dondo
04-26-2009, 12:42 AM
I feel a bit jaded after this one. The Giants played decent hockey, but not great hockey and nothing even close to, Game 5 series tied, playoff hockey. They haven't scored for two full games now and they play as if they are up by three goals. They did not pay the price driving the net, nor make it difficult for Guggenberger. They were solid in the own end of the ice, but did not have any real impetus to score until the third period and by then it was a bit too late to really get the freight train rolling.
The Rockets played a very clean tight checking game and did not really stumble 'til the third. Both squads played the second so tight that there was virtually no chance to draw a penalty or even take one. The shots were even at 4 apiece in the middle frame as the Rockets played the kind of period they need to play with the lead, on the road. The Giants had no excuses not to go for it though, but other than one sparkling scoring chance in which the puck was allegedly kicked in they earned no real looks at the net. Not sure why they think that that's a good way to score goals or win a game.
Kind of boring hockey all-around I would say as neither team really brought a spark to the arena. The Rockets had more consistent pressure in the Giants end of the ice than the Giants did in the Rockets end.
Here's how I saw it from the corner:
Rd 3 Game 5
Rockets Stone Giants
Vancouver 0 Kelowna 1
Don Robinson
The Giants haven’t scored a goal in six periods now and counting and although they had their chances tonight they could not get their sticks on the puck, or were badly missing open chances. Mark Guggenberger was solid, but once again did not need to be excellent to get the blank sheet, as the Giants still did not make life difficult for him. The Rockets D were rock solid and the back-checking of their forwards surprising as the Kelowna players all played a very tight-checking game, using their reach to best advantage chipping pucks off of Giants player’s sticks. The difference in the game was that the Rockets were able to get a goal from a depth player and the Giants were not. There were a few times when Guggenberger was down and out, but the Giants either missed the net or weren’t quick enough and had the puck poked off of their stick. The Vancouver squad continues to play a very predictable game and are allowing themselves to be worn down by the Rockets as the game goes on. Evander Kane had some good chances tonight, but Myers shadowed Kane all-night long, defusing almost all of his scoring chances with his big reach and positioning.
The Rockets opened the scoring late in the first when bruiser Ryley Grantham found the short-side on Sexsmith, out of a scramble. Late in the second the Giants had a goal waived off as the puck was allegedly kicked in, but from the replay it looked as if the puck went in off the defender after the “kick” before crossing the line. The play was called a goal initially and being fairly inconclusive the original call should have stood, but this is splitting hairs. Oddly enough driving the net is the only time they really get those scoring chances, but the Giants seemed content to play their system and were not really working hard to the front of the crease. I have to say I still don’t understand the reasoning behind that. Everything Don Hay says in his interviews are all about greasy goals and going to the net, but the Giants systems seem to rely on a puck-possession game and mostly perimeter hockey with very little, if any, traffic on the doorstep. So which is it Hay? Drive the net or pissy-pass the puck around until you are stripped of it? This team has been a real Jekyll and Hyde lately and its time for them to really want to score and win and to do whatever it takes to make that happen. No excuses.
Guggenberger did not have to contend with players in his face when the Giants had the PP as the G-Men were content to have a guy at the side of the net a guy in the high slot. one D high and two players on the side boards. I could have drawn that up myself as I have seen it so many times this year and although it can be fairly successful in the regular season, in the playoffs they really need to change it up. There’s a thing called video that every team watches and there are no secrets anymore, so changing it up is a must. Combine that with having goalie who might not be elite and you must make sure he has a hard time seeing the puck, you also must rattle him by driving the net. Very little of that happened tonight and although a good bounce the Giants way would have changed the score, the truth was that they weren’t willing to abandon their system, fight for some open ice and maybe drive the net. The Rockets always seemed to know where the puck was going to go before the Giants even passed it there and that’s the downfall of a lack of creativity on the Giants part, by sticking to their system at all costs.
The Giants did not play a bad game, but they didn’t play a good one either. They were a hundred times better in their own end of the ice than they were in game 4 and a bounce their way could have changed the complexion of this game in a heart-beat. My problem was they really weren’t willing to earn those chances by bringing their game up a few notches. The Rockets won the majority of face-offs and always seemed to get to the loose pucks before the Giants. They were playing cleaner, smarter hockey than the home team and in the end that’s what showed on the score-sheet. Its not like the Giants are incapable, but they seem to be allowing the Rockets to get in their heads and aren’t really focusing when they get their scoring chances. The G’s did a great job shutting down the Rockets top six in this one though. Sexsmith was solid between the pipes and the Giants were not guilty of those bad turnovers they have been laying out there as of late. There are positives to be taken from this game, but they did not play the game as if it was the must win game it was. Once again they have given themselves a tough up-hill climb to a series win and really must win in Kelowna or its all over. Scoring would be a good start.
The Giants went 0 for 3 on the PP, while the Rockets were 0 for 1. Neither team really made a punishable gaffe until the third period and the game was called as such. Both squads played clean yet fairly emotionless hockey. The G-Men squandered a 5 on 3 opportunity by not crashing or even screening the net. They had players all-around the zone, but none in front of the net. How they hoped to score I’ll never know. The home squad were better at getting quick point shots off though and actually changed it up a bit trying some one-timers. Wow, how daring. There were two fights in the first period, both of the “wanna go?” drop your lids and gloves variety. Gogol and Berube squared off with Gogol trying to get in a flurry of shots with almost all of them missing and then being pulled up short when a Berube right caught him square taking him to the ice. Almond and Wright dropped the gloves with the fight going pretty much as you would expect from two second liners who don’t fight, but both of them hung in there and got a few shots in on each other. The Giants barely out-shot the Rockets 25-23 in a tightly contested battle where scoring chances were few and far between.
The Giants return to Kelowna on Monday for what is a must-win game or they are done. Can they do what they did in the Spokane series and win two straight to get to the WHL Final or has their luck run out and are they going to the mat? Who knows. They have the horses to do it, the question is are they willing to do everything it takes to get those two wins and will they have anything left should they get through to face Calgary who has yet to lose a game in these playoffs and looks to be a daunting opponent for either squad. The puck drops in Kelowna at 7pm PDT for Game 6, a game the Giants must win to force a Game 7.
Three Stars
1) Tyler Myers
2) Cody Almond
3) Tyson Sexsmith
The Rockets played a very clean tight checking game and did not really stumble 'til the third. Both squads played the second so tight that there was virtually no chance to draw a penalty or even take one. The shots were even at 4 apiece in the middle frame as the Rockets played the kind of period they need to play with the lead, on the road. The Giants had no excuses not to go for it though, but other than one sparkling scoring chance in which the puck was allegedly kicked in they earned no real looks at the net. Not sure why they think that that's a good way to score goals or win a game.
Kind of boring hockey all-around I would say as neither team really brought a spark to the arena. The Rockets had more consistent pressure in the Giants end of the ice than the Giants did in the Rockets end.
Here's how I saw it from the corner:
Rd 3 Game 5
Rockets Stone Giants
Vancouver 0 Kelowna 1
Don Robinson
The Giants haven’t scored a goal in six periods now and counting and although they had their chances tonight they could not get their sticks on the puck, or were badly missing open chances. Mark Guggenberger was solid, but once again did not need to be excellent to get the blank sheet, as the Giants still did not make life difficult for him. The Rockets D were rock solid and the back-checking of their forwards surprising as the Kelowna players all played a very tight-checking game, using their reach to best advantage chipping pucks off of Giants player’s sticks. The difference in the game was that the Rockets were able to get a goal from a depth player and the Giants were not. There were a few times when Guggenberger was down and out, but the Giants either missed the net or weren’t quick enough and had the puck poked off of their stick. The Vancouver squad continues to play a very predictable game and are allowing themselves to be worn down by the Rockets as the game goes on. Evander Kane had some good chances tonight, but Myers shadowed Kane all-night long, defusing almost all of his scoring chances with his big reach and positioning.
The Rockets opened the scoring late in the first when bruiser Ryley Grantham found the short-side on Sexsmith, out of a scramble. Late in the second the Giants had a goal waived off as the puck was allegedly kicked in, but from the replay it looked as if the puck went in off the defender after the “kick” before crossing the line. The play was called a goal initially and being fairly inconclusive the original call should have stood, but this is splitting hairs. Oddly enough driving the net is the only time they really get those scoring chances, but the Giants seemed content to play their system and were not really working hard to the front of the crease. I have to say I still don’t understand the reasoning behind that. Everything Don Hay says in his interviews are all about greasy goals and going to the net, but the Giants systems seem to rely on a puck-possession game and mostly perimeter hockey with very little, if any, traffic on the doorstep. So which is it Hay? Drive the net or pissy-pass the puck around until you are stripped of it? This team has been a real Jekyll and Hyde lately and its time for them to really want to score and win and to do whatever it takes to make that happen. No excuses.
Guggenberger did not have to contend with players in his face when the Giants had the PP as the G-Men were content to have a guy at the side of the net a guy in the high slot. one D high and two players on the side boards. I could have drawn that up myself as I have seen it so many times this year and although it can be fairly successful in the regular season, in the playoffs they really need to change it up. There’s a thing called video that every team watches and there are no secrets anymore, so changing it up is a must. Combine that with having goalie who might not be elite and you must make sure he has a hard time seeing the puck, you also must rattle him by driving the net. Very little of that happened tonight and although a good bounce the Giants way would have changed the score, the truth was that they weren’t willing to abandon their system, fight for some open ice and maybe drive the net. The Rockets always seemed to know where the puck was going to go before the Giants even passed it there and that’s the downfall of a lack of creativity on the Giants part, by sticking to their system at all costs.
The Giants did not play a bad game, but they didn’t play a good one either. They were a hundred times better in their own end of the ice than they were in game 4 and a bounce their way could have changed the complexion of this game in a heart-beat. My problem was they really weren’t willing to earn those chances by bringing their game up a few notches. The Rockets won the majority of face-offs and always seemed to get to the loose pucks before the Giants. They were playing cleaner, smarter hockey than the home team and in the end that’s what showed on the score-sheet. Its not like the Giants are incapable, but they seem to be allowing the Rockets to get in their heads and aren’t really focusing when they get their scoring chances. The G’s did a great job shutting down the Rockets top six in this one though. Sexsmith was solid between the pipes and the Giants were not guilty of those bad turnovers they have been laying out there as of late. There are positives to be taken from this game, but they did not play the game as if it was the must win game it was. Once again they have given themselves a tough up-hill climb to a series win and really must win in Kelowna or its all over. Scoring would be a good start.
The Giants went 0 for 3 on the PP, while the Rockets were 0 for 1. Neither team really made a punishable gaffe until the third period and the game was called as such. Both squads played clean yet fairly emotionless hockey. The G-Men squandered a 5 on 3 opportunity by not crashing or even screening the net. They had players all-around the zone, but none in front of the net. How they hoped to score I’ll never know. The home squad were better at getting quick point shots off though and actually changed it up a bit trying some one-timers. Wow, how daring. There were two fights in the first period, both of the “wanna go?” drop your lids and gloves variety. Gogol and Berube squared off with Gogol trying to get in a flurry of shots with almost all of them missing and then being pulled up short when a Berube right caught him square taking him to the ice. Almond and Wright dropped the gloves with the fight going pretty much as you would expect from two second liners who don’t fight, but both of them hung in there and got a few shots in on each other. The Giants barely out-shot the Rockets 25-23 in a tightly contested battle where scoring chances were few and far between.
The Giants return to Kelowna on Monday for what is a must-win game or they are done. Can they do what they did in the Spokane series and win two straight to get to the WHL Final or has their luck run out and are they going to the mat? Who knows. They have the horses to do it, the question is are they willing to do everything it takes to get those two wins and will they have anything left should they get through to face Calgary who has yet to lose a game in these playoffs and looks to be a daunting opponent for either squad. The puck drops in Kelowna at 7pm PDT for Game 6, a game the Giants must win to force a Game 7.
Three Stars
1) Tyler Myers
2) Cody Almond
3) Tyson Sexsmith