-Men in check when it counted.
We talked about trying to make this a best-of-three, like a little playoff series and we got two wins out of three, Hay reported after the Giants split a weekend series with the Cats in PG. That's the beauty of playoffs you don't have to be perfect every night. You can have some off-games, but as long as you respond, (it's OK). I thought we responded really well tonight.
Bartley was one happy camper after his tying marker, an enthusiastic celebration for his 30 th goal of the season, to be sure. He scored his 29 th on a breakaway, his first such tally this year after a few golden chances.
I guess I was just in the right place at the right time, the veteran sighed. I didn't score on my last breakaway in the Brad May & Friends game, so I just didn't think about it and managed to get in and tuck it under his (Bowles') arm.
Bartley worked his way from the right boards to the slot area on the even-up score. He battled after the faceoff and was probably the only player on either side to follow the puck once Courchaine turned toward the goalie with great purpose.
I didn't think anybody else saw where the puck went, said Bartley. I know Courchaine tried to throw it out front and it hit a skate and just popped right up. I followed it the whole way and saw it bounce right in front of the net and nobody else knew where it was. So I just went to it and swung my stick at it and luckily enough it went in.
The Giants wrap up the regular season with a road-and-home set against Kelowna , still a possible first round opponent at this juncture. Vancouver plays the Rockets at Prospera Place on Friday and then host the BC Division leaders by just two points over Kootenay on Saturday.
The Vancouver Giants were down but not out on Tuesday, staging a third period comeback and a 4-3 overtime triumph over the Prince George Cougars. The two clubs traded goals in each frame, the Giants second-last tally coming with 10.2 seconds left in regulation time. They won the match at 2:42 of a frantic extra session.
I thought we showed a lot of character and we also showed a lot of emotion, Vancouver Head Coach Don Hay beamed. We came out, we were physical, I thought we battled for a full 60-plus minutes and it's great for the guys to enjoy the thrill of winning after you tie it up late like that.
Gritty winger Kyle Lamb opened the game's festivities at 9:24 of the first period, before Mitch Bartley scored on a partial breakaway during a powerplay at 17:53 of the second. Bartley was also the hero, converting a loose puck after a mad scramble on a play started by Adam Courchaine with six attackers late in the game. Cam Cunning scored the game-winner from the high slot a little past the halfway mark of OT.
PG's first goal was ultra-strange as Giants goalie Marek Schwarz got caught napping when Dustin Byfuglien took a harmless looking shot from near the penalty boxes. The Czech netminder stopped 22 of 25 shots on the night after recovering from his faux pas and let Colin Patterson and Brett Parker score as well. Vancouver sent 31 shots at Scott Bowles in net for the Cougars, who couldn't hold the G-Men in check when it counted.
We talked about trying to make this a best-of-three, like a little playoff series and we got two wins out of three, Hay reported after the Giants split a weekend series with the Cats in PG. That's the beauty of playoffs you don't have to be perfect every night. You can have some off-games, but as long as you respond, (it's OK). I thought we responded really well tonight.
Bartley was one happy camper after his tying marker, an enthusiastic celebration for his 30 th goal of the season, to be sure. He scored his 29 th on a breakaway, his first such tally this year after a few golden chances.
I guess I was just in the right place at the right time, the veteran sighed. I didn't score on my last breakaway in the Brad May & Friends game, so I just didn't think about it and managed to get in and tuck it under his (Bowles') arm.
Bartley worked his way from the right boards to the slot area on the even-up score. He battled after the faceoff and was probably the only player on either side to follow the puck once Courchaine turned toward the goalie with great purpose.
I didn't think anybody else saw where the puck went, said Bartley. I know Courchaine tried to throw it out front and it hit a skate and just popped right up. I followed it the whole way and saw it bounce right in front of the net and nobody else knew where it was. So I just went to it and swung my stick at it and luckily enough it went in.
The Giants wrap up the regular season with a road-and-home set against Kelowna , still a possible first round opponent at this juncture. Vancouver plays the Rockets at Prospera Place on Friday and then host the BC Division leaders by just two points over Kootenay on Saturday.