dondo
12-07-2008, 01:35 AM
This one wasn't even close.
The Giants played one of those solid team games tonight and they found the twine on the PP, even-strength and short-handed. They completely dismantled a very good, yet probably a bit tired team in the Saskatoon Blades who lead the Eastern Division.
Someone tonight was telling me that the Blades came into this game on a 14 game road game winning streak and he's from originally from Saskatoon and still has family there so I have no reason to doubt his assertions. The one thing I do know is that f they were on a 14 game road win streak, it ended tonight as the Giants played a perfect road game at home giving the Blades no time or room to make plays.
here's how I saw it from the corner:
Giants Dull Blades
Vancouver 5 Saskatoon 1
Don Robinson
The Saskatoon Blades were on a 14 game road winning streak but that all stopped tonight, when they were pressed hard by the home team and failed to get a real sniff this evening at the Coliseum. The Giants had excellent gap control and brought an intense forecheck to open the game. The Blades who had to have been tired after so many recent road games could not keep up, fell early and were not able to pick themselves back off the mat. Adam Basford got the Teddy Bear goal, scoring a nice one on an early PP by the Giants, who forced the Blades to take a few penalties trying to press back versus the home team. Basford was awarded the hard-hat by his team mates tonight as well. The blue-line corps were dominant tonight as Jonathon Blum and Craig Schira both had a goal and an assist, while Brent Regner had two assists as the Giants defense were stifling with their gap control and physical play. Evander Kane and Craig Cunningham also had a goal and a helper as the Giants got contributions from throughout their line-up, playing a solid game from pole to pole, and all places in-between. The Blades were never really given a chance to make it close as the Giants were up 3-0 by the time the visitors found the twine.
Adam Basford opened the scoring in the first five minutes of the game on the PP, getting the business of throwing the bears on the ice out of the way early. Craig Schira and Mischa Fisenko got the helpers. A few bears got hung up on the netting as usual, but the ice crew were quick to clear them off before play restarted. Kind of sad really I personally like it when the bears hang there for the whole period if not the game, but then I am not looking through them from the upper seats. The Blades took a lame delay of game penalty clearing the puck (something I still don’t think should even be a penalty, but whatever) and it cost them. The Blades continued to take some lazy penalties and they paid as the Giants scored two PPs and an even strength marker in the opening frame giving the G-Men a 3-0 cushion before the Blades got one of those back.
Evander Kane tallied the second marker in the first, scoring a nice one on the doorstep as Braden Holtby made a nice first stop, but couldn’t corral the rebound before Kane got his stick on it. Blum and Schira worked the puck around with crisp passing before throwing it on net, garnering the two assists on the play. Lance Bouma scored the third of the period off of a beautiful passing play by Cunningham from behind the net. The Blades took the only four penalties of the period and they paid for it, as the Kane goal came with a 5 on 3 advantage. Adam Chorneyko squeaked the puck past Sexsmith off of a broken play, a goal that Sexy would probably want back.
In the second the Giants padded their tally by two, essentially putting the game out of reach for the flagging Blades squad. Blum started the play passing the puck to Garry Nunn who fed Evander Kane streaking down the right wing. Not content with just an assist, Blum hustled down the slot potting the goal off of a perfect flip pass from Kane. Holtby didn’t have a hope on that one. I’d be surprised if that goal isn’t selected as a WHL play of the week next Friday. When the Blades got a PP for Todd Kennedy trying to goad Teigan Zhan into fighting, they ended up fishing the puck from their own net. The ref interpreted Kennedy’s antic as a unsportsmanlike move, which it could arguably have been as Kennedy hounded Zahn in the Blades end of the ice - ignoring the play down the other end of the ice. I didn’t see what Zahn did to warrant this kind of attention, but I assume it was something. If someone could enlighten me I’d appreciate it. The Giants had the last laugh though as they killed a penalty and got yet another SH tally, which makes three in two games, to virtually salt the game away at the end of the second. With under ten seconds left in the period, Regner stripped the puck at his own blue-line and fed Cunningham who sneaked around the Blade player and had a step on him going down the ice. Richie went in at speed on Holtby and beat him with a soft backhand to the top shelf.
The third was a scoreless affair, with neither team ready to really put the effort in to work for a goal. The Giants played a solid defensive period, shutting down the Blades and coming back with some forays of their own, but nothing of the really dangerous variety. Sexsmith made a few decent stops, but was not really challenged to make that game-saver stop. The teams had 6 shots apiece in the final frame, which was pretty indicative of the intensity of the third. A crowd of almost 10,000 enjoyed the bear toss night and the complete dismantling of a tired team who were checked hard early and not given any room to make plays. Not sure what other gears the Blades have though, but you don’t win fourteen straight on the road without some chops. Holtby was not horrible tonight, but he wasn’t great either. The Giants effort in front of the Blades net and hunger for the puck to a man all night was something to watch though. This is a good team that should have a few other teams continuing to struggle to keep up this season.
The Giants went 2 for 7 on the PP, holding their opponent to 0 for 4, scoring a shorty to boot. The Giants out-shot the Blades 39-18. The G-Men have to get a good nights sleep tonight as they have a 5 o’clock game versus a struggling Chilliwack squad tomorrow. The Bruins are one of only two teams to hand the Giants a regulation loss this season, but if the G-Men don’t take them lightly and work hard the Bruins should not be able to compete. Jamie Tucker will probably get the nod in net, as has mostly been the rule this season so far for back-to-back tilts. Tucker will be getting a few consecutive starts when Sexsmith goes to the Team Canada Junior squad camp and a few more if Sexsmith makes the team. Sexy has some stiff competition from two other dub goalies and one from the Q, so he’s by no means a lock. The puck drops Sunday at 5:00pm PST at the Coliseum.
Three Stars
1) Jonathon Blum
2) Evander Kane
3) Adam Basford
The Giants played one of those solid team games tonight and they found the twine on the PP, even-strength and short-handed. They completely dismantled a very good, yet probably a bit tired team in the Saskatoon Blades who lead the Eastern Division.
Someone tonight was telling me that the Blades came into this game on a 14 game road game winning streak and he's from originally from Saskatoon and still has family there so I have no reason to doubt his assertions. The one thing I do know is that f they were on a 14 game road win streak, it ended tonight as the Giants played a perfect road game at home giving the Blades no time or room to make plays.
here's how I saw it from the corner:
Giants Dull Blades
Vancouver 5 Saskatoon 1
Don Robinson
The Saskatoon Blades were on a 14 game road winning streak but that all stopped tonight, when they were pressed hard by the home team and failed to get a real sniff this evening at the Coliseum. The Giants had excellent gap control and brought an intense forecheck to open the game. The Blades who had to have been tired after so many recent road games could not keep up, fell early and were not able to pick themselves back off the mat. Adam Basford got the Teddy Bear goal, scoring a nice one on an early PP by the Giants, who forced the Blades to take a few penalties trying to press back versus the home team. Basford was awarded the hard-hat by his team mates tonight as well. The blue-line corps were dominant tonight as Jonathon Blum and Craig Schira both had a goal and an assist, while Brent Regner had two assists as the Giants defense were stifling with their gap control and physical play. Evander Kane and Craig Cunningham also had a goal and a helper as the Giants got contributions from throughout their line-up, playing a solid game from pole to pole, and all places in-between. The Blades were never really given a chance to make it close as the Giants were up 3-0 by the time the visitors found the twine.
Adam Basford opened the scoring in the first five minutes of the game on the PP, getting the business of throwing the bears on the ice out of the way early. Craig Schira and Mischa Fisenko got the helpers. A few bears got hung up on the netting as usual, but the ice crew were quick to clear them off before play restarted. Kind of sad really I personally like it when the bears hang there for the whole period if not the game, but then I am not looking through them from the upper seats. The Blades took a lame delay of game penalty clearing the puck (something I still don’t think should even be a penalty, but whatever) and it cost them. The Blades continued to take some lazy penalties and they paid as the Giants scored two PPs and an even strength marker in the opening frame giving the G-Men a 3-0 cushion before the Blades got one of those back.
Evander Kane tallied the second marker in the first, scoring a nice one on the doorstep as Braden Holtby made a nice first stop, but couldn’t corral the rebound before Kane got his stick on it. Blum and Schira worked the puck around with crisp passing before throwing it on net, garnering the two assists on the play. Lance Bouma scored the third of the period off of a beautiful passing play by Cunningham from behind the net. The Blades took the only four penalties of the period and they paid for it, as the Kane goal came with a 5 on 3 advantage. Adam Chorneyko squeaked the puck past Sexsmith off of a broken play, a goal that Sexy would probably want back.
In the second the Giants padded their tally by two, essentially putting the game out of reach for the flagging Blades squad. Blum started the play passing the puck to Garry Nunn who fed Evander Kane streaking down the right wing. Not content with just an assist, Blum hustled down the slot potting the goal off of a perfect flip pass from Kane. Holtby didn’t have a hope on that one. I’d be surprised if that goal isn’t selected as a WHL play of the week next Friday. When the Blades got a PP for Todd Kennedy trying to goad Teigan Zhan into fighting, they ended up fishing the puck from their own net. The ref interpreted Kennedy’s antic as a unsportsmanlike move, which it could arguably have been as Kennedy hounded Zahn in the Blades end of the ice - ignoring the play down the other end of the ice. I didn’t see what Zahn did to warrant this kind of attention, but I assume it was something. If someone could enlighten me I’d appreciate it. The Giants had the last laugh though as they killed a penalty and got yet another SH tally, which makes three in two games, to virtually salt the game away at the end of the second. With under ten seconds left in the period, Regner stripped the puck at his own blue-line and fed Cunningham who sneaked around the Blade player and had a step on him going down the ice. Richie went in at speed on Holtby and beat him with a soft backhand to the top shelf.
The third was a scoreless affair, with neither team ready to really put the effort in to work for a goal. The Giants played a solid defensive period, shutting down the Blades and coming back with some forays of their own, but nothing of the really dangerous variety. Sexsmith made a few decent stops, but was not really challenged to make that game-saver stop. The teams had 6 shots apiece in the final frame, which was pretty indicative of the intensity of the third. A crowd of almost 10,000 enjoyed the bear toss night and the complete dismantling of a tired team who were checked hard early and not given any room to make plays. Not sure what other gears the Blades have though, but you don’t win fourteen straight on the road without some chops. Holtby was not horrible tonight, but he wasn’t great either. The Giants effort in front of the Blades net and hunger for the puck to a man all night was something to watch though. This is a good team that should have a few other teams continuing to struggle to keep up this season.
The Giants went 2 for 7 on the PP, holding their opponent to 0 for 4, scoring a shorty to boot. The Giants out-shot the Blades 39-18. The G-Men have to get a good nights sleep tonight as they have a 5 o’clock game versus a struggling Chilliwack squad tomorrow. The Bruins are one of only two teams to hand the Giants a regulation loss this season, but if the G-Men don’t take them lightly and work hard the Bruins should not be able to compete. Jamie Tucker will probably get the nod in net, as has mostly been the rule this season so far for back-to-back tilts. Tucker will be getting a few consecutive starts when Sexsmith goes to the Team Canada Junior squad camp and a few more if Sexsmith makes the team. Sexy has some stiff competition from two other dub goalies and one from the Q, so he’s by no means a lock. The puck drops Sunday at 5:00pm PST at the Coliseum.
Three Stars
1) Jonathon Blum
2) Evander Kane
3) Adam Basford