dondo
01-18-2010, 01:01 AM
Bonner's deal is looking better and better. After dropping the ball badly early on with some of his deals, all is forgiven as Bonner has acquired some genuine gamers that give the G's more size and some extra skill depth. It's something they are going to need in the coming months and will allow them to not get pushed around come playoff time. Not that the Cougars are a good yardstick as they are better, but they are also injured with the worst record in the league. The two games allowed the Giants to get the new guys into the line-up and chemistry, which is often so tenuous with some new acquisitions, does not seem to be a problem here as the guys fit seamlessly into the mix and few more hard Don Hay practices and they are going to know the systems down cold. I have enjoyed hearing about their efforts all over the ice and that they all go to the net hard. A shame I almost burned out on so many home games this fall, but I know I am going to be seriously jonesing come March to get back into my seat at the Coliseum.
Giants Crush Cats
Vancouver 7 Prince George 2
Don Robinson
Game two of the showdown at the CN Centre started out better for the visitors. The Giants opened the scoring, but the Cougars responded with two straight to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The Cougars were able to get 2 goals on 5 shots on Segal, but the young tender settled down and shut the door the rest of the game. The Giants, however, finally solved the PG netminder in a big way, scoring 5 unanswered to take a commanding lead by the end of the second. The game was not without emotion though as tempers boiled and a line brawl ensued early in the third. The Giants saw more production from their new acquisitions as the new guys were contributors on four of the seven goals and each of the newbies had a goal. The Giants did what they needed to do, sweeping the games in Prince George, solidifying their position atop the BC Division and more importantly getting early chemistry with their newest team-mates. The Giants added one in the third to put the game well out of reach. Taking the easy victory after their stumble early on.
Brett Breitkreuz opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the game, converting a great pass from behind the net by Brendan Gallagher who did a lot of the work on the play. Lance Bouma got the other helper. A couple of minutes later Breitkreuz the younger scored. Clarke Breitkreuz, younger brother of Brett scored his first goal with the Cougars and I believe his first goal in the dub. Clarke was in on the next goal as well getting the lone assist on Spencer Asuchak’s go ahead tally. Late in the period Brandon Scholten and Garrett Thiessen dropped the mitts as David Musil was tagged with a checking from behind penalty.
The second was all Giants, out shooting the Cougars 21-9 in the period and making them count. Tomas Vincour got the ball rolling 3:22 into the middle frame, burying a goal-scorers kind of goal, cutting across the slot and rifling the puck past Kyle Jahraus, who despite allowing 7 goals against did very well between the pipes. His back-up was an AP call-up not even on the official scoresheet and simply there to satisfy the rules and be able to go in should Jahraus go down. Dillon Scholten got the only assist.
The Giants broke the back of the Cougars when another new guy Brent Henke scored his 8th of the season short-handed about five minutes later. Breitkreuz got the only helper. Lance Bouma added one about a minute later coming out of the penalty box, going in hard to the net and lifting the puck past Jahraus. Gallagher was sharp to see Bouma coming out of the box, getting the puck quickly to the streaking power-forward. Late in the period the Giants finally made a PP chance count. Craig Cunningham scored a beauty, off of Kevin Connauton and Neil Manning. 12 seconds later Vincour (pronounced Vin-SORE btw) notched his second of the game and the period. Nolan Toigo and Breitkreuz contributed on the goal.
The third was played a little more evenly and lot more feisty. Toigo and Auschak started it off just over a minute into the final period, dropping the mitts for a brief bout which in the end acted as a warm-up for what was to come. Just under 40 seconds later a couple of boys got coincidental roughing calls as emotions were boiling. PG got a hooking called against them a minute after that. Then just past the five minute mark the ice exploded with emotion as a good old fashioned line-brawl broke out. Henry, Lyon Manning, D. Scholten and Vincour for the Giants and Bidlevski, Buonassisi, Forsberg, Fraser and Vlach for the Cats. Its always good to see scoring euros engage in a traditional Canadian hockey style dust-up and sticking up for their team-mates. I think I’m gonna like this Vincour dude. The rest of the period was littered with some more rough stuff and a bit of cheap stuff, but in the end Cunningham scored his 29th, assisted by Musil and it was all over. Some late fireworks, but the game was done and all the boys were probably all done in by the final buzzer.
The Giants out shot the Cougars 46-30. They went 1 for 7 on the PP, while holding the Cougars to, for the second night in a row, 0 for 7. More homer picks from the local selectors in this one I would say as no Cougar should be a star in a 7-2 blow-out. The Giants have a few days off before heading down to Everett and then Tri-City to see if they can beat the Americans for the first time this season. The new look Giants may still have a few holes, but Bonner’s deadline acquisitions are fitting seamlessly into the line-up giving the Giants more size and more offensive weapons. This will serve them well in the many, many road games ahead. Next game in Everett is on Wednesday and the puck drops at the EEC, now known as the Comcast arena, at 7:05pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Brett Breitkreuz
2. Tomas Vincour
3. Clarke Breitkreuz
Giants Crush Cats
Vancouver 7 Prince George 2
Don Robinson
Game two of the showdown at the CN Centre started out better for the visitors. The Giants opened the scoring, but the Cougars responded with two straight to take a 2-1 lead into the first intermission. The Cougars were able to get 2 goals on 5 shots on Segal, but the young tender settled down and shut the door the rest of the game. The Giants, however, finally solved the PG netminder in a big way, scoring 5 unanswered to take a commanding lead by the end of the second. The game was not without emotion though as tempers boiled and a line brawl ensued early in the third. The Giants saw more production from their new acquisitions as the new guys were contributors on four of the seven goals and each of the newbies had a goal. The Giants did what they needed to do, sweeping the games in Prince George, solidifying their position atop the BC Division and more importantly getting early chemistry with their newest team-mates. The Giants added one in the third to put the game well out of reach. Taking the easy victory after their stumble early on.
Brett Breitkreuz opened the scoring just 22 seconds into the game, converting a great pass from behind the net by Brendan Gallagher who did a lot of the work on the play. Lance Bouma got the other helper. A couple of minutes later Breitkreuz the younger scored. Clarke Breitkreuz, younger brother of Brett scored his first goal with the Cougars and I believe his first goal in the dub. Clarke was in on the next goal as well getting the lone assist on Spencer Asuchak’s go ahead tally. Late in the period Brandon Scholten and Garrett Thiessen dropped the mitts as David Musil was tagged with a checking from behind penalty.
The second was all Giants, out shooting the Cougars 21-9 in the period and making them count. Tomas Vincour got the ball rolling 3:22 into the middle frame, burying a goal-scorers kind of goal, cutting across the slot and rifling the puck past Kyle Jahraus, who despite allowing 7 goals against did very well between the pipes. His back-up was an AP call-up not even on the official scoresheet and simply there to satisfy the rules and be able to go in should Jahraus go down. Dillon Scholten got the only assist.
The Giants broke the back of the Cougars when another new guy Brent Henke scored his 8th of the season short-handed about five minutes later. Breitkreuz got the only helper. Lance Bouma added one about a minute later coming out of the penalty box, going in hard to the net and lifting the puck past Jahraus. Gallagher was sharp to see Bouma coming out of the box, getting the puck quickly to the streaking power-forward. Late in the period the Giants finally made a PP chance count. Craig Cunningham scored a beauty, off of Kevin Connauton and Neil Manning. 12 seconds later Vincour (pronounced Vin-SORE btw) notched his second of the game and the period. Nolan Toigo and Breitkreuz contributed on the goal.
The third was played a little more evenly and lot more feisty. Toigo and Auschak started it off just over a minute into the final period, dropping the mitts for a brief bout which in the end acted as a warm-up for what was to come. Just under 40 seconds later a couple of boys got coincidental roughing calls as emotions were boiling. PG got a hooking called against them a minute after that. Then just past the five minute mark the ice exploded with emotion as a good old fashioned line-brawl broke out. Henry, Lyon Manning, D. Scholten and Vincour for the Giants and Bidlevski, Buonassisi, Forsberg, Fraser and Vlach for the Cats. Its always good to see scoring euros engage in a traditional Canadian hockey style dust-up and sticking up for their team-mates. I think I’m gonna like this Vincour dude. The rest of the period was littered with some more rough stuff and a bit of cheap stuff, but in the end Cunningham scored his 29th, assisted by Musil and it was all over. Some late fireworks, but the game was done and all the boys were probably all done in by the final buzzer.
The Giants out shot the Cougars 46-30. They went 1 for 7 on the PP, while holding the Cougars to, for the second night in a row, 0 for 7. More homer picks from the local selectors in this one I would say as no Cougar should be a star in a 7-2 blow-out. The Giants have a few days off before heading down to Everett and then Tri-City to see if they can beat the Americans for the first time this season. The new look Giants may still have a few holes, but Bonner’s deadline acquisitions are fitting seamlessly into the line-up giving the Giants more size and more offensive weapons. This will serve them well in the many, many road games ahead. Next game in Everett is on Wednesday and the puck drops at the EEC, now known as the Comcast arena, at 7:05pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Brett Breitkreuz
2. Tomas Vincour
3. Clarke Breitkreuz