dondo
12-29-2010, 02:01 PM
Giants Struggle Mightily In Kamloops, With No Cunningham
Blazers Blast Giants
Vancouver 1 Kamloops 6
On a night when the Giants lost their Captain and a quintessential franchise player to a harsh but necessary trade, the Giants did not do any better on the score sheet and in fact did worse. Craig Cunningham a player who until today had played his entire WHL career with the Giants, was dealt to Portland for a 20 yr old, a very marginal 18 yr old prospect and a 1st rounder in this coming years draft, and a second in 2012. The trade gives Cunner a chance to play his final season with a true contender and gives the Giants some future picks and a bit of depth. Bonner was quoted as saying it’s “the toughest deal he ever had to make…”. To be honest he got good value for a top player who won’t be around next season, but it still doesn’t make me feel any better.
The remaining Giants played much as they did in Vancouver though and were out-worked and out-skated, coughing up the puck far too easily. Jeff Bosch had to be a bit better in this one and was required to make a few clutch stops in the game. Younger players were moved up a bit and given quality ice-time as the team were still waiting for the Portland acquisitions to arrive. The minuses were spread around the line-up for the most part, but Reners continues to get some chances, but failing to finish and a definite liability on the defensive side. This is a kid who lit it up in bantam, but can’t seem to even really try at this level. It’s very frustrating.
The Blazers opened the scoring when Jordan DePape just back from a 5-game suspension put it past Brendan Jensen, for his first of two on the night. Brendan Willick started off a three goal second for the Blazers as they padded their lead to 4-0 by the end of the middle frame. The third saw three PP markers, two from Kamloops and one from Vancouver. Despite the lop-sided score, Jensen made some excellent stops in this one keeping his team kind of close until the floodgates opened wide. Bosch had to work hard himself to keep the score sheet tilted and the momentum flowing his team’s way.
Rookie Watch: Franson was back and had some good shifts and decent chances around the net. Sward got some time with Gallagher and Rowinski, playing some good shifts himself, but was like most of the Giants players, a –1. Hart was powering some shots through. Hodder still has some adjusting to do and growing to get into game shape, but he had his moments. Bellerive still at the under-17 tourney.
Fight Night: No fights, but lots of scrums after the whistle and tons of roughing calls.
Zebra Cage: Steve Papp and Colby Smith waddya expect? Sigh.
The Giants out shot the Blazers 32-28, but a fat lot of good it did them as they are seriously lacking finish these days. The Blazers were 3 for 5 on the PP, as the Giants PK did not work hard enough. The boys have very little team sacrifice these days and teams are eating them up. The Giants were 1 for 7, squandering most of their chances with some sloppy play and careless puck protection. Their PP is so predictable that other teams are setting up in their passing lanes before they even try to make a pass. They do not move around and cycle through and do not have those sharp short passes that keep a defending team off-balance. James Henry who was named Captain in Cunner’s stead was injured in the first Blazer tilt in Vancouver and will miss the next few weeks. Key injuries have not helped this squad in the least, but they still have a ton more to give out on the ice as far as I am concerned.
The team is struggling mightily right now and it’s more in their heads and not working smart and hard, than on the ice right now. They need a good win to feel a bit better and possibly pull out of their current slide and build back up as the season progresses. January is going to be a tough haul, with at least one week of four games in five nights. They also need their goaltenders to go back to stealing a few games here and there. Team cohesiveness is severely lacking and puck support is poor, but mostly wasting its good hard work with lazy follow-ups that are killing them. The Giants will grind it out in the corners, only to cough it up with poor puck control, sloppy passing and careless, uncaring puck movement. Finish is one thing, but the boys need to return to crashing the net with the puck and if not getting it past the tender at the very least draw the penalty the other guys are forced to take. Need a Machacek or Brule type to come out of the corner and go straight to the net, take the shot or muscle it close for the rebound. They are lacking effort, but mostly smart determined continuous effort.
The G’s have a couple of games in the next three nights. Moose Jaw at the Coliseum on Thursday and The Silvertips in Everett on New Years Eve (Friday) and they will have to be playing well to win either game. January’s gonna be tough and the team needs to find not only some chemistry, but an identity or they are going to be flailing during that month and slipping even further down the standings. They are at .500 now in a close division, with a dominant US division elevating their games. Puck drops at the Coliseum on Thursday at 7pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Jordan DePape
2. Corey Fienhage
3. Jeff Bosch
Dondo’s Doghouse: finish around the net and squandered efforts and opportunities. No one on the team is exempt from this disease and they need to get themselves well as a team and cut away those that are draggin them down.
Blazers Blast Giants
Vancouver 1 Kamloops 6
On a night when the Giants lost their Captain and a quintessential franchise player to a harsh but necessary trade, the Giants did not do any better on the score sheet and in fact did worse. Craig Cunningham a player who until today had played his entire WHL career with the Giants, was dealt to Portland for a 20 yr old, a very marginal 18 yr old prospect and a 1st rounder in this coming years draft, and a second in 2012. The trade gives Cunner a chance to play his final season with a true contender and gives the Giants some future picks and a bit of depth. Bonner was quoted as saying it’s “the toughest deal he ever had to make…”. To be honest he got good value for a top player who won’t be around next season, but it still doesn’t make me feel any better.
The remaining Giants played much as they did in Vancouver though and were out-worked and out-skated, coughing up the puck far too easily. Jeff Bosch had to be a bit better in this one and was required to make a few clutch stops in the game. Younger players were moved up a bit and given quality ice-time as the team were still waiting for the Portland acquisitions to arrive. The minuses were spread around the line-up for the most part, but Reners continues to get some chances, but failing to finish and a definite liability on the defensive side. This is a kid who lit it up in bantam, but can’t seem to even really try at this level. It’s very frustrating.
The Blazers opened the scoring when Jordan DePape just back from a 5-game suspension put it past Brendan Jensen, for his first of two on the night. Brendan Willick started off a three goal second for the Blazers as they padded their lead to 4-0 by the end of the middle frame. The third saw three PP markers, two from Kamloops and one from Vancouver. Despite the lop-sided score, Jensen made some excellent stops in this one keeping his team kind of close until the floodgates opened wide. Bosch had to work hard himself to keep the score sheet tilted and the momentum flowing his team’s way.
Rookie Watch: Franson was back and had some good shifts and decent chances around the net. Sward got some time with Gallagher and Rowinski, playing some good shifts himself, but was like most of the Giants players, a –1. Hart was powering some shots through. Hodder still has some adjusting to do and growing to get into game shape, but he had his moments. Bellerive still at the under-17 tourney.
Fight Night: No fights, but lots of scrums after the whistle and tons of roughing calls.
Zebra Cage: Steve Papp and Colby Smith waddya expect? Sigh.
The Giants out shot the Blazers 32-28, but a fat lot of good it did them as they are seriously lacking finish these days. The Blazers were 3 for 5 on the PP, as the Giants PK did not work hard enough. The boys have very little team sacrifice these days and teams are eating them up. The Giants were 1 for 7, squandering most of their chances with some sloppy play and careless puck protection. Their PP is so predictable that other teams are setting up in their passing lanes before they even try to make a pass. They do not move around and cycle through and do not have those sharp short passes that keep a defending team off-balance. James Henry who was named Captain in Cunner’s stead was injured in the first Blazer tilt in Vancouver and will miss the next few weeks. Key injuries have not helped this squad in the least, but they still have a ton more to give out on the ice as far as I am concerned.
The team is struggling mightily right now and it’s more in their heads and not working smart and hard, than on the ice right now. They need a good win to feel a bit better and possibly pull out of their current slide and build back up as the season progresses. January is going to be a tough haul, with at least one week of four games in five nights. They also need their goaltenders to go back to stealing a few games here and there. Team cohesiveness is severely lacking and puck support is poor, but mostly wasting its good hard work with lazy follow-ups that are killing them. The Giants will grind it out in the corners, only to cough it up with poor puck control, sloppy passing and careless, uncaring puck movement. Finish is one thing, but the boys need to return to crashing the net with the puck and if not getting it past the tender at the very least draw the penalty the other guys are forced to take. Need a Machacek or Brule type to come out of the corner and go straight to the net, take the shot or muscle it close for the rebound. They are lacking effort, but mostly smart determined continuous effort.
The G’s have a couple of games in the next three nights. Moose Jaw at the Coliseum on Thursday and The Silvertips in Everett on New Years Eve (Friday) and they will have to be playing well to win either game. January’s gonna be tough and the team needs to find not only some chemistry, but an identity or they are going to be flailing during that month and slipping even further down the standings. They are at .500 now in a close division, with a dominant US division elevating their games. Puck drops at the Coliseum on Thursday at 7pm PST.
Three Stars
1. Jordan DePape
2. Corey Fienhage
3. Jeff Bosch
Dondo’s Doghouse: finish around the net and squandered efforts and opportunities. No one on the team is exempt from this disease and they need to get themselves well as a team and cut away those that are draggin them down.