dondo
02-07-2009, 12:01 PM
At the game in Spokane, much beer consumed, fast fast hockey from the front row at the blue-line. Very surprised at how well Giants shut-down Chiefs. I have to think that the Chiefs have a better game in them, but the Giants played one of those prefect road games and never felt like they were in trouble scrambling in thier own zone. A rarity in this game.
Next up Portland, flying out today to see my second game in as many nights and as many US cities. Finishing up in Kent to watch the T-Birds on Sunday.
here's how I saw it through slightly fuzzy lenses:
Giants Club Chiefs
Vancouver 4 Spokane 0
Don Robinson
Tyson Sexsmith pads his WHL career record shut-out streak with a solid if not spectacular performance tonight in Spoke. In the process the Giants killed the Chiefs 11 game winning streak. This was the first of only two games this season versus these two teams, which is a bit of a tragedy as they put on a great game. I’m sure the Chiefs would like another shot at a couple of plays, but for the most part they played fast solid hockey and forced the Giants to bring their best game. The visitors not only brought their best game, but managed to solve Dustin Tokaraski four times, a feat not easily accomplished. Garry Nunn opened the scoring in the first, cutting into an open seam in the slot putting home a perfect pass from Neil Manning. In the second James Wright kept the puck in at the side boards and got it to Gallagher who squeaked one by Tokarski putting the Giants up by two. The Chiefs best chance of the night came when, Spokane native, speedy Tyler Johnson found some room on the left wing and almost got by the defender who hauled him down as he was cutting to the net. The ref awarded a bogus penalty shot. Johnson did not have a step on the defender and was not taken out from behind. It was penalty, but not a penalty shot in my mind. Tyler ran out of room on a fore to backhand deke on the penalty shot and the Sexy preserved his shutout bid.
The visitors were able to get two more by the Chief netminder in third. Craig Cunningham who was flying all night with line-mates Mischa Fisenko and Alex Rodgers, tickled the twine with a nice effort early in the third. Fisenko put home the biscuit himself off of a wicked stealth wrist shot, no wind-up, cutting out into the slot and picking the far side on Tokarski, late in the third – sending more than a few Chief faithful to the exit doors with more than five minutes left to play. Neither team capitalised on the PP and the second was filled with lots of chippy coincidental roughing calls. The Giants were very rarely pinned in their own zone in this one, connecting with break-out pass after break-out pass.
Jonathon Blum had a great night. I guess a bit of a break with his family down in California was just what the doctor ordered. The Giants kept pucks to the outside, and were pretty much perfect defending their end of the ice. Sexy had to make very few great stops to preserve his goose-egg.
Giants went 0 for 4 on the PP, while the Chiefs were 0 for 2. Both teams brought some serious speed and for a 4-0 shut-out victory the game was pretty entertaining. The G-Men barely out-shot the home team 30-28. The Giants won with depth scoring as the Chiefs did a great job working the G-Men’s top line most of the night. The game was the first of three in three, in three US cities. Tomorrow they head west to Portland to take on the Winterhawks and then continue to Seattle (Kent), for a late afternoon start versus the T-Birds on Sunday.
Three Stars
1) Tyson Sexsmith
2) Craig Cunningham
3) Mischa Fisenko
Next up Portland, flying out today to see my second game in as many nights and as many US cities. Finishing up in Kent to watch the T-Birds on Sunday.
here's how I saw it through slightly fuzzy lenses:
Giants Club Chiefs
Vancouver 4 Spokane 0
Don Robinson
Tyson Sexsmith pads his WHL career record shut-out streak with a solid if not spectacular performance tonight in Spoke. In the process the Giants killed the Chiefs 11 game winning streak. This was the first of only two games this season versus these two teams, which is a bit of a tragedy as they put on a great game. I’m sure the Chiefs would like another shot at a couple of plays, but for the most part they played fast solid hockey and forced the Giants to bring their best game. The visitors not only brought their best game, but managed to solve Dustin Tokaraski four times, a feat not easily accomplished. Garry Nunn opened the scoring in the first, cutting into an open seam in the slot putting home a perfect pass from Neil Manning. In the second James Wright kept the puck in at the side boards and got it to Gallagher who squeaked one by Tokarski putting the Giants up by two. The Chiefs best chance of the night came when, Spokane native, speedy Tyler Johnson found some room on the left wing and almost got by the defender who hauled him down as he was cutting to the net. The ref awarded a bogus penalty shot. Johnson did not have a step on the defender and was not taken out from behind. It was penalty, but not a penalty shot in my mind. Tyler ran out of room on a fore to backhand deke on the penalty shot and the Sexy preserved his shutout bid.
The visitors were able to get two more by the Chief netminder in third. Craig Cunningham who was flying all night with line-mates Mischa Fisenko and Alex Rodgers, tickled the twine with a nice effort early in the third. Fisenko put home the biscuit himself off of a wicked stealth wrist shot, no wind-up, cutting out into the slot and picking the far side on Tokarski, late in the third – sending more than a few Chief faithful to the exit doors with more than five minutes left to play. Neither team capitalised on the PP and the second was filled with lots of chippy coincidental roughing calls. The Giants were very rarely pinned in their own zone in this one, connecting with break-out pass after break-out pass.
Jonathon Blum had a great night. I guess a bit of a break with his family down in California was just what the doctor ordered. The Giants kept pucks to the outside, and were pretty much perfect defending their end of the ice. Sexy had to make very few great stops to preserve his goose-egg.
Giants went 0 for 4 on the PP, while the Chiefs were 0 for 2. Both teams brought some serious speed and for a 4-0 shut-out victory the game was pretty entertaining. The G-Men barely out-shot the home team 30-28. The Giants won with depth scoring as the Chiefs did a great job working the G-Men’s top line most of the night. The game was the first of three in three, in three US cities. Tomorrow they head west to Portland to take on the Winterhawks and then continue to Seattle (Kent), for a late afternoon start versus the T-Birds on Sunday.
Three Stars
1) Tyson Sexsmith
2) Craig Cunningham
3) Mischa Fisenko