dondo
10-29-2007, 11:54 PM
By the time I was able to listen to this game the Giants were down 2-0 and then I got distracted for a moment and by the time I got back it was 3-0. All on the PP, all in the first period. Crazy. Tommy T gets the start and shuts out his former team, officials go down with injuries, as my recap states it was one of those nights, karmic pay-back, luck, full moon or what have you. there was more to this games than just two teams playing it seems to me. Here's how I heard it and how I see it..
Cougars Slay Giants 3-0 - Oct 29 VGHQ (http://www.vancouvergiantshq.com/October_29_CougarsbkSlaybkGiants_158.html)
Cougars Slay Giants
Vancouver 0 Prince George 3
Don Robinson
It was almost as if the game the Giants played on Saturday night in Kamloops was transposed to Prince George in Bizarro-land. The Cougars scored three in the first period and held onto to that score for the rest of the game, just as the Giants did in Kamloops. All three goals came on the PP (two on the PP for the Giants in Kamloops), as Tyson Sexsmith allowed 3 goals on 5 shots (3 on 8 shots – okay I’ll stop now). Former Giants’ goalie 19 yr old Tommy Tartaglione, who was lost to the G-Men during the Slade/Sexsmith/Tommy T logjam between the pipes, stood on his head - turning away 31 shots for the shut-out. It surely must have been a bit of sweet revenge for Tommy T, whose unorthodox style as a stand-up goaltender who relies upon agility, served him well tonight stoning Vancouver when they fired up their game. One of the positives tonight was back-up Kraymer Barnstable, who turned away all 13 shots he faced giving his team the best chance to come back. He wasn’t tremendously busy, but he was good when he had to be making some strong stops against some of the better Cougar players. Dana Tyrell had two for the Cougars tonight and Captain Greg Gardner notched one of his own. The Giants went 0 for 5 on their PP tonight as they weren’t able to get either of their special teams units going. The Cougars went 3 for 7, opening the game going 3 for 3 in the first period. The Giants were the only team to garner penalties in the first as they were assessed just those three.
It was one of those nights up in PG. The Giants who hadn’t given up 3 PP goals in a period in what seems like living memory did just that tonight in an abysmal fashion. The Cougars opened the scoring just 1:05 into the game, as Jonathon Blum was assessed an interference penalty at the 45 second mark. Gardner was found on the open side by Alex Poulter slipping one by Sexsmith, putting the home team up by one. Tyrell padded that lead late in the first, on the Cougars second man-advantage from Dudas and Gardner. The Cougars weren’t quite done as they took advantage of their third PP chance at 18:35 of the opening frame. Tyrell scored his second of the night trickling one past Sexsmith who allowed 3 goals on just 5 shots, after standing on his head the past few games and being hailed by writers and team-mates alike as the best Giant player in those tilts.
As I said it was one of those nights. Sexsmith who leads the (probably lead (past tense) now after tonight’s breakdown) WHL in GAA (1.78) and second in SV% (.916) took a big hit to his numbers. The Giants who have one of the best PKs in the league and have for at least a few seasons allowed three goals on three consecutive PPs putting themselves into a hole out of which they could not climb. They might have been able to make it respectable, but on top of going down early they were facing a very hot goalie with something to prove, a particular axe to grind and the writing was on the wall. One of those nights. One of those nights for the officials as well as linesman Korey Martens went down after taking a Craig Schira shot off the leg and ended up leaving the ice as he was unable to continue, leaving the job to solo ref Andy Thiessen and linesman Adam Hyatt. A replacement was found, but it wasn’t until sometime in the third period. It was one of those nights for Spencer Machacek who found himself crosschecked into Tartaglione and get tagged for goaltender interference. It was one of those nights the Giants would like to forget, but hopefully from which they’ll learn something.
One of those nights for Barnstable as well who previously had naysayers deeming him not WHL worthy and questioning his abilities at this level, after one start. His only start of the season was on Thanksgiving where he got shredded by the Kelowna Rockets 4-2 at the Pacific Coliseum and looked pretty suspect doing it. He posted his own mini-shutout tonight, possibly regaining the coach’s confidence a bit and might possibly have given himself a shot at starting a few more games. He gave his team a chance to come back. He turned away all the shots he faced and was solid between the pipes for a team who had only offense on their minds. He wasn’t really busy, but busy enough to gain a bit of confidence back for himself as well.
Barnstable, as you can probably guess, opened the second period as Sexsmith got a much deserved rest after starting every game, but one, this season and had just completed a couple of three games in three nights weekends and is looking down the barrel of another set of three this coming weekend, all of which are on the road and not close together. The Giants came out in the second with a bit of their own axe to grind. They out shot the Cougars in the first two periods, 8-5 in the first, 14-2 in the second and were out shot 11-9 in the third. They had the better chances though and did not give up trying to come back. Down three the Giants actually pulled their goalie late in the third in hopes of ruining Tommy T’s shut-out bid, but only succeeded in not getting scored upon as they coughed up the puck and watched it iced as the shot barely missed the open cage.
The Giants went 0 for 5 on the PP, while allowing the home team to score 3 for 7. Shots by the end were 31-18 for the G-Men. The Giants out-played and out-worked the Cougars, but they faced a determined goalie and went down early. They flailed on special teams and paid the price. The Giants next game will be in Kennewick Washington at the home of the Tri-City Americans on Friday night. Puck drops at 7:05pm.
Three Stars
1. Tommy Tartaglione
2. Dana Tyrell
3. Greg Gardner
Cougars Slay Giants 3-0 - Oct 29 VGHQ (http://www.vancouvergiantshq.com/October_29_CougarsbkSlaybkGiants_158.html)
Cougars Slay Giants
Vancouver 0 Prince George 3
Don Robinson
It was almost as if the game the Giants played on Saturday night in Kamloops was transposed to Prince George in Bizarro-land. The Cougars scored three in the first period and held onto to that score for the rest of the game, just as the Giants did in Kamloops. All three goals came on the PP (two on the PP for the Giants in Kamloops), as Tyson Sexsmith allowed 3 goals on 5 shots (3 on 8 shots – okay I’ll stop now). Former Giants’ goalie 19 yr old Tommy Tartaglione, who was lost to the G-Men during the Slade/Sexsmith/Tommy T logjam between the pipes, stood on his head - turning away 31 shots for the shut-out. It surely must have been a bit of sweet revenge for Tommy T, whose unorthodox style as a stand-up goaltender who relies upon agility, served him well tonight stoning Vancouver when they fired up their game. One of the positives tonight was back-up Kraymer Barnstable, who turned away all 13 shots he faced giving his team the best chance to come back. He wasn’t tremendously busy, but he was good when he had to be making some strong stops against some of the better Cougar players. Dana Tyrell had two for the Cougars tonight and Captain Greg Gardner notched one of his own. The Giants went 0 for 5 on their PP tonight as they weren’t able to get either of their special teams units going. The Cougars went 3 for 7, opening the game going 3 for 3 in the first period. The Giants were the only team to garner penalties in the first as they were assessed just those three.
It was one of those nights up in PG. The Giants who hadn’t given up 3 PP goals in a period in what seems like living memory did just that tonight in an abysmal fashion. The Cougars opened the scoring just 1:05 into the game, as Jonathon Blum was assessed an interference penalty at the 45 second mark. Gardner was found on the open side by Alex Poulter slipping one by Sexsmith, putting the home team up by one. Tyrell padded that lead late in the first, on the Cougars second man-advantage from Dudas and Gardner. The Cougars weren’t quite done as they took advantage of their third PP chance at 18:35 of the opening frame. Tyrell scored his second of the night trickling one past Sexsmith who allowed 3 goals on just 5 shots, after standing on his head the past few games and being hailed by writers and team-mates alike as the best Giant player in those tilts.
As I said it was one of those nights. Sexsmith who leads the (probably lead (past tense) now after tonight’s breakdown) WHL in GAA (1.78) and second in SV% (.916) took a big hit to his numbers. The Giants who have one of the best PKs in the league and have for at least a few seasons allowed three goals on three consecutive PPs putting themselves into a hole out of which they could not climb. They might have been able to make it respectable, but on top of going down early they were facing a very hot goalie with something to prove, a particular axe to grind and the writing was on the wall. One of those nights. One of those nights for the officials as well as linesman Korey Martens went down after taking a Craig Schira shot off the leg and ended up leaving the ice as he was unable to continue, leaving the job to solo ref Andy Thiessen and linesman Adam Hyatt. A replacement was found, but it wasn’t until sometime in the third period. It was one of those nights for Spencer Machacek who found himself crosschecked into Tartaglione and get tagged for goaltender interference. It was one of those nights the Giants would like to forget, but hopefully from which they’ll learn something.
One of those nights for Barnstable as well who previously had naysayers deeming him not WHL worthy and questioning his abilities at this level, after one start. His only start of the season was on Thanksgiving where he got shredded by the Kelowna Rockets 4-2 at the Pacific Coliseum and looked pretty suspect doing it. He posted his own mini-shutout tonight, possibly regaining the coach’s confidence a bit and might possibly have given himself a shot at starting a few more games. He gave his team a chance to come back. He turned away all the shots he faced and was solid between the pipes for a team who had only offense on their minds. He wasn’t really busy, but busy enough to gain a bit of confidence back for himself as well.
Barnstable, as you can probably guess, opened the second period as Sexsmith got a much deserved rest after starting every game, but one, this season and had just completed a couple of three games in three nights weekends and is looking down the barrel of another set of three this coming weekend, all of which are on the road and not close together. The Giants came out in the second with a bit of their own axe to grind. They out shot the Cougars in the first two periods, 8-5 in the first, 14-2 in the second and were out shot 11-9 in the third. They had the better chances though and did not give up trying to come back. Down three the Giants actually pulled their goalie late in the third in hopes of ruining Tommy T’s shut-out bid, but only succeeded in not getting scored upon as they coughed up the puck and watched it iced as the shot barely missed the open cage.
The Giants went 0 for 5 on the PP, while allowing the home team to score 3 for 7. Shots by the end were 31-18 for the G-Men. The Giants out-played and out-worked the Cougars, but they faced a determined goalie and went down early. They flailed on special teams and paid the price. The Giants next game will be in Kennewick Washington at the home of the Tri-City Americans on Friday night. Puck drops at 7:05pm.
Three Stars
1. Tommy Tartaglione
2. Dana Tyrell
3. Greg Gardner