dondo
10-09-2010, 12:32 AM
Giants Burn Rockets
Vancouver 4 Kelowna 1
The Giants battled some phantom reffing, but their special teams stepped up, crushing the Rockets PP with 9 kills and going 50% on their PP, scoring 3 goals on 6 chances. Marek Tvrdon opened the scoring early in the first, picking up the loose puck in the slot and snapping it past Adam Brown. The Rockets responded with a short-side tally coming out from behind the net. Matt McKay scored on the PP going to the net, from the point. In the second the Giants continued to make their PP work; having almost a full week off to practice helped the guys find their stride on their special teams. That said, the Giants were very guilty of failing to clear their own zone and made life difficult for themselves with poor puck placement. Brendan Gallagher snapped it through the wickets of Brown from the side of the net, taking a feed from Cunner coming off the side boards. Randy McNaught got his 1st goal as a Giant on the PP, going to the net late in the third.
The Giants were very good on their PK, forcing the Rockets to make plays before they were ready, pressuring the puck and taking an aggressive approach to their kill. It worked as for the first time this season the Giants did not give up a PP goal, despite weathering 9 penalties, including a long 5 on 3. The officials gleefully handed out invisible penalties, raising their arm at every whisper of a possible infraction. It was over-zealous and totally unnecessary. Once again the refs were trying to make themselves the story by calling soft as butter infractions. In the end the penalties helped the Giants maintain their focus in the game. Mark Segal was very solid and despite allowing one soft goal, cheating away from his post too early, he held his own in the crease and was challenging the shooters aggressively. The Giants were better tying up sticks, clearing the front of their net and finding the puck on their own doorstep in this game than I have seen so far this season. Now if they can just get away from those poor give-aways and clear their zone effectively they could become very dangerous.
Wes Vannieuwenhuizen absolutely rocked Kevin Smith in a no-contest fight, bloodying the 19 yr old defenseman badly in the process. Wes laid on some hard rights beating Smith down handily. Rookies in the line-up were Dalton Sward, Cain Franson and Austin Vetterl, who was the Giants most recent call-up with the defection of Caspar Carning. Tanner Sohn was back healthy and in the line-up. James Henry had a solid game as did the top line of Tvrdon, Cunner and Gally. Segal and the boys were lucky tonight as well, as the Rockets had some open looks, but could not convert them.
The G’s out shot the Rockets 35-31 and went 3 for 6 on the PP, holding the Rockets to 0 for 9 on their many man advantages. The Rockets have yet to win this young season, dropping their first four. The Giants go back at ‘er tomorrow night when the Kamloops Blazers come to town. There are still big holes in their game, but they are on the right path, clearing their dressing room of question marks by sending Derek Tendler to Swift Current this week and having Caspar Carning leave the team to head back to Sweden, opening up an import spot. The puck drops tomorrow at the Rink on Renfrew at 7pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Mark Segal
2. Brendan Gallagher
3. Craig Cunningham
Dondo’s Doghouse: Greg Lamoureux continues to moulder in my doghouse as he keeps being given premium opportunities and continues to fail to dial up his game to an intensity befitting a Giant. He’s not that fast, lacks finish around the net and is not the kind of guy to gut it out. I also still wonder why we picked up Michael Burns as he really is doing nothing for me at either end of the ice.
Vancouver 4 Kelowna 1
The Giants battled some phantom reffing, but their special teams stepped up, crushing the Rockets PP with 9 kills and going 50% on their PP, scoring 3 goals on 6 chances. Marek Tvrdon opened the scoring early in the first, picking up the loose puck in the slot and snapping it past Adam Brown. The Rockets responded with a short-side tally coming out from behind the net. Matt McKay scored on the PP going to the net, from the point. In the second the Giants continued to make their PP work; having almost a full week off to practice helped the guys find their stride on their special teams. That said, the Giants were very guilty of failing to clear their own zone and made life difficult for themselves with poor puck placement. Brendan Gallagher snapped it through the wickets of Brown from the side of the net, taking a feed from Cunner coming off the side boards. Randy McNaught got his 1st goal as a Giant on the PP, going to the net late in the third.
The Giants were very good on their PK, forcing the Rockets to make plays before they were ready, pressuring the puck and taking an aggressive approach to their kill. It worked as for the first time this season the Giants did not give up a PP goal, despite weathering 9 penalties, including a long 5 on 3. The officials gleefully handed out invisible penalties, raising their arm at every whisper of a possible infraction. It was over-zealous and totally unnecessary. Once again the refs were trying to make themselves the story by calling soft as butter infractions. In the end the penalties helped the Giants maintain their focus in the game. Mark Segal was very solid and despite allowing one soft goal, cheating away from his post too early, he held his own in the crease and was challenging the shooters aggressively. The Giants were better tying up sticks, clearing the front of their net and finding the puck on their own doorstep in this game than I have seen so far this season. Now if they can just get away from those poor give-aways and clear their zone effectively they could become very dangerous.
Wes Vannieuwenhuizen absolutely rocked Kevin Smith in a no-contest fight, bloodying the 19 yr old defenseman badly in the process. Wes laid on some hard rights beating Smith down handily. Rookies in the line-up were Dalton Sward, Cain Franson and Austin Vetterl, who was the Giants most recent call-up with the defection of Caspar Carning. Tanner Sohn was back healthy and in the line-up. James Henry had a solid game as did the top line of Tvrdon, Cunner and Gally. Segal and the boys were lucky tonight as well, as the Rockets had some open looks, but could not convert them.
The G’s out shot the Rockets 35-31 and went 3 for 6 on the PP, holding the Rockets to 0 for 9 on their many man advantages. The Rockets have yet to win this young season, dropping their first four. The Giants go back at ‘er tomorrow night when the Kamloops Blazers come to town. There are still big holes in their game, but they are on the right path, clearing their dressing room of question marks by sending Derek Tendler to Swift Current this week and having Caspar Carning leave the team to head back to Sweden, opening up an import spot. The puck drops tomorrow at the Rink on Renfrew at 7pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Mark Segal
2. Brendan Gallagher
3. Craig Cunningham
Dondo’s Doghouse: Greg Lamoureux continues to moulder in my doghouse as he keeps being given premium opportunities and continues to fail to dial up his game to an intensity befitting a Giant. He’s not that fast, lacks finish around the net and is not the kind of guy to gut it out. I also still wonder why we picked up Michael Burns as he really is doing nothing for me at either end of the ice.