dondo
01-25-2011, 08:29 PM
Recap Games Jan 21-23, 2011
Back in town, so recaps should be game by game again .. recapping past three
Three games in three nights two in Vancouver and one in Kamloops. Giants unis did not make it on the bus to Kamloops and as such the Giants were wearing Kamloops Blazers practice jerseys for the game. Yes, for the game. Cue eternal and unending ribbing for the equipment manager, who will probably never ever live that one down. Andrej Stastny looked merely okay in the tilt versus PG, but he racked up 7pts total the next two games, scoring a hat-trick for a 4-point night and the next day versus Chilliwack notching three more points. Gallagher and Bennett continue to contribute and some of the players who have not been their best this season are beginning to step it up at the right time of the year. Players like Nathan Burns are finding a better game as the season progresses. The team has some nice balance and chemistry right now and for the first time this season have a healthy defense to the point where good players are sitting out games here and there.
Vs Cougars Jan 21, 2011 3 – 0 Giants
At first glance it seems that a 3-0 victory would have been and easy one, but it was a 1-0 game until late in the third period. Both goalies were excellent and James Priestner for Prince George had to be exceptional in the first to hold his team in early. The PP broke dual goose-eggs early the second. Brendan Rowinski, off of Darren Bestland and Brendan Gallagher. Mark Segal played his best late in the second and early in the third, when the Cougars pushed for the tying marker. Matt Bellerive was sprung by Greg Lamoureux and Neil Manning and made no mistake burying a nice shot. Nathan Burns padded that out a few minutes later to salt the game away. Michael Burns and Bestland with the helpers. Neil Manning of all people and Jaroslav Vlach dropped the mitts in the final minute, with Manning doing all right in the tussle. Although it was tightly played game, the Giants were guilty of allowing some very good chances on Segal. Segal played a very good game and got some luck to get the shutout, his fourth of the season.
@ Blazers Jan 22, 2011 6 –1 Giants
Another convincing outing by the Giants. Andrej Stastny had a coming out party of sorts, notching 4 pts and getting his first WHL hat-trick. Spencer Bennett had 1G and 2A. Gallagher notched a SH marker. Bennett opened the scoring and the Blazers got that back on the PP in the first sending the two teams to the first intermission tied. It took ‘til late in the second for Stastny to break the tie. Gallagher scored a SH marker in the third and the Giants just rolled on from there when Nathan Burns tallied one 40 seconds after that. Stastny added two more to complete his hat, dumping the Blazers in the process. Dalton Sward and (former Giant) JT Barnett went toe to toe, with Sward getting a final cold cocking jab to JTs glass jaw sending him to the ice. Segal had another solid outing.
Vs Bruins Jan 24, 2011 7 – 3 Giants
Gallagher gets the hat-trick in this one. Stastny, feeling it, scores the first goal. Vancouver up 7-0 at one point and allow 3 in the third, which is not what you want. It feels like they let up and got beat on goals they shouldn’t have been allowing. End of the first Kevin Sundher and Lamoureux drop the mitts. Stastny, Gallagher and Michael Burns score in the first. Stastny scores early in the second and Gallagher adds two more in the middle frame, one of them being a SH marker. Giants out shoot Bruins 21-1 in the first period, Bruins manage a mere 16 shots by the end of the game. Segal allows 2 goals on 13 shots and Brendan Jensen in relief allows a late one letting 1 of 3 get by him. I am not very impressed with how the boys closed out this game as they dominated for the whole game, stopped playing and then gave the Bruins good chances on minimal shots. Both goalies have got to be better than that and not lose their focus late. Giants out shoot Bruins 36-16. Giants went 1 for 9 on the PP, and the Bruins were 1 for 4. I don’t like it when a team you have been dominating gets back into the game because you stopped playing.
To be honest its not acceptable and most definitely not Giants hockey, better discipline is needed. Also, the PP is still not great. I hazard to suggest that the Giants are still playing their predictable PP arrangement, not cycling through the zone, playing dangerously with the puck along the blue-line. This team is capable of really cycling that puck around and bringing their defensemen in a bit forcing the other guys to close their box down a bit more. I need to see them really go hard to the net to create traffic and make sure they are always moving through the zone. Nice to see the boys having success, but they need to remain disciplined for when the puck isn’t so easily finding twine. They cannot afford to get lazy.
Back in town, so recaps should be game by game again .. recapping past three
Three games in three nights two in Vancouver and one in Kamloops. Giants unis did not make it on the bus to Kamloops and as such the Giants were wearing Kamloops Blazers practice jerseys for the game. Yes, for the game. Cue eternal and unending ribbing for the equipment manager, who will probably never ever live that one down. Andrej Stastny looked merely okay in the tilt versus PG, but he racked up 7pts total the next two games, scoring a hat-trick for a 4-point night and the next day versus Chilliwack notching three more points. Gallagher and Bennett continue to contribute and some of the players who have not been their best this season are beginning to step it up at the right time of the year. Players like Nathan Burns are finding a better game as the season progresses. The team has some nice balance and chemistry right now and for the first time this season have a healthy defense to the point where good players are sitting out games here and there.
Vs Cougars Jan 21, 2011 3 – 0 Giants
At first glance it seems that a 3-0 victory would have been and easy one, but it was a 1-0 game until late in the third period. Both goalies were excellent and James Priestner for Prince George had to be exceptional in the first to hold his team in early. The PP broke dual goose-eggs early the second. Brendan Rowinski, off of Darren Bestland and Brendan Gallagher. Mark Segal played his best late in the second and early in the third, when the Cougars pushed for the tying marker. Matt Bellerive was sprung by Greg Lamoureux and Neil Manning and made no mistake burying a nice shot. Nathan Burns padded that out a few minutes later to salt the game away. Michael Burns and Bestland with the helpers. Neil Manning of all people and Jaroslav Vlach dropped the mitts in the final minute, with Manning doing all right in the tussle. Although it was tightly played game, the Giants were guilty of allowing some very good chances on Segal. Segal played a very good game and got some luck to get the shutout, his fourth of the season.
@ Blazers Jan 22, 2011 6 –1 Giants
Another convincing outing by the Giants. Andrej Stastny had a coming out party of sorts, notching 4 pts and getting his first WHL hat-trick. Spencer Bennett had 1G and 2A. Gallagher notched a SH marker. Bennett opened the scoring and the Blazers got that back on the PP in the first sending the two teams to the first intermission tied. It took ‘til late in the second for Stastny to break the tie. Gallagher scored a SH marker in the third and the Giants just rolled on from there when Nathan Burns tallied one 40 seconds after that. Stastny added two more to complete his hat, dumping the Blazers in the process. Dalton Sward and (former Giant) JT Barnett went toe to toe, with Sward getting a final cold cocking jab to JTs glass jaw sending him to the ice. Segal had another solid outing.
Vs Bruins Jan 24, 2011 7 – 3 Giants
Gallagher gets the hat-trick in this one. Stastny, feeling it, scores the first goal. Vancouver up 7-0 at one point and allow 3 in the third, which is not what you want. It feels like they let up and got beat on goals they shouldn’t have been allowing. End of the first Kevin Sundher and Lamoureux drop the mitts. Stastny, Gallagher and Michael Burns score in the first. Stastny scores early in the second and Gallagher adds two more in the middle frame, one of them being a SH marker. Giants out shoot Bruins 21-1 in the first period, Bruins manage a mere 16 shots by the end of the game. Segal allows 2 goals on 13 shots and Brendan Jensen in relief allows a late one letting 1 of 3 get by him. I am not very impressed with how the boys closed out this game as they dominated for the whole game, stopped playing and then gave the Bruins good chances on minimal shots. Both goalies have got to be better than that and not lose their focus late. Giants out shoot Bruins 36-16. Giants went 1 for 9 on the PP, and the Bruins were 1 for 4. I don’t like it when a team you have been dominating gets back into the game because you stopped playing.
To be honest its not acceptable and most definitely not Giants hockey, better discipline is needed. Also, the PP is still not great. I hazard to suggest that the Giants are still playing their predictable PP arrangement, not cycling through the zone, playing dangerously with the puck along the blue-line. This team is capable of really cycling that puck around and bringing their defensemen in a bit forcing the other guys to close their box down a bit more. I need to see them really go hard to the net to create traffic and make sure they are always moving through the zone. Nice to see the boys having success, but they need to remain disciplined for when the puck isn’t so easily finding twine. They cannot afford to get lazy.