dondo
04-04-2009, 12:33 AM
Both teams played some solid hockey tonight, but the Giants were that much better. Casey Pierro-Zabotel, winner of the WHL scoring title this season, really has to elevate his game to playoff level though. The Giants need to have their top line clicking as well as their other lines are playing. CPZ is not playing up to the level of his competition and although he did win some key face-offs and wasn't a liability at either end of the ice he was never really a threat. He needs to be a threat and make room for Kane to make his scoring plays.
Theses are two teams that know how to shut down the other guy's top players so its going to take that extra effort to break through that and some creativity to find the seams. It was pretty closely played game tonight, but it was still entertaining as the zebras called a balanced game (which is wholly remarkable considering Kirk was one of the refs), both teams rocketed up and down the ice with strong forechecks and aggressive back-checks.
here's how I saw it from the corner
Round 2 Game 1:
Giants Shave Chiefs
Vancouver 3 Spokane 1
Don Robinson
The two past Memorial Cup winning teams squared off in the second round for the second time two years. Last year the Chiefs used their speed to really hurt the Giants, but this season’s version of the Vancouver squad has that kind of speed in their line-up and were able to keep up with the Chiefs. Dustin Tokarski was solid as usual and it took two really good shots to tickle the twine behind him. Tyson Sexsmith was equally good on the other side of the puck and if not for a bad deflection off of his own defender during a Chiefs PP he could have got his fifth career playoff goose-egg. The two squads match up well and you have to know that the Chiefs will bring even more to the rink tomorrow night. The Giants won the season series between the teams, taking both games on the season. The Giants came out fast and tenacious to open the game, but then so did the Chiefs. It was a fast game with both teams racing up and down the ice, but failing to get that inside track on the other guy’s defenders.
Mike Piluso opened the scoring for the Giants driving the net and putting away a perfect rocket of a cross-crease pass from Lance Bouma. Nick Ross got the other assist on the play. The Giants held onto that slim lead until early in the third when the Chiefs were given a PP chance off of what I considered to be a bit of a soft call. They worked the puck around and Mitch Wahl firing the puck from a bad angle had his pass go in off the leg of Mike Berube and past Sexsmith. The Giants reclaimed their lead a couple of minutes later on a PP of their own. Jonathon Blum had his slap-shot blocked, but gathered the rebound off of the Spokane defender’s leg and threw a quick wrist shot on net. Garry Nunn was screening Tokarski and tipped the puck past the Spokane ‘tender for what proved to be the GWG. Late in the game the Chiefs pulled their goalie and looked to have some decent pressure going when Craig Cunningham stripped the puck and slid a soft one down the ice which found the centre of the net. The goal came after the Giants missed an open chance earlier in the shift.
The Giants went 1 for 4 on the PP, while the Chiefs were 1 for 3. The G-Men out-shot the visitors 39-19, but I would say that the majority of those shots were easy stops. I think the Giants need to stop taking those unscreened shots from three feet inside the zone. They are low percentage plays and although I applaud them getting the shots on goal, the opportunity would be better used driving the net and either drawing the penalty or getting a quality scoring chance. When there’s traffic in front of the net that’s a whole different story, but I’d appreciate seeing less of those stat padding shots and more of the dangerous variety. The Chiefs blocked a ton of shots (as did the Giants) and I hope that the Giants have learned from tonight’s tilt that if they telegraph those big wind ups then the Chiefs will not shy away from blocking them, but if they make sure they use a wrist or snap shot to get the puck through traffic first then they get themselves better scoring chances. Against Tokarski the Giants need all the help they can get as he is very rarely out of position or out of the play.
This probably won’t be a really high scoring series and will be somewhat of a goaltender’s duel, but both teams will still be playing all-out all over the ice and tonight was some great, clean hockey. Even Ross’ somewhat questionable clipping call was a player trying to do the right thing, but being a bit too far out of position. I love watching these two teams go at it. The squads go back at it tomorrow night as the Giants hope to take their home-ice advantage to its apex by winning the first two at home. The Chiefs will bring an even more intense game to the fore and the Giants will have to be ready to up their game to match. The puck drops at the Coliseum at 7:00pm PDT.
Three Stars
1) Garry Nunn
2) Tyson Sexsmith
3) Dustin Tokarski
Theses are two teams that know how to shut down the other guy's top players so its going to take that extra effort to break through that and some creativity to find the seams. It was pretty closely played game tonight, but it was still entertaining as the zebras called a balanced game (which is wholly remarkable considering Kirk was one of the refs), both teams rocketed up and down the ice with strong forechecks and aggressive back-checks.
here's how I saw it from the corner
Round 2 Game 1:
Giants Shave Chiefs
Vancouver 3 Spokane 1
Don Robinson
The two past Memorial Cup winning teams squared off in the second round for the second time two years. Last year the Chiefs used their speed to really hurt the Giants, but this season’s version of the Vancouver squad has that kind of speed in their line-up and were able to keep up with the Chiefs. Dustin Tokarski was solid as usual and it took two really good shots to tickle the twine behind him. Tyson Sexsmith was equally good on the other side of the puck and if not for a bad deflection off of his own defender during a Chiefs PP he could have got his fifth career playoff goose-egg. The two squads match up well and you have to know that the Chiefs will bring even more to the rink tomorrow night. The Giants won the season series between the teams, taking both games on the season. The Giants came out fast and tenacious to open the game, but then so did the Chiefs. It was a fast game with both teams racing up and down the ice, but failing to get that inside track on the other guy’s defenders.
Mike Piluso opened the scoring for the Giants driving the net and putting away a perfect rocket of a cross-crease pass from Lance Bouma. Nick Ross got the other assist on the play. The Giants held onto that slim lead until early in the third when the Chiefs were given a PP chance off of what I considered to be a bit of a soft call. They worked the puck around and Mitch Wahl firing the puck from a bad angle had his pass go in off the leg of Mike Berube and past Sexsmith. The Giants reclaimed their lead a couple of minutes later on a PP of their own. Jonathon Blum had his slap-shot blocked, but gathered the rebound off of the Spokane defender’s leg and threw a quick wrist shot on net. Garry Nunn was screening Tokarski and tipped the puck past the Spokane ‘tender for what proved to be the GWG. Late in the game the Chiefs pulled their goalie and looked to have some decent pressure going when Craig Cunningham stripped the puck and slid a soft one down the ice which found the centre of the net. The goal came after the Giants missed an open chance earlier in the shift.
The Giants went 1 for 4 on the PP, while the Chiefs were 1 for 3. The G-Men out-shot the visitors 39-19, but I would say that the majority of those shots were easy stops. I think the Giants need to stop taking those unscreened shots from three feet inside the zone. They are low percentage plays and although I applaud them getting the shots on goal, the opportunity would be better used driving the net and either drawing the penalty or getting a quality scoring chance. When there’s traffic in front of the net that’s a whole different story, but I’d appreciate seeing less of those stat padding shots and more of the dangerous variety. The Chiefs blocked a ton of shots (as did the Giants) and I hope that the Giants have learned from tonight’s tilt that if they telegraph those big wind ups then the Chiefs will not shy away from blocking them, but if they make sure they use a wrist or snap shot to get the puck through traffic first then they get themselves better scoring chances. Against Tokarski the Giants need all the help they can get as he is very rarely out of position or out of the play.
This probably won’t be a really high scoring series and will be somewhat of a goaltender’s duel, but both teams will still be playing all-out all over the ice and tonight was some great, clean hockey. Even Ross’ somewhat questionable clipping call was a player trying to do the right thing, but being a bit too far out of position. I love watching these two teams go at it. The squads go back at it tomorrow night as the Giants hope to take their home-ice advantage to its apex by winning the first two at home. The Chiefs will bring an even more intense game to the fore and the Giants will have to be ready to up their game to match. The puck drops at the Coliseum at 7:00pm PDT.
Three Stars
1) Garry Nunn
2) Tyson Sexsmith
3) Dustin Tokarski