dondo
11-30-2008, 02:32 AM
Only managed to listen to part of this one, most of the first period and from the get-go it sounded as if the Giants were being out-worked in their own end of the ice.
Don't know if Sexy was soft tonight or the Ams just that good. There's no denying their weapons and its odd to see a 5-3 game with no PP markers.
Zalaski and co. kept their collective whistles in their pockets for the majority of the night and I'm not sure if this was just a boring game to watch with fast end to end rushes or physical yet clean. I tend to think the former, but I'd like the hear other folks perspectives.
here's how I interpreted the box score:
Americans Flag Giants
Vancouver 3 Tri-Cities 5
Don Robinson
The Giants suffered their second regulation loss of the season in Kennewick Washington as the Ams pushed their home record to 12-1-0-0. While the Giants away record dropped to 11-2-0-1. The home team scored two in the first and one in the second before the Giants were able to bulge the twine. James Wright was –3, as was Neil Manning in a game which saw all of the goals scored at even-strength. Remarkably stalwart captain and top defenseman Jonathon Blum was a +3 on the night, which meant that he was on the ice for all three of the Giants’ goals and not on the ice for any of the Giants goals against. A pretty incredible stat when you take into account that there were no PP goals in the game and a grand total of 5 PPs given on the night. The Ams went 0 for 1 on their lone opportunity, while the Giants were 0 for 4. The G-Men began to drive back in the second getting a marker, but were still down by three at the second period buzzer, as the Ams scored two in the middle frame, to the Giants one. Adam Basford, Blum and Casey Pierro-Zabotel put the puck in the net for the Giants. Kane had his point streak broken as he failed to tally a point and Tyson Sexsmith allowed 5 goals on 31 shots. Blum and CPZ had a goal and an assist tonight.
The Ams came out fast and tenacious in the first, pinning the Giants in their own end of the ice for the majority of the period, putting two past Sexsmith and finishing the period up 2-0. The hitting wasn’t hard, but the checking was close and the Giants were guilty of failing to clear their zone and uncharacteristically coughing up the puck. Former Giant Jason Reese opened the scoring for the Americans late in the first. Mitch Fadden added another one in the last minute of the opening frame, a time in the game where you absolutely do not want to give up a goal. It frequently points to a lack focus with seconds ticking down.
The Ams padded their lead in the second when Kruise Reddick bulged the twine at 6:06 of the middle frame. Basford got that one back at the nineteen minute mark of the second, assisted by James Henry and Brent Regner, scoring the Giants first goal of the game. The Giants lost their focus again though and allowed a very late goal 38 seconds later that the G-Men could ill-afford. Two times they could have got out of a period just down by one by playing it safe and smart at the end of a period and two times they allowed a goal against in the last minute. Lack of focus indeed. Two hooking penalties on TC were the only penalties of the period.
Blum gave his team a bit of life scoring one early in the third off of a Pierro-Zabotel feed, closing the gap to two. Johnny Lazo scored for the Ams late in the period though to put the game almost out of reach. Blum returned the favour to CPZ a few minutes later, but it was too little and too late for the Giants to crawl out the hole they had dug themselves into. Chet Pickard was tough to crack tonight as he showed why he’s a top ‘tender in the league.
The Giants were *****-cats tonight taking only one penalty against on the night. I find that pretty odd, considering how intensely I have seen this team play. Either it was a pretty mild game all-around, or the refs really let the two teams play. The Giants pride themselves on their five-on-five game, and prefer to play that way, rolling four lines and getting everyone into the game. Tonight it back-fired as the Ams put together a better game over-all and did it without relying on their special teams. Kane, Blum, CPZ, Henry and Regner were the only plus players on the night, with Kane having +2, and CPZ a +1. The Giants allowed themselves to be out-worked by the Ams early on and never really seemed to get that step back. They battled back to make it a game, but were not able to put a string of goals together to complete any sort of come-back. The Giants have a few days off before taking on the Regina Pats at the Coliseum on Wednesday Dec 3. The puck drops at 7pm at the Rink on Renfrew.
Three Stars
1) Mitch Fadden
2) Kruise Reddick
3) Jarrett Toll
Don't know if Sexy was soft tonight or the Ams just that good. There's no denying their weapons and its odd to see a 5-3 game with no PP markers.
Zalaski and co. kept their collective whistles in their pockets for the majority of the night and I'm not sure if this was just a boring game to watch with fast end to end rushes or physical yet clean. I tend to think the former, but I'd like the hear other folks perspectives.
here's how I interpreted the box score:
Americans Flag Giants
Vancouver 3 Tri-Cities 5
Don Robinson
The Giants suffered their second regulation loss of the season in Kennewick Washington as the Ams pushed their home record to 12-1-0-0. While the Giants away record dropped to 11-2-0-1. The home team scored two in the first and one in the second before the Giants were able to bulge the twine. James Wright was –3, as was Neil Manning in a game which saw all of the goals scored at even-strength. Remarkably stalwart captain and top defenseman Jonathon Blum was a +3 on the night, which meant that he was on the ice for all three of the Giants’ goals and not on the ice for any of the Giants goals against. A pretty incredible stat when you take into account that there were no PP goals in the game and a grand total of 5 PPs given on the night. The Ams went 0 for 1 on their lone opportunity, while the Giants were 0 for 4. The G-Men began to drive back in the second getting a marker, but were still down by three at the second period buzzer, as the Ams scored two in the middle frame, to the Giants one. Adam Basford, Blum and Casey Pierro-Zabotel put the puck in the net for the Giants. Kane had his point streak broken as he failed to tally a point and Tyson Sexsmith allowed 5 goals on 31 shots. Blum and CPZ had a goal and an assist tonight.
The Ams came out fast and tenacious in the first, pinning the Giants in their own end of the ice for the majority of the period, putting two past Sexsmith and finishing the period up 2-0. The hitting wasn’t hard, but the checking was close and the Giants were guilty of failing to clear their zone and uncharacteristically coughing up the puck. Former Giant Jason Reese opened the scoring for the Americans late in the first. Mitch Fadden added another one in the last minute of the opening frame, a time in the game where you absolutely do not want to give up a goal. It frequently points to a lack focus with seconds ticking down.
The Ams padded their lead in the second when Kruise Reddick bulged the twine at 6:06 of the middle frame. Basford got that one back at the nineteen minute mark of the second, assisted by James Henry and Brent Regner, scoring the Giants first goal of the game. The Giants lost their focus again though and allowed a very late goal 38 seconds later that the G-Men could ill-afford. Two times they could have got out of a period just down by one by playing it safe and smart at the end of a period and two times they allowed a goal against in the last minute. Lack of focus indeed. Two hooking penalties on TC were the only penalties of the period.
Blum gave his team a bit of life scoring one early in the third off of a Pierro-Zabotel feed, closing the gap to two. Johnny Lazo scored for the Ams late in the period though to put the game almost out of reach. Blum returned the favour to CPZ a few minutes later, but it was too little and too late for the Giants to crawl out the hole they had dug themselves into. Chet Pickard was tough to crack tonight as he showed why he’s a top ‘tender in the league.
The Giants were *****-cats tonight taking only one penalty against on the night. I find that pretty odd, considering how intensely I have seen this team play. Either it was a pretty mild game all-around, or the refs really let the two teams play. The Giants pride themselves on their five-on-five game, and prefer to play that way, rolling four lines and getting everyone into the game. Tonight it back-fired as the Ams put together a better game over-all and did it without relying on their special teams. Kane, Blum, CPZ, Henry and Regner were the only plus players on the night, with Kane having +2, and CPZ a +1. The Giants allowed themselves to be out-worked by the Ams early on and never really seemed to get that step back. They battled back to make it a game, but were not able to put a string of goals together to complete any sort of come-back. The Giants have a few days off before taking on the Regina Pats at the Coliseum on Wednesday Dec 3. The puck drops at 7pm at the Rink on Renfrew.
Three Stars
1) Mitch Fadden
2) Kruise Reddick
3) Jarrett Toll