dondo
12-12-2009, 03:25 PM
Didn't see this one unfortunately as I would have loved to see the boys come back and Tucker a hope to regain his starting job. Nice to see the boys bounce back after allowing a few bad goals. I expect Segal will bounce back as he's Hay's boy at the moment , but I still think that Tucker should get the start in Kamloops. There's nothing wrong with having the goalies competing with one another. Cunningham and Connauton had banner games, as did manning. Refs were not a factor, even though both teams feasted with the man-advantage. The calls seemed to be balanced by all accounts.
Giants Douse Blazers
Vancouver 5 Kamloops 3
Don Robinson
I wish I would have seen this game, not to see Mark Segal get pulled for the first time since being called up, or even to see Tucker shut the door and give his team a chance to come back, but to watch the team fight to get back into the game. This is something that I would have expected previous season’s squad capable of doing, but this years group have proved quite fragile at times so to see them battle back to get the win is a very positive sign. Both teams used their PP chances to force the issue, but the Giants managed to use theirs just enough to get the W. The Blazers came out strong in the first scoring 3 unanswered, chasing Segal from between the pipes. Tucker came in just over 10 minutes into the game slamming the net shut and doing a decent job starting back on the road to reclaiming his starting position.
Former Giant Bronson Maschmeyer opened the scoring for the Blazers very early in the game, by all accounts getting a gift from Segal who should have made the stop. The Giants did well in the first despite the hole in which they found themselves as they controlled the play and it seems that Segal just had a really poor start. I heard he was wearing new gear, but that shouldn’t make that much of a difference as he let in two really bad goals and questionable one on 8 shots. The Blazers scored two more on the PP, before the Giants were able to right the ship. Jimmy Bubnick pounded home a big rebound kicked out into the slot. On the Blazers next PP chance Shayne Wiebe squeaked one past Segal who got a piece of the puck, but the biscuit trickled into the basket sending Segal to the showers, or at least the bench.
It took the Giants ‘til half-way through the second before they put things into high gear, solving Jon Groenheyde. The Giants got their groove back off of a big shift by Lance Bouma where he rocked Maschmeyer and then dropped the mitts with Josh Caron. Caron got the instigator and Kevin Connauton found the twine with time ticking down in the penalty. Connauton had a great night as he seems to be getting better each game, growing as a defensive force while using his creativity to notch points. Neil Manning and Garry Nunn got the assists on the play. Craig Cunningham scored his 18th of the campaign a few minutes later, assisted by JT Barnett and Zach Hodder who is coming into his own with more minutes. A few minutes after that Connauton scored his second PP goal, with Manning and Cunningham getting the helpers, tying the game.
The Giants used yet another PP to their advantage in the third to take the lead mid-way through the period. Manning found the score sheet, working the puck past Groenheyde off of Brendan Gallagher and Cunningham. The boys were able to hold onto that lead until James Henry slipped in an empty-netter for some insurance and the win. The Giants out-shot the Blazers 47-29 and went 3 for 5 on the PP, while allowing 2 for 3 against. Once the Giants took control of this game back, Tucker turned away all 21 shots he faced, keeping his team in the game and a great chance to take the win coming from behind. Bouma didn’t find the score sheet, but his intensity and drive changed the nature of the game titling the ice towards the visitors end and giving his boys the confidence to grind their way back.
The game was the first of a home at home, which finishes up Saturday in Kamloops. I expect that Tucker will get the start which he earned with his performance at the Coliseum and that Hay doesn’t go back with Segal in da ‘loops. The boys get going at 7pm PST in Kamloops, where Kurtis Mucha will probably get the nod for the Blaze.
Three Stars
1. Craig Cunningham
2. Kevin Connauton
3. Dalibor Bortnak
Giants Douse Blazers
Vancouver 5 Kamloops 3
Don Robinson
I wish I would have seen this game, not to see Mark Segal get pulled for the first time since being called up, or even to see Tucker shut the door and give his team a chance to come back, but to watch the team fight to get back into the game. This is something that I would have expected previous season’s squad capable of doing, but this years group have proved quite fragile at times so to see them battle back to get the win is a very positive sign. Both teams used their PP chances to force the issue, but the Giants managed to use theirs just enough to get the W. The Blazers came out strong in the first scoring 3 unanswered, chasing Segal from between the pipes. Tucker came in just over 10 minutes into the game slamming the net shut and doing a decent job starting back on the road to reclaiming his starting position.
Former Giant Bronson Maschmeyer opened the scoring for the Blazers very early in the game, by all accounts getting a gift from Segal who should have made the stop. The Giants did well in the first despite the hole in which they found themselves as they controlled the play and it seems that Segal just had a really poor start. I heard he was wearing new gear, but that shouldn’t make that much of a difference as he let in two really bad goals and questionable one on 8 shots. The Blazers scored two more on the PP, before the Giants were able to right the ship. Jimmy Bubnick pounded home a big rebound kicked out into the slot. On the Blazers next PP chance Shayne Wiebe squeaked one past Segal who got a piece of the puck, but the biscuit trickled into the basket sending Segal to the showers, or at least the bench.
It took the Giants ‘til half-way through the second before they put things into high gear, solving Jon Groenheyde. The Giants got their groove back off of a big shift by Lance Bouma where he rocked Maschmeyer and then dropped the mitts with Josh Caron. Caron got the instigator and Kevin Connauton found the twine with time ticking down in the penalty. Connauton had a great night as he seems to be getting better each game, growing as a defensive force while using his creativity to notch points. Neil Manning and Garry Nunn got the assists on the play. Craig Cunningham scored his 18th of the campaign a few minutes later, assisted by JT Barnett and Zach Hodder who is coming into his own with more minutes. A few minutes after that Connauton scored his second PP goal, with Manning and Cunningham getting the helpers, tying the game.
The Giants used yet another PP to their advantage in the third to take the lead mid-way through the period. Manning found the score sheet, working the puck past Groenheyde off of Brendan Gallagher and Cunningham. The boys were able to hold onto that lead until James Henry slipped in an empty-netter for some insurance and the win. The Giants out-shot the Blazers 47-29 and went 3 for 5 on the PP, while allowing 2 for 3 against. Once the Giants took control of this game back, Tucker turned away all 21 shots he faced, keeping his team in the game and a great chance to take the win coming from behind. Bouma didn’t find the score sheet, but his intensity and drive changed the nature of the game titling the ice towards the visitors end and giving his boys the confidence to grind their way back.
The game was the first of a home at home, which finishes up Saturday in Kamloops. I expect that Tucker will get the start which he earned with his performance at the Coliseum and that Hay doesn’t go back with Segal in da ‘loops. The boys get going at 7pm PST in Kamloops, where Kurtis Mucha will probably get the nod for the Blaze.
Three Stars
1. Craig Cunningham
2. Kevin Connauton
3. Dalibor Bortnak