dondo
04-08-2010, 01:13 AM
Two of the worst refs Kirk and Savage (happy they won't be there for the next tilt - they better not be), boring hockey. No life or drive from the Giants. After shredding the Winterhawks down south the Giants just didn't show up in this one and the Winterhawks showed up enough to clog up the ice and close check the crap out of the Giants, riding and frequently crossing that very thin interference line. The Giants needed a whole lot more battle in this one and allowed the Winterhawks out of their zone far too easily. They also were not willing to pay the price and could have got the win with better and more effort. Segal was okay tonight, another above .900 game, but looked very sloppy with the puck and had a puck slip between his pads, but not hit the net. Hoping for a much better playoff level game come Friday.
Hawks Chop Giants
Rnd 2 Game 3: Vancouver 2 Portland 3
Don Robinson
I have to say that Chris Savage and Matt Kirk are simply two of the worst refs in the league and tonight they missed a bunch and made some dumb calls, but that’s not why the Giants lost. This game was up for grabs for most of the minutes, as neither team seemed to be ready to really gut it out and go for the victory. The Winterhawks played a perfect road game, taking away ice, keeping the Giants to the outside and checking very effectively. The Giants seriously lacked jump tonight and when their goalie finally puts in a solid outing they fail to get pucks to the net, lose their drive to the net and float for the majority of the game. They were not willing to the pay the price at either end of the ice, did not lay down and block shots or challenge the shooters. The G’s had the kind of effort they should have had for the whole game for the final five minutes, but it was too little too late. The Winterhawks opened the scoring getting the only goal of the first. The Giants tied it back up in the second, but the ‘hawks matched that to go into the third up by one. Portland added their second PP of the game in the third to go up by two and still the Giants seemed disinterested in battling hard. The home squad got within one late in the third. Pulling the goalie gave them a bit more pressure in the Portland zone, but they could not get the tying marker before time expired.
The Winterhawks opened the scoring on the PP, just past the one-minute mark of the period. Spencer Bennett put one through traffic, which found the twine behind Mark Segal. It was Bennett’s first playoff goal. The PP came when Sbisa laid a very late hit on a player who never touched the puck, the hit was high and Bouma took Sbisa to task. According to the stats on the WHL site there should not have been a Portland PP as Sbisa was given an interference, Bouma a roughing, Ross and Toigo roughing, but Toigo ended up being tagged for an extra somewhere in there (although it isn’t on the official sheet). A seriously stupid call and poor decision made by awful zebras with their heads firmly up their butts. By all common sense it should have been a saw-off with the guys skating 4 on 4. The Winterhawks had a bit more puck hunger in the period out shooting the home squad 16-11. The Giants were getting out worked and muscled easily off the puck. The ‘hawks played a very smart checking game and eliminated chances before they developed.
James Wright tied it up early in the second going to the net and finding a seam before cutting across the crease and slipping the puck under Ian Curtis’ pad. Wright seemed to be one of the few Giants to show up tonight and the Winterhawk’s checking kept Craig Cunningham and Brendan Gallagher off of the score sheet. JT Barnett and Tomas Vincour got the assists on the play. The Winterhawks regained the lead late in the second when a Giant player goes down (was pulled down) in the Portland zone giving the Winterhawks an odd-man rush that eventually becomes a 4 on 2. A nice pass across and a fake fools Segal who came across the net well, but has the puck slip between the wickets when he stands back up. About a minute after that gloves go flying and Brett Ponich and Kevin Connauton, two #6’s, go toe to toe. Kind of a nothing tilt, which saw both players throw some and miss a ton. Eventually they go down with no clear winner, judge’s decision marginally awarded to Ponich.
Portland gets another early period PP in the third and capitalises. Luca Sbisa fires one from the point, post and in, past a screened Segal. You would think that it would have motivated the Giants to up their game, but they still seemed to be in that no man’s land and with the crowd mostly out of it and the energy in the building low, the boys really had no drive to grab the game. James Wright finally gets his second of the game with just under three minutes left. A PP marker that ended a very nice passing play, where the hell was this kind of puck movement for the rest of the game is my question, putting it home on the doorstep. Milan Kytnar and James Henry got the helpers. Ian Curtis did not have to be good at all in this one as the Giants made most of their scoring chances count; they just didn’t earn themselves a lot of scoring chances. That was as close as the Giants would come, despite the goal getting some energy back in the building and a bit of life in the boys. The Giants didn’t do enough to get the win and could probably have had it had they brought the effort they brought in the last five minutes of the game through, at the very least, the third period.
The Winterhawks out shot the Giants 38-31. The G-Men went 1 for 4 on the PP, while allowing the Hawks to go 2 for 5. The Giants battled the puck all night long, as the puck was a pinball on their sticks. It was not what I would call good hockey and the game itself was a bit of snoozer, definitely not playoff level effort, energy or hunger and that disappoints me. The Giants had the chance to put the boots to the Winterhawks, go up 3-0 in the series and I suppose they came out with a less than focused attitude and let the game slip with their lack of hunger. They need to battle harder for the puck and fight more to maintain possession as well as drive the net hard with the puck going for the goal or to draw the penalty. I expect much more effort and drive from the Giants come Friday for Game 4. Games 4 and 5 will be played in Vancouver, as the series is a 2-3-2 format. Game 5 will be on Saturday at 7:00pm PDT, while Game 4 will go on Friday at 7:30pm PDT.
Three Stars
1. Chris Francis
2. Luca Sbisa
3. James Wright
Hawks Chop Giants
Rnd 2 Game 3: Vancouver 2 Portland 3
Don Robinson
I have to say that Chris Savage and Matt Kirk are simply two of the worst refs in the league and tonight they missed a bunch and made some dumb calls, but that’s not why the Giants lost. This game was up for grabs for most of the minutes, as neither team seemed to be ready to really gut it out and go for the victory. The Winterhawks played a perfect road game, taking away ice, keeping the Giants to the outside and checking very effectively. The Giants seriously lacked jump tonight and when their goalie finally puts in a solid outing they fail to get pucks to the net, lose their drive to the net and float for the majority of the game. They were not willing to the pay the price at either end of the ice, did not lay down and block shots or challenge the shooters. The G’s had the kind of effort they should have had for the whole game for the final five minutes, but it was too little too late. The Winterhawks opened the scoring getting the only goal of the first. The Giants tied it back up in the second, but the ‘hawks matched that to go into the third up by one. Portland added their second PP of the game in the third to go up by two and still the Giants seemed disinterested in battling hard. The home squad got within one late in the third. Pulling the goalie gave them a bit more pressure in the Portland zone, but they could not get the tying marker before time expired.
The Winterhawks opened the scoring on the PP, just past the one-minute mark of the period. Spencer Bennett put one through traffic, which found the twine behind Mark Segal. It was Bennett’s first playoff goal. The PP came when Sbisa laid a very late hit on a player who never touched the puck, the hit was high and Bouma took Sbisa to task. According to the stats on the WHL site there should not have been a Portland PP as Sbisa was given an interference, Bouma a roughing, Ross and Toigo roughing, but Toigo ended up being tagged for an extra somewhere in there (although it isn’t on the official sheet). A seriously stupid call and poor decision made by awful zebras with their heads firmly up their butts. By all common sense it should have been a saw-off with the guys skating 4 on 4. The Winterhawks had a bit more puck hunger in the period out shooting the home squad 16-11. The Giants were getting out worked and muscled easily off the puck. The ‘hawks played a very smart checking game and eliminated chances before they developed.
James Wright tied it up early in the second going to the net and finding a seam before cutting across the crease and slipping the puck under Ian Curtis’ pad. Wright seemed to be one of the few Giants to show up tonight and the Winterhawk’s checking kept Craig Cunningham and Brendan Gallagher off of the score sheet. JT Barnett and Tomas Vincour got the assists on the play. The Winterhawks regained the lead late in the second when a Giant player goes down (was pulled down) in the Portland zone giving the Winterhawks an odd-man rush that eventually becomes a 4 on 2. A nice pass across and a fake fools Segal who came across the net well, but has the puck slip between the wickets when he stands back up. About a minute after that gloves go flying and Brett Ponich and Kevin Connauton, two #6’s, go toe to toe. Kind of a nothing tilt, which saw both players throw some and miss a ton. Eventually they go down with no clear winner, judge’s decision marginally awarded to Ponich.
Portland gets another early period PP in the third and capitalises. Luca Sbisa fires one from the point, post and in, past a screened Segal. You would think that it would have motivated the Giants to up their game, but they still seemed to be in that no man’s land and with the crowd mostly out of it and the energy in the building low, the boys really had no drive to grab the game. James Wright finally gets his second of the game with just under three minutes left. A PP marker that ended a very nice passing play, where the hell was this kind of puck movement for the rest of the game is my question, putting it home on the doorstep. Milan Kytnar and James Henry got the helpers. Ian Curtis did not have to be good at all in this one as the Giants made most of their scoring chances count; they just didn’t earn themselves a lot of scoring chances. That was as close as the Giants would come, despite the goal getting some energy back in the building and a bit of life in the boys. The Giants didn’t do enough to get the win and could probably have had it had they brought the effort they brought in the last five minutes of the game through, at the very least, the third period.
The Winterhawks out shot the Giants 38-31. The G-Men went 1 for 4 on the PP, while allowing the Hawks to go 2 for 5. The Giants battled the puck all night long, as the puck was a pinball on their sticks. It was not what I would call good hockey and the game itself was a bit of snoozer, definitely not playoff level effort, energy or hunger and that disappoints me. The Giants had the chance to put the boots to the Winterhawks, go up 3-0 in the series and I suppose they came out with a less than focused attitude and let the game slip with their lack of hunger. They need to battle harder for the puck and fight more to maintain possession as well as drive the net hard with the puck going for the goal or to draw the penalty. I expect much more effort and drive from the Giants come Friday for Game 4. Games 4 and 5 will be played in Vancouver, as the series is a 2-3-2 format. Game 5 will be on Saturday at 7:00pm PDT, while Game 4 will go on Friday at 7:30pm PDT.
Three Stars
1. Chris Francis
2. Luca Sbisa
3. James Wright