dondo
10-11-2008, 01:20 AM
Still pretty amazed at the scoring this team is bringing forth. Top line is smokin' hot right now and since Piluso replaced Nunn on the top line there's no stopping them.
Kelowna was supposed to be a more of challenge, but in the end the solid team play of the Giants won out. Can this streak continue unabated?
Giants Soak Rockets
Vancouver 7 Kelowna 1
Don Robinson
The Giants exemplified team play tonight as they dismantled the Rockets on their PP and PK ( Lance Bouma scored a shorty, which proved to be a bit of a pivotal goal) while sticking up for fellow team mates with their fists when the going got rough. The Giants now have not scored less than seven goals at home since the start of the season. The fans getting full up with appetisers as the G-Men have earned the Giants faithful appetiser coupons every home outing so far. Toigo might have to up the appetiser cut off to 8 goals if this trend continues. The top line of Kane, Piluso and Pierro-Zabotel combined for thirteen points tonight, dominating the ice during the man-advantage as the Giants went 4 for 9 on the night. For the first time this season we saw a game with some emotion and a lot of battle. In the first the puck was bouncing around like a super ball missing Giants sticks and taking away early opportunities to tickle the twine. Kane notched a hat trick and added two helpers on a banner night with NHL scouts in the stands salivating at the level of this young man’s play. Piluso potted two of his own and helped out on two others with some seriously savvy play and CPZ did what he does best, tallying four assists with some nice puck movement.
The Giants kicked-off the scoring in the first with what would prove to be their only goal of the opening frame. Mike Piluso got his first of two in the game on the PP with time ticking down in the period, going to the net, gathering in the rebound and beating Kris Lazaruk to put his team up by one. Evander Kane and Jonathon Blum garnered the assists. The Rockets played a bit dirty throughout the game and frequently paid for their carelessness with penalties against. A watershed moment in the first though was when Tyler Myers checked Kane from behind ramming his head into the boards. Craig Cunningham immediately challenged Myers, getting his clocked cleaned, but sending a message that the Giants were willing to throw down as a team and will stick up for their line-mates. It was script to be repeated throughout the game.
Period two saw the puck settling down a bit more for the Giants as they completed some nice passes and brought a relentless forecheck into the Rockets end of the ice. The Giants capitalised on their PP, with a sweet passing play by the usual suspects. CPZ got the puck down to Piluso who made a nice flip pass to Kane who cut across the crease and flipped the puck backhanded past Lazaruk. Early on the reffing seemed pretty decent, but slowly eroded over the game as the zebras lost control of the game and called ticky-tack crap, while letting blatant roughs and gratuitous cross-checks go by the wayside. Late in the middle stanza Craig Schira was called on a questionable hook, giving the visitors a man-advantage. Bouma turned that around with an excellent individual effort, picking up the loose puck and driving down the right boards. Big d-man Tyler Myers was beat to the outside and Bouma cut inside and to the net lifting a sweet shot short side on Lazaruk.
The Giants opened it up in the third getting two more PP tallies early on, but unlike the Giants previous opponents, the Rockets did not lay down and take it without a bit of emotion. Brandon McMillan laid a questionable hit and Bouma took him to task for it, garnering the instigator and absolutely demolishing McMillan in the battle. It was good to see Bouma using his size and intimidation factor to his best ability. I’m hoping to see him throw down on a fairly regular basis this season, especially to stick up for a team mate. Kane’s second of the game was bit of a surprise when a cross crease pass was perfectly re-directed by Tyler Myer's skate past his goalie. CPZ and Jonny Blum did make some nice passes to get the puck to Kane at the side of the net though and were awarded the helpers on the play. Just over two minutes later the Giants took advantage of another PP, when Piluso notched his second starting the play himself, finding open ice high in the slot when CPZ returned the puck to him. Piluso made no mistake burying the puck past Lazaruk chasing him from the net. Kane got the other assist.
Diminutive Brendan Gallagher who was all over the ice tonight laid what could have been a high hit on Evan Bloodoff and Bloodoff took exception following up with a cross-check, a hit to the head and then chasing and retaliating with another blatant blow to the head. Stunned and clueless ref Trevor Hanson saw all this clearly and did not raise his hand. Instead we had two fights break out as Gallagher retaliated throwing a few punches back at Bloodoff, and James Henry squared off against Bowman. Had Hanson grown some and made a freaking decision, the fights would never have occurred and coincidentals would have been the result. Instead the situation got out of hand due to poor officiating and even poorer control of the game. However, as a fan it was fun to watch the boys square off, so maybe I should be thanking Hanson instead of damning him. Nah.
Kelowna got one back, ruining Sexsmith’s league record tying shut-out bid on a PP of their own off of a soft interference call on Schira. Jesse Paradis scored a nice one roofing it from close in off of some good work by Verdino and Almond. The Giants got that back though scoring the first of two even strength markers with time ticking down in the game. Evander Kane got his hat-trick marker as Gallagher gutted it out in the corner to get control of the puck. He got the puck to CPZ feeding the puck to Kane who beat Adam Brown with a highlight reel tally. With minutes in the game dwindling Craig Cunningham who had a lively night and Piluso combined to get the puck to Schira at the side boards. Schira’s wicked shot found the far side on Brown.
The Giants went almost 50% with the man-advantage scoring 4 for 9 on the PP. They held the Rockets to 1 for 7.. The Giants did not have as many shots as they usually have and probably allowed a few more than Don Hay would normally like. Tyson Sexsmith was as Don Hay said “quietly effective” and that about sums it up as he did not appear spectacular, but saw the puck through traffic and controlled his rebounds well dropping them close and harmless or propelling them to the corner. There were no juicy offerings for the Rockets to feast upon. The Giants still out shot the Kelowna squad 27-21, but that is less than they like to unleash most nights.
The Giants are back at it tomorrow night against the Prince Albert Raiders who lost a close one tonight in Chilliwack. The Giants will hoping to extend their home winning streak with another all-team outing. The puck drops at 7:00pm PST.
Three Stars
1) Evander Kane
2) Casey Pierro-Zabotel
3) Mike Piluso
Kelowna was supposed to be a more of challenge, but in the end the solid team play of the Giants won out. Can this streak continue unabated?
Giants Soak Rockets
Vancouver 7 Kelowna 1
Don Robinson
The Giants exemplified team play tonight as they dismantled the Rockets on their PP and PK ( Lance Bouma scored a shorty, which proved to be a bit of a pivotal goal) while sticking up for fellow team mates with their fists when the going got rough. The Giants now have not scored less than seven goals at home since the start of the season. The fans getting full up with appetisers as the G-Men have earned the Giants faithful appetiser coupons every home outing so far. Toigo might have to up the appetiser cut off to 8 goals if this trend continues. The top line of Kane, Piluso and Pierro-Zabotel combined for thirteen points tonight, dominating the ice during the man-advantage as the Giants went 4 for 9 on the night. For the first time this season we saw a game with some emotion and a lot of battle. In the first the puck was bouncing around like a super ball missing Giants sticks and taking away early opportunities to tickle the twine. Kane notched a hat trick and added two helpers on a banner night with NHL scouts in the stands salivating at the level of this young man’s play. Piluso potted two of his own and helped out on two others with some seriously savvy play and CPZ did what he does best, tallying four assists with some nice puck movement.
The Giants kicked-off the scoring in the first with what would prove to be their only goal of the opening frame. Mike Piluso got his first of two in the game on the PP with time ticking down in the period, going to the net, gathering in the rebound and beating Kris Lazaruk to put his team up by one. Evander Kane and Jonathon Blum garnered the assists. The Rockets played a bit dirty throughout the game and frequently paid for their carelessness with penalties against. A watershed moment in the first though was when Tyler Myers checked Kane from behind ramming his head into the boards. Craig Cunningham immediately challenged Myers, getting his clocked cleaned, but sending a message that the Giants were willing to throw down as a team and will stick up for their line-mates. It was script to be repeated throughout the game.
Period two saw the puck settling down a bit more for the Giants as they completed some nice passes and brought a relentless forecheck into the Rockets end of the ice. The Giants capitalised on their PP, with a sweet passing play by the usual suspects. CPZ got the puck down to Piluso who made a nice flip pass to Kane who cut across the crease and flipped the puck backhanded past Lazaruk. Early on the reffing seemed pretty decent, but slowly eroded over the game as the zebras lost control of the game and called ticky-tack crap, while letting blatant roughs and gratuitous cross-checks go by the wayside. Late in the middle stanza Craig Schira was called on a questionable hook, giving the visitors a man-advantage. Bouma turned that around with an excellent individual effort, picking up the loose puck and driving down the right boards. Big d-man Tyler Myers was beat to the outside and Bouma cut inside and to the net lifting a sweet shot short side on Lazaruk.
The Giants opened it up in the third getting two more PP tallies early on, but unlike the Giants previous opponents, the Rockets did not lay down and take it without a bit of emotion. Brandon McMillan laid a questionable hit and Bouma took him to task for it, garnering the instigator and absolutely demolishing McMillan in the battle. It was good to see Bouma using his size and intimidation factor to his best ability. I’m hoping to see him throw down on a fairly regular basis this season, especially to stick up for a team mate. Kane’s second of the game was bit of a surprise when a cross crease pass was perfectly re-directed by Tyler Myer's skate past his goalie. CPZ and Jonny Blum did make some nice passes to get the puck to Kane at the side of the net though and were awarded the helpers on the play. Just over two minutes later the Giants took advantage of another PP, when Piluso notched his second starting the play himself, finding open ice high in the slot when CPZ returned the puck to him. Piluso made no mistake burying the puck past Lazaruk chasing him from the net. Kane got the other assist.
Diminutive Brendan Gallagher who was all over the ice tonight laid what could have been a high hit on Evan Bloodoff and Bloodoff took exception following up with a cross-check, a hit to the head and then chasing and retaliating with another blatant blow to the head. Stunned and clueless ref Trevor Hanson saw all this clearly and did not raise his hand. Instead we had two fights break out as Gallagher retaliated throwing a few punches back at Bloodoff, and James Henry squared off against Bowman. Had Hanson grown some and made a freaking decision, the fights would never have occurred and coincidentals would have been the result. Instead the situation got out of hand due to poor officiating and even poorer control of the game. However, as a fan it was fun to watch the boys square off, so maybe I should be thanking Hanson instead of damning him. Nah.
Kelowna got one back, ruining Sexsmith’s league record tying shut-out bid on a PP of their own off of a soft interference call on Schira. Jesse Paradis scored a nice one roofing it from close in off of some good work by Verdino and Almond. The Giants got that back though scoring the first of two even strength markers with time ticking down in the game. Evander Kane got his hat-trick marker as Gallagher gutted it out in the corner to get control of the puck. He got the puck to CPZ feeding the puck to Kane who beat Adam Brown with a highlight reel tally. With minutes in the game dwindling Craig Cunningham who had a lively night and Piluso combined to get the puck to Schira at the side boards. Schira’s wicked shot found the far side on Brown.
The Giants went almost 50% with the man-advantage scoring 4 for 9 on the PP. They held the Rockets to 1 for 7.. The Giants did not have as many shots as they usually have and probably allowed a few more than Don Hay would normally like. Tyson Sexsmith was as Don Hay said “quietly effective” and that about sums it up as he did not appear spectacular, but saw the puck through traffic and controlled his rebounds well dropping them close and harmless or propelling them to the corner. There were no juicy offerings for the Rockets to feast upon. The Giants still out shot the Kelowna squad 27-21, but that is less than they like to unleash most nights.
The Giants are back at it tomorrow night against the Prince Albert Raiders who lost a close one tonight in Chilliwack. The Giants will hoping to extend their home winning streak with another all-team outing. The puck drops at 7:00pm PST.
Three Stars
1) Evander Kane
2) Casey Pierro-Zabotel
3) Mike Piluso