dondo
01-09-2009, 11:54 PM
CPZ happy to have his buddy Kane back in the line-up, notched three assists. Newest Giant Nick Ross had a goal and some great plays on the night. I'm looking forward to seeing when he and Blum are in the line-up. Blum will meet the team in Lethbridge, did not play tonight. Piluso, Barnett and Basford healthy scratches. other new guy Alex Rodgers had some chances playing with Cunningham and Henry. Rodgie with Chucky and Richie.
Ross and Schira played together on the Pats, so could be paired up again when Blum returns.
Here's how I heard it:
Giants Crack Ice
Vancouver 4 Kootenay 1
Don Robinson
The Giants welcomed two new players to their line-up and say good bye to Curtis Kulchar who was finding his game playing here. Good luck to Curtis in Kamloops leading their young defensive corps. The Giants traded 18 yr old Kulchar and a lot of picks (3rd and 4th) in this year’s draft and their 2nd round pick in 2010. In return they got what will probably be two rental players for their run at the cup; top defenseman and first round pick for the Phoenix Coyotes 19 yr old Nick Ross, a big-bodied puck moving defenseman who is considered a top prospect and 19 yr old Alex Rodgers who is having a very poor season so far, but is a speedy, skilled forward who has some depth to his game. The game opened with the Kootenay fans giving Evander Kane a standing O for his Gold medal victory for Canada in the U-20 WJC, a very classy move by smart, knowledgeable fans who know what he did for Team Canada. Ross made his presence known early-on scoring the only goal in the first, 4 on 4. Ross was allowed to drift into the zone and let loose a wicked slapper from the left side, beating Nathan Lieuwen and sticking the puck in the netting. Kane had two goals and Casey Pierro-Zabotel had three helpers pushing his point count to 66, leading the WHL. Brendan Gallagher, returning from winning a silver medal in the U-17 tourney as part of Team Pacific got a helper and almost got the tip on the Giants other goal. The Ice play a very defensive game leaning heavily toward a trap style of play. They eschew bringing a big forecheck and instead wait for opportunities in the neutral zone. Its such a crappy way to play for their fans and very few teams are successful playing this style anymore, so why do they do it?
Lance Bouma came out flying as usual laying the body early and often. If he ever finds a bonafide scoring touch he could be a force. Right now he’s still learning. The Giants had to fight through the Ice’s trap in the first working through the neutral ice traffic. In the end they needed to be 4 on 4 to get their first goal. CPZ dug the puck out to Kane and Evander got it across to Ross who had enough open ice to blast the puck past Lieuwen. The goal came late in the first and was the only goal of the period.
The only goal of the second was a tally by Kane on the PP. Brent Regner and CPZ set-up Kane who beat Lieuwen with a nice shot. The second was bit of a parade to the penalty box as the zebras felt at liberty to give two in a row and two in row to the two teams, favouring interference calls. The Giants still had to battle through traffic to get their scoring chances.
In the third, the Giants broke the game open just before mid-way through the final frame. Kane got his second of the game finding the open side, when the Ice converged on CPZ. Garry Nunn corralled the puck and got it across to CPZ. The Kootenay players double-teamed CPZ and Casey found a very lonely Kane on the other side of the ice with a wide open net. Kane buried the puck. The only fisticuffs in the game came a few shifts after the 3-0 goal. Todd Kennedy and, little brother of Spencer, Cason Machacek dropped the mitts with Kennedy taking his usual grab on and hold stance that is his fighting style. The Kootenay play by play guy likened it to giving Machacek a noogie. To be blunt I would much rather see Basford who was a healthy scratch tonight in the line-up instead of Kennedy. The big guy element he brings is not enough in my mind to warrant sitting out a guy like Basford who is inconsistent at times, but brings a hell of a lot more to table than Kennedy does. Were Kennedy a bonafide heavy weight fighter I might reconsider, but watching Basford drop the mitts has seemed more effective than watching Kennedy drop them. The Ice got that one back on the PP, as defenseman John Negrin put the puck past Sexsmith to bust his shut out bid, with about 5 minutes left in the game. Some late work in the final minute of the game by Neil Manning and Gallagher, worked the puck to James Henry who put the puck past Lieuwen restoring the Giants three goal bulge. That’s how the game would end.
The Giants were 1 for 2 on the PP, while the home team were 1 for 4. the G-Men out shot the Ice 32 – 19. Considering the trappy game the Ice were playing, I was surprised the Giants only had two PP chances on the night. The more the refs reward this kind of play, the more we’ll see it. Ross had a goal in his first game as a Giant, but was also making some deadly passes throughout the evening and had more chances than the points showed. Ross and Rodgers were both +1 on the night. I think that Ross is very happy to be playing with not only a contender, but an exciting team that can make the most of his playmaking ability. Rodgers played more than a few shifts with Henry and Cunningham hopefully learning through example and osmosis the kind of hockey the Giants demand their players play. Sexsmith was excellent tonight facing minimal shots, but some very solid chances. The Giants are in Lethbridge tomorrow night, to take on the Hurricanes who have added Giants nemesis Kyle Beach to their line-up. The ‘canes have been a huge disappointment this season after making it to the WHL Finals last season. The puck drops in Lethbridge at 7:00pm MST, as the Giants play their second of 7 on the road, playing four in five nights next week, starting on Tuesday in Medicine Hat.
Three Stars
1) Evander Kane
2) Tyson Sexsmith
3) John Negrin
Ross and Schira played together on the Pats, so could be paired up again when Blum returns.
Here's how I heard it:
Giants Crack Ice
Vancouver 4 Kootenay 1
Don Robinson
The Giants welcomed two new players to their line-up and say good bye to Curtis Kulchar who was finding his game playing here. Good luck to Curtis in Kamloops leading their young defensive corps. The Giants traded 18 yr old Kulchar and a lot of picks (3rd and 4th) in this year’s draft and their 2nd round pick in 2010. In return they got what will probably be two rental players for their run at the cup; top defenseman and first round pick for the Phoenix Coyotes 19 yr old Nick Ross, a big-bodied puck moving defenseman who is considered a top prospect and 19 yr old Alex Rodgers who is having a very poor season so far, but is a speedy, skilled forward who has some depth to his game. The game opened with the Kootenay fans giving Evander Kane a standing O for his Gold medal victory for Canada in the U-20 WJC, a very classy move by smart, knowledgeable fans who know what he did for Team Canada. Ross made his presence known early-on scoring the only goal in the first, 4 on 4. Ross was allowed to drift into the zone and let loose a wicked slapper from the left side, beating Nathan Lieuwen and sticking the puck in the netting. Kane had two goals and Casey Pierro-Zabotel had three helpers pushing his point count to 66, leading the WHL. Brendan Gallagher, returning from winning a silver medal in the U-17 tourney as part of Team Pacific got a helper and almost got the tip on the Giants other goal. The Ice play a very defensive game leaning heavily toward a trap style of play. They eschew bringing a big forecheck and instead wait for opportunities in the neutral zone. Its such a crappy way to play for their fans and very few teams are successful playing this style anymore, so why do they do it?
Lance Bouma came out flying as usual laying the body early and often. If he ever finds a bonafide scoring touch he could be a force. Right now he’s still learning. The Giants had to fight through the Ice’s trap in the first working through the neutral ice traffic. In the end they needed to be 4 on 4 to get their first goal. CPZ dug the puck out to Kane and Evander got it across to Ross who had enough open ice to blast the puck past Lieuwen. The goal came late in the first and was the only goal of the period.
The only goal of the second was a tally by Kane on the PP. Brent Regner and CPZ set-up Kane who beat Lieuwen with a nice shot. The second was bit of a parade to the penalty box as the zebras felt at liberty to give two in a row and two in row to the two teams, favouring interference calls. The Giants still had to battle through traffic to get their scoring chances.
In the third, the Giants broke the game open just before mid-way through the final frame. Kane got his second of the game finding the open side, when the Ice converged on CPZ. Garry Nunn corralled the puck and got it across to CPZ. The Kootenay players double-teamed CPZ and Casey found a very lonely Kane on the other side of the ice with a wide open net. Kane buried the puck. The only fisticuffs in the game came a few shifts after the 3-0 goal. Todd Kennedy and, little brother of Spencer, Cason Machacek dropped the mitts with Kennedy taking his usual grab on and hold stance that is his fighting style. The Kootenay play by play guy likened it to giving Machacek a noogie. To be blunt I would much rather see Basford who was a healthy scratch tonight in the line-up instead of Kennedy. The big guy element he brings is not enough in my mind to warrant sitting out a guy like Basford who is inconsistent at times, but brings a hell of a lot more to table than Kennedy does. Were Kennedy a bonafide heavy weight fighter I might reconsider, but watching Basford drop the mitts has seemed more effective than watching Kennedy drop them. The Ice got that one back on the PP, as defenseman John Negrin put the puck past Sexsmith to bust his shut out bid, with about 5 minutes left in the game. Some late work in the final minute of the game by Neil Manning and Gallagher, worked the puck to James Henry who put the puck past Lieuwen restoring the Giants three goal bulge. That’s how the game would end.
The Giants were 1 for 2 on the PP, while the home team were 1 for 4. the G-Men out shot the Ice 32 – 19. Considering the trappy game the Ice were playing, I was surprised the Giants only had two PP chances on the night. The more the refs reward this kind of play, the more we’ll see it. Ross had a goal in his first game as a Giant, but was also making some deadly passes throughout the evening and had more chances than the points showed. Ross and Rodgers were both +1 on the night. I think that Ross is very happy to be playing with not only a contender, but an exciting team that can make the most of his playmaking ability. Rodgers played more than a few shifts with Henry and Cunningham hopefully learning through example and osmosis the kind of hockey the Giants demand their players play. Sexsmith was excellent tonight facing minimal shots, but some very solid chances. The Giants are in Lethbridge tomorrow night, to take on the Hurricanes who have added Giants nemesis Kyle Beach to their line-up. The ‘canes have been a huge disappointment this season after making it to the WHL Finals last season. The puck drops in Lethbridge at 7:00pm MST, as the Giants play their second of 7 on the road, playing four in five nights next week, starting on Tuesday in Medicine Hat.
Three Stars
1) Evander Kane
2) Tyson Sexsmith
3) John Negrin