dondo
12-05-2009, 02:39 AM
Not a bad one, not a great one. I think we got beat by a better team, and didn't get the benefit of the doubt in a lot of ways. Segal was solid, let in one bad goal and almost allowed another when he charged out the net on what he thought was a delayed penalty and barely scrambled back in to the see the puck drift wide. Pretty funny stuff, but tragic had it gone in for a goal. The boys allowed the Hitmen too many shots and lost their man in their zone a bit too often for my liking. They did however battle hard for the puck and were better at keeping it on their sticks. They can certainly play a better game than they did and I am disliking a few too many passengers, but it a step back in the right direction. Let's hope they learned their lessons and are ready to kick the Oil Kings and Bruins all over the ice. They also need to shoot a lot more -- their shot counts have been very low for a Giants team the past several games.
Hitmen Clip Giants
Vancouver 4 Calgary 5
Don Robinson
The Giants were better in this one than they were versus the Ice, but they still got caught out of position in their own zone giving up some easy goals that Mark Segal had little chance to save. Segal did give up one that he would want back, but for the most part kept his team in the game early and then later when they were making a bid for the comeback. In the end the Giants were not able to hold off the Hitmen as they had to weather more than a few marginal calls against when they were trying to get some momentum going. The Hitmen were fast and played pretty big except when they took hits from under-sized players and laid on the ice like they were shot, that is. They passed well and were patient handling the puck. The Giants by contrast never really felt in any sort of groove and were battling the puck for the most part. Although their effort was good it did not come up to the Hitmen’s level and they squandered two very good chances to get close with loose pucks lying in the crease. The Giants lacked focus tonight and missed a few details which lead to goals against they could ill-afford to give-up. It was nice to see them battling hard for the tie up ‘til the last minute, but they were out-shot and out maneuvered by a better team tonight.
The Giants opened the scoring in this one when Garry Nunn came into the zone with speed letting loose a lightning quick wrist shot which found the top part of the net. Cass Mappin, who in my mind has been a pretty huge disappointment since coming here, got the only assist on the play. Dillon Scholten and Rigby Burgart dropped the mitts with Scholten getting most of the shots through and Rigby actively trying to put Scholten off-balance. Ian Schultz and James Henry threw down the next shift, with Schultz getting the quick take-down as the fight did not last too long. Kris Foucault tied the game on the PP just past the mid-way mark of the second, putting home a loose puck at the side of the net. At one point in time the Hitmen were 14-3 in shots versus the G-Men and Segal had to be good down low to keep his team in the game. The shots ended up being 18-9 for the visitors and they finally got to Segal in a big way, in the second. We also had a name-less QMJHL zebra who pretty much sucked tonight, and the WHL rep wasn’t much better.
The Hitmen opened it up in the second when the Giants mistakes caught up to them, giving the Hitmen a few too many lanes and getting caught flat-footed in their own zone. Del Cowan scored first just over five minutes into the period, ripping the puck between Segal’s glove and pad and one that Segal would want back. It was a bad one to give after being so solid in the first and opened the floodgates. A few minutes later ex-Giant Mikhail (Mischa) Fisenko, cut across the slot and backhanded a nice one past Segal. Fisenko had three points on the night. Then 20 seconds after that Ian Schultz finished off a great passing play standing wide-open at the side of the net, giving the Hitmen a 4-1 bulge on the scoresheet. James Henry got one of those back scoring a sweet one off of a Kevin Connauton feed, late in the period. The Giants were not out of this game, but they made it very hard for themselves to climb back, especially against a strong team like Calgary.
Credit the boys for not giving in and coming out well in the third. I would love to say that the Giants had an over-whelming forecheck going, but it was just okay as they seemed to sit back a bit more than they should being down 2 goals. When the Giants did finally get some calls they took aggressive penalties that were being called way too close in a game like this and not being called the same way on the other side of the puck. Maybe I’m used to the Giants getting the benefit of the doubt call-wise, but it seemed to me that they were not getting any respect from the zebras and haven’t really gotten much this season, despite playing what I would consider to be a bit cleaner game than they have done in the past. The Giants turned a bit of misfortune their way when they managed to score a SH goal and had a few forays prior to the goal while killing the penalty, which were not in my mind wholly cleanly checked, with a step ahead on a lot of those early chances. Craig Cunningham got the puck up to James Henry who barely outraced one D, and stick-handled through another slipping the puck five-hole on Jones. A really nice goal that could be a candidate for a WHL play of the week. That got the Giants within one. The Hitmen were not done though as the Giants left Brandon Kozun of all people wide open at the side of the net. Segal kicked the point shot to the open side and Kozun tallied probably one of the easiest of his career.
The zebras made themselves known yet again a bit later when a mad scramble in Jones’ crease had the puck go in the net, but was waived off by the ref as a kicking motion. The puck was knocked in by what appeared to be a sprawling player and the replay was inconclusive. Unfortunately the official didn’t go upstairs to let someone else have a look at the play. That’s the reason we have replays this season and it was simply wrong not to go upstairs in such a game as this. It was pretty poor showing by the guys wearing the stripes in my not so humble opinion. The Giants managed to close to within one, but that was as far as they would get. Getting several late calls for themselves, they were able to get one past Jones. Kevin Connauton scored his 13th of the season off of Cunningham and Neil Manning, threading one from the point through traffic. On the ensuing face-off a Hitman player put his hand on the puck off the face-off getting the penalty. The Giants got a face-off in the offensive zone with just over 3 seconds left. They managed to win the face-off and get a good shot on net, but the long pad of Jones found the puck with a little toe, killing the chance and giving the visitors the win.
The Hitmen badly out shot the Giants 43-26 working hard for their shots most of the night. The Hitmen went 1 for 8 on the PP, while the Giants were 1 for 6, including the two penalties called with less than a minute to play in the game. The boys needed to be better in their own end and not get caught watching. They were okay for the most part, but okay does not fly against a team like the Hitmen. Segal kept his team in the game when they struggled, but could not weather some of the quality chances his boys were giving up. He got the nod for the third star, but really that honour should have gone to Henry. The Giants have no rest as they take on the Oil Kings for teddy bear toss night tomorrow night at the Coliseum and then off up the valley for a tilt on Sunday, wrapping up four games in five days. They need to win the next two to be .500 for the series. The puck drops tomorrow at 7pm, bring a teddy bear to toss on the ice – it’s an event not to be missed.
Three Stars
1. Mischa Fisenko
2. Brandon Kozun
3. Mark Segal
Hitmen Clip Giants
Vancouver 4 Calgary 5
Don Robinson
The Giants were better in this one than they were versus the Ice, but they still got caught out of position in their own zone giving up some easy goals that Mark Segal had little chance to save. Segal did give up one that he would want back, but for the most part kept his team in the game early and then later when they were making a bid for the comeback. In the end the Giants were not able to hold off the Hitmen as they had to weather more than a few marginal calls against when they were trying to get some momentum going. The Hitmen were fast and played pretty big except when they took hits from under-sized players and laid on the ice like they were shot, that is. They passed well and were patient handling the puck. The Giants by contrast never really felt in any sort of groove and were battling the puck for the most part. Although their effort was good it did not come up to the Hitmen’s level and they squandered two very good chances to get close with loose pucks lying in the crease. The Giants lacked focus tonight and missed a few details which lead to goals against they could ill-afford to give-up. It was nice to see them battling hard for the tie up ‘til the last minute, but they were out-shot and out maneuvered by a better team tonight.
The Giants opened the scoring in this one when Garry Nunn came into the zone with speed letting loose a lightning quick wrist shot which found the top part of the net. Cass Mappin, who in my mind has been a pretty huge disappointment since coming here, got the only assist on the play. Dillon Scholten and Rigby Burgart dropped the mitts with Scholten getting most of the shots through and Rigby actively trying to put Scholten off-balance. Ian Schultz and James Henry threw down the next shift, with Schultz getting the quick take-down as the fight did not last too long. Kris Foucault tied the game on the PP just past the mid-way mark of the second, putting home a loose puck at the side of the net. At one point in time the Hitmen were 14-3 in shots versus the G-Men and Segal had to be good down low to keep his team in the game. The shots ended up being 18-9 for the visitors and they finally got to Segal in a big way, in the second. We also had a name-less QMJHL zebra who pretty much sucked tonight, and the WHL rep wasn’t much better.
The Hitmen opened it up in the second when the Giants mistakes caught up to them, giving the Hitmen a few too many lanes and getting caught flat-footed in their own zone. Del Cowan scored first just over five minutes into the period, ripping the puck between Segal’s glove and pad and one that Segal would want back. It was a bad one to give after being so solid in the first and opened the floodgates. A few minutes later ex-Giant Mikhail (Mischa) Fisenko, cut across the slot and backhanded a nice one past Segal. Fisenko had three points on the night. Then 20 seconds after that Ian Schultz finished off a great passing play standing wide-open at the side of the net, giving the Hitmen a 4-1 bulge on the scoresheet. James Henry got one of those back scoring a sweet one off of a Kevin Connauton feed, late in the period. The Giants were not out of this game, but they made it very hard for themselves to climb back, especially against a strong team like Calgary.
Credit the boys for not giving in and coming out well in the third. I would love to say that the Giants had an over-whelming forecheck going, but it was just okay as they seemed to sit back a bit more than they should being down 2 goals. When the Giants did finally get some calls they took aggressive penalties that were being called way too close in a game like this and not being called the same way on the other side of the puck. Maybe I’m used to the Giants getting the benefit of the doubt call-wise, but it seemed to me that they were not getting any respect from the zebras and haven’t really gotten much this season, despite playing what I would consider to be a bit cleaner game than they have done in the past. The Giants turned a bit of misfortune their way when they managed to score a SH goal and had a few forays prior to the goal while killing the penalty, which were not in my mind wholly cleanly checked, with a step ahead on a lot of those early chances. Craig Cunningham got the puck up to James Henry who barely outraced one D, and stick-handled through another slipping the puck five-hole on Jones. A really nice goal that could be a candidate for a WHL play of the week. That got the Giants within one. The Hitmen were not done though as the Giants left Brandon Kozun of all people wide open at the side of the net. Segal kicked the point shot to the open side and Kozun tallied probably one of the easiest of his career.
The zebras made themselves known yet again a bit later when a mad scramble in Jones’ crease had the puck go in the net, but was waived off by the ref as a kicking motion. The puck was knocked in by what appeared to be a sprawling player and the replay was inconclusive. Unfortunately the official didn’t go upstairs to let someone else have a look at the play. That’s the reason we have replays this season and it was simply wrong not to go upstairs in such a game as this. It was pretty poor showing by the guys wearing the stripes in my not so humble opinion. The Giants managed to close to within one, but that was as far as they would get. Getting several late calls for themselves, they were able to get one past Jones. Kevin Connauton scored his 13th of the season off of Cunningham and Neil Manning, threading one from the point through traffic. On the ensuing face-off a Hitman player put his hand on the puck off the face-off getting the penalty. The Giants got a face-off in the offensive zone with just over 3 seconds left. They managed to win the face-off and get a good shot on net, but the long pad of Jones found the puck with a little toe, killing the chance and giving the visitors the win.
The Hitmen badly out shot the Giants 43-26 working hard for their shots most of the night. The Hitmen went 1 for 8 on the PP, while the Giants were 1 for 6, including the two penalties called with less than a minute to play in the game. The boys needed to be better in their own end and not get caught watching. They were okay for the most part, but okay does not fly against a team like the Hitmen. Segal kept his team in the game when they struggled, but could not weather some of the quality chances his boys were giving up. He got the nod for the third star, but really that honour should have gone to Henry. The Giants have no rest as they take on the Oil Kings for teddy bear toss night tomorrow night at the Coliseum and then off up the valley for a tilt on Sunday, wrapping up four games in five days. They need to win the next two to be .500 for the series. The puck drops tomorrow at 7pm, bring a teddy bear to toss on the ice – it’s an event not to be missed.
Three Stars
1. Mischa Fisenko
2. Brandon Kozun
3. Mark Segal