dondo
10-16-2010, 01:44 AM
Thunderbirds Rattle Giants
Vancouver 3 Seattle 4 OT/SO
The Giants had a tough night on special teams tonight and it was the difference in very balanced game. The Thunderbirds brought a speedy game with big bodies, while the Giants brought tenacity and mobility. The problem was that they did not have itchy enough trigger fingers. The story tonight was pass, pass and pass some more. Even Giants players in mostly clear lanes, opted to dish off through traffic. The home squad allowed two PP goals against and were unable to capitalise on their chances. The boys could have played a bit more hungry at times, but for the most part played some solid hockey.
Brendan Gallagher opened the scoring early in the first taking a Cunningham feed and ripping it top corner. Burke Gallimore with his first of two on the night, responded on the PP under a minute later when Jordan Martinook was blown for a penalty for driving to the net with the puck on a scoring chance. A completely bogus call which I will elaborate on more later. Seattle scored another PP goal late. The Giants improved their PK later in the game, challenging the puck carrier and not standing around as much. Greg Lamoureux tied it up before the end of the opening frame, going to the net, getting a shot and batting home his own rebound as he fell over the goalie. Lamoureux had one of his best games as a Giant I can recall. Late in the second Gallagher scored another one to regain the lead for the home squad. Seattle chipped one over Mark Segal early in the third, tying the game once again. The Giants had a few strong forays into the Seattle end of the ice, but were too busy cycling and passing to get shots on net. It was Gretzky who said that you do not score on 100% of the shots you do not take, and sadly the G’s took that to heart tonight. The G’s squandered a late PP chance, which bridged over into OT, killed a Seattle PP advantage in OT and then lost in a shootout.
Zebra Cage: Andy Thiessen was in his usual form tonight make inane calls and ignoring others. The one which changed the very nature of the game was the one on Martinook who did what players do when they want score, drive hard to the net with the puck. Calvin Pickard came out to challenge and Martinook fell over him for some reason garnering a goaltender interference. The result was the Thunderbird’s first goal. Don Hay had a discussion with Thiessen asking him why that was a penalty. Thiessen not only maintained that it was the right call, but – get this – his supervisors concurred. The thing that scares me the most is that not only did the ref make a very incorrect call and completely over-stepped his bounds, was that his supervisors agreed. If these are the kind of supervisors we have advising the bad refs in this league then its time to completely over-haul the whole system. If that is a penalty then there were half a dozen goaltender interference penalties tonight that weren’t called. If that is a penalty then our game truly is doomed, when a player can’t drive hard to the net with the puck.
Rookie Watch: The Giants fans got their first look at this years first round Bantam draft pick Anthony Ast. He was injured during camp so even the diehards were unable to look at the kid. On the small side there was no smallness of heart or effort. He had a few good scoring chances, some surprising hits for a 15 year old to give and a nose for the puck. He should be a definite keeper as a 16 year old next year. Hayzer played him in late minutes trusting that he might be the one to get it past Pickard. Dalton Sward had some good shifts and I wish that Hay would trust him more with quality minutes. Hay was saying he was slightly disappointed in Dalton’s effort tonight, but I felt he was as good as the kind of minutes he was getting and should have had more. Cain Franson who I thought was just okay tonight, impressed Hay more. Matt Bellerive was still out on the second game of his two game suspension. Bellerive will be back in the line-up tomorrow versus the Bruins.
Fight Night: A Great toe to toe in this game though between Wes Vannieuwenhuizen and Jacob Doty. Vannieuwenhuizen took a quick jab off the start but shook it off and hung in there. It was not a mutual pummelling with a flurry of blows, but both guys got their shots in there. There was an almost take-down, but the bout ended with both players on their feet and hanging off each other. A good battle that was fully appreciated by the crowd. Yeah fans hate fighting. Riiiiiiiiiight.
The Giants were out shot by the T-Birds 37-30, mainly because the G’s only garnered 2 shots in the third period, yes a whole 2 shots. Hay maintains they weren’t sitting back and trying to protect the lead, but I beg to differ. When you send it one or zero fore-checkers versus a speedy team like Seattle then you are doing just that. The scoring hunger simply was not there and the constant back passing to the blue-line was making me mental. The Giants PP continues to be predictable and they spend way too much time playing with the puck at the blue-line and bunching up along the boards. Curiously the goals they tend to score with the man-advantage usually involve traffic to the net and a shot which gets through. Rarely do they complete that cross-crease pass, but they try it 80% of the time and a shot through traffic 10%. I am needing some selfishness on the PP and players who are not afraid to pull the trigger. It doesn’t have to be a big slapper just something that gets through traffic. The Seattle squad went 2 for 6 on the PP, while the Giants failed to use their man-advantages to any effect going 0 for 6.
The Giants currently boast the two top scorers (points-wise) in the league. Craig Cunningham now has 19 points (with 2A tonight), while Gally has 18 (with 2G tonight), but their support scoring is virtually non-existent. The closest is their usual line-mate Marek Tvrdon who has 11 points in 11 games, failing to get a point tonight mostly playing with the second line squad. The G’s are now 5-4-1-1, still top of a surprisingly weak BC division, with 12 points and a BC division opponent tomorrow night. The Bruins have been great as of late beating very good teams, so the Giants had better be prepared going into Chilliwack tomorrow, or they could slip back to .500 hockey. Puck tomorrow drops at 7pm.
Three Stars
1. Brendan Dillon
2. Brendan Gallagher
3. Burke Gallimore
Dondo’s Doghouse: It’s gotta be special teams again, struggling and not doing what it takes to break out their slumps. The PK got more aggressive and was better after allowing two goals against, but the PP is predictable and trying too hard for that perfect play. I need to see greasy ugly Giants goals. They all count. Also doghouse denizens tonight are the zebras who called an okay game except for a few brain farts, but mainly for them to say that that play was a penalty -- that is simply wrong. If that’s a penalty then the game we know and love is in deep trouble. Its bad enough the NHL has gotten so paranoid about injuries, but not willing to hold players responsible for their own safety, that they are adding more and more calls, overloading a rupturing system, with too many under-qualified refs and killing any emotion in the game. Its taken awhile but Bettman is getting closer to destroying our game to point that it is unwatchable.
Vancouver 3 Seattle 4 OT/SO
The Giants had a tough night on special teams tonight and it was the difference in very balanced game. The Thunderbirds brought a speedy game with big bodies, while the Giants brought tenacity and mobility. The problem was that they did not have itchy enough trigger fingers. The story tonight was pass, pass and pass some more. Even Giants players in mostly clear lanes, opted to dish off through traffic. The home squad allowed two PP goals against and were unable to capitalise on their chances. The boys could have played a bit more hungry at times, but for the most part played some solid hockey.
Brendan Gallagher opened the scoring early in the first taking a Cunningham feed and ripping it top corner. Burke Gallimore with his first of two on the night, responded on the PP under a minute later when Jordan Martinook was blown for a penalty for driving to the net with the puck on a scoring chance. A completely bogus call which I will elaborate on more later. Seattle scored another PP goal late. The Giants improved their PK later in the game, challenging the puck carrier and not standing around as much. Greg Lamoureux tied it up before the end of the opening frame, going to the net, getting a shot and batting home his own rebound as he fell over the goalie. Lamoureux had one of his best games as a Giant I can recall. Late in the second Gallagher scored another one to regain the lead for the home squad. Seattle chipped one over Mark Segal early in the third, tying the game once again. The Giants had a few strong forays into the Seattle end of the ice, but were too busy cycling and passing to get shots on net. It was Gretzky who said that you do not score on 100% of the shots you do not take, and sadly the G’s took that to heart tonight. The G’s squandered a late PP chance, which bridged over into OT, killed a Seattle PP advantage in OT and then lost in a shootout.
Zebra Cage: Andy Thiessen was in his usual form tonight make inane calls and ignoring others. The one which changed the very nature of the game was the one on Martinook who did what players do when they want score, drive hard to the net with the puck. Calvin Pickard came out to challenge and Martinook fell over him for some reason garnering a goaltender interference. The result was the Thunderbird’s first goal. Don Hay had a discussion with Thiessen asking him why that was a penalty. Thiessen not only maintained that it was the right call, but – get this – his supervisors concurred. The thing that scares me the most is that not only did the ref make a very incorrect call and completely over-stepped his bounds, was that his supervisors agreed. If these are the kind of supervisors we have advising the bad refs in this league then its time to completely over-haul the whole system. If that is a penalty then there were half a dozen goaltender interference penalties tonight that weren’t called. If that is a penalty then our game truly is doomed, when a player can’t drive hard to the net with the puck.
Rookie Watch: The Giants fans got their first look at this years first round Bantam draft pick Anthony Ast. He was injured during camp so even the diehards were unable to look at the kid. On the small side there was no smallness of heart or effort. He had a few good scoring chances, some surprising hits for a 15 year old to give and a nose for the puck. He should be a definite keeper as a 16 year old next year. Hayzer played him in late minutes trusting that he might be the one to get it past Pickard. Dalton Sward had some good shifts and I wish that Hay would trust him more with quality minutes. Hay was saying he was slightly disappointed in Dalton’s effort tonight, but I felt he was as good as the kind of minutes he was getting and should have had more. Cain Franson who I thought was just okay tonight, impressed Hay more. Matt Bellerive was still out on the second game of his two game suspension. Bellerive will be back in the line-up tomorrow versus the Bruins.
Fight Night: A Great toe to toe in this game though between Wes Vannieuwenhuizen and Jacob Doty. Vannieuwenhuizen took a quick jab off the start but shook it off and hung in there. It was not a mutual pummelling with a flurry of blows, but both guys got their shots in there. There was an almost take-down, but the bout ended with both players on their feet and hanging off each other. A good battle that was fully appreciated by the crowd. Yeah fans hate fighting. Riiiiiiiiiight.
The Giants were out shot by the T-Birds 37-30, mainly because the G’s only garnered 2 shots in the third period, yes a whole 2 shots. Hay maintains they weren’t sitting back and trying to protect the lead, but I beg to differ. When you send it one or zero fore-checkers versus a speedy team like Seattle then you are doing just that. The scoring hunger simply was not there and the constant back passing to the blue-line was making me mental. The Giants PP continues to be predictable and they spend way too much time playing with the puck at the blue-line and bunching up along the boards. Curiously the goals they tend to score with the man-advantage usually involve traffic to the net and a shot which gets through. Rarely do they complete that cross-crease pass, but they try it 80% of the time and a shot through traffic 10%. I am needing some selfishness on the PP and players who are not afraid to pull the trigger. It doesn’t have to be a big slapper just something that gets through traffic. The Seattle squad went 2 for 6 on the PP, while the Giants failed to use their man-advantages to any effect going 0 for 6.
The Giants currently boast the two top scorers (points-wise) in the league. Craig Cunningham now has 19 points (with 2A tonight), while Gally has 18 (with 2G tonight), but their support scoring is virtually non-existent. The closest is their usual line-mate Marek Tvrdon who has 11 points in 11 games, failing to get a point tonight mostly playing with the second line squad. The G’s are now 5-4-1-1, still top of a surprisingly weak BC division, with 12 points and a BC division opponent tomorrow night. The Bruins have been great as of late beating very good teams, so the Giants had better be prepared going into Chilliwack tomorrow, or they could slip back to .500 hockey. Puck tomorrow drops at 7pm.
Three Stars
1. Brendan Dillon
2. Brendan Gallagher
3. Burke Gallimore
Dondo’s Doghouse: It’s gotta be special teams again, struggling and not doing what it takes to break out their slumps. The PK got more aggressive and was better after allowing two goals against, but the PP is predictable and trying too hard for that perfect play. I need to see greasy ugly Giants goals. They all count. Also doghouse denizens tonight are the zebras who called an okay game except for a few brain farts, but mainly for them to say that that play was a penalty -- that is simply wrong. If that’s a penalty then the game we know and love is in deep trouble. Its bad enough the NHL has gotten so paranoid about injuries, but not willing to hold players responsible for their own safety, that they are adding more and more calls, overloading a rupturing system, with too many under-qualified refs and killing any emotion in the game. Its taken awhile but Bettman is getting closer to destroying our game to point that it is unwatchable.