dondo
02-19-2011, 02:16 AM
Giants Roast Thunderbirds
Vancouver 6 Seattle 2
I have been saying for a while now that the 18 year olds other than Gally and other journeymen players have to step up their games and that the Giants need depth scoring. I got my wish tonight in spades. Despite a less than impressive PP, the Giants used their PP’s momentum to push themselves, scoring goals shortly after. A minor sag in the second almost lost them a 3-0 lead, but the boys bounced back in the third notching three more to take the win. The second and third line boys were gutting it out, going to the net and chasing down loose pucks. Their second effort was definitely there tonight as well. Mark Segal was mostly solid, but would want the second goal on him back I think. Not a whole lot of emotion in this game, but it was entertaining none-the-less.
The Giants opened the scoring in the first when Jordan Martinook went hard to the net, chipping the puck on goal and getting his own rebound past Calvin Pickard. Andrej Stastny and Teal Burns with the helpers. That was the only goal of the first. 17 seconds into the second Brendan Gallagher picked off a bad clearing attempt and passed across to Brendan Rowinski who was wide open in the slot. Nathan Burns found the loose puck on the doorstep mid-second and put it past Pickard. Darren Bestland and David Musil got the assists on the play. A couple of minutes later Luke Lockhart put it past Segal going hard to the net to draw the visitors within two. Brenden Dillon made it 3-2 a few minutes later, cutting down the slot and shooting the puck low stick-side on Segal while pushing his way through a couple of defensemen who forgot to take the body or stick. Martinook notched another goal just under two minutes into the third as a Giants PP had just expired. Despite looking a bit scattered on their PP and not really using it as an advantage in this one, the Giants did use the momentum of their advantages to up their energy level on ensuing shifts. Bestland and Teal with the helpers on Martinook’s second. Nathan scored his second of the game gutting one past Pickard, with Teal and Stastny garnering the extra points. Zach Hodder closed out the scoring floating one through from the point. Michael Burns and Martinook with the assists. Credit the T-Birds for not giving up as they pressed for most of the game, but got minimal shots on Segal and were rarely allowed a lane to the front of the net to get to those rebounds.
Rookie Watch: Hart back in the line-up, was even playing a decent game. Sward playing minimal minutes still looked good. Bellerive sat and Franson was in playing with Sward. Expect Bellerive back in versus Kelowna. Hodder has a nice goal, showed some speed I didn’t know he had and was solid on the back end.
Fight Night: one actual fight and a few facsimiles. Jacob Doty, he of 153 PIMs and Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, he of 139 PIMs threw down, with Doty holding the upper-hand through most and getting the quick take-down. Kind of a nothing fight in the end.
Zebra Cage: I thought Matt Kirk and Colby Smith missed a lot in this one, but they also made the right calls in some instances. I felt they called some soft stuff and then let bigger stuff of the same variety go by the wayside. I think the players were at a loss for how the game was being called and for me that’s poor reffing. So not awful, but not what I would call good either.
The Giants out shot the T-Birds 37-19, except this time the shots they got lead to real chances and a bit of effort around the net and driving to the net without the puck lead to goals. Versus Kelowna that second effort was not there, so the number of shots didn’t mean much. The support players floated about and did not step up. Tonight they did and were the difference. Imagine getting that kind of effort shift in and shift out. Martinook has some skill and size and could be Bouma with better hands with that kind of effort every shift. He earned his first star nod tonight. I hope Hay keeps this combo together for more than one game as they have the potential to really be dangerous as the season progresses.
The T-Birds did a good job shutting down the top line, but with the journeymen finding twine it made it difficult to contain the Giants entirely. It’s essential that these players show up ready to go every shift tomorrow in Kelowna. I really hope they do as they made it a fun game to watch in tonight’s tilt. Teal was excellent tonight, using his speed playing on the RW and working hard down low. When he came here he took off, but has struggled to get points for a long stretch and I bet these three helpers feel good and will restore some of that swagger he came with to the team. Tomorrow in Kelowna is pretty much a must win after dropping a lack-lustre effort to them on Wednesday at the Coliseum and the team will need all hands ready to go. I expect them to take the confidence of this game and carry it over. The puck drops at 7pm PST at Prospera Place.
Three Stars
1. Jordan Martinook
2. Nathan Burns
3. Teal Burns
Dondo’s Doghouse: all but Connor Redmond and Cain Franson leap from the doghouse. The PP is still in there though as the Giants had a hard time chasing down dump-ins and maintaining puck possession in the TBirds’ end of the ice, squandering their man-advantage chances badly.
Vancouver 6 Seattle 2
I have been saying for a while now that the 18 year olds other than Gally and other journeymen players have to step up their games and that the Giants need depth scoring. I got my wish tonight in spades. Despite a less than impressive PP, the Giants used their PP’s momentum to push themselves, scoring goals shortly after. A minor sag in the second almost lost them a 3-0 lead, but the boys bounced back in the third notching three more to take the win. The second and third line boys were gutting it out, going to the net and chasing down loose pucks. Their second effort was definitely there tonight as well. Mark Segal was mostly solid, but would want the second goal on him back I think. Not a whole lot of emotion in this game, but it was entertaining none-the-less.
The Giants opened the scoring in the first when Jordan Martinook went hard to the net, chipping the puck on goal and getting his own rebound past Calvin Pickard. Andrej Stastny and Teal Burns with the helpers. That was the only goal of the first. 17 seconds into the second Brendan Gallagher picked off a bad clearing attempt and passed across to Brendan Rowinski who was wide open in the slot. Nathan Burns found the loose puck on the doorstep mid-second and put it past Pickard. Darren Bestland and David Musil got the assists on the play. A couple of minutes later Luke Lockhart put it past Segal going hard to the net to draw the visitors within two. Brenden Dillon made it 3-2 a few minutes later, cutting down the slot and shooting the puck low stick-side on Segal while pushing his way through a couple of defensemen who forgot to take the body or stick. Martinook notched another goal just under two minutes into the third as a Giants PP had just expired. Despite looking a bit scattered on their PP and not really using it as an advantage in this one, the Giants did use the momentum of their advantages to up their energy level on ensuing shifts. Bestland and Teal with the helpers on Martinook’s second. Nathan scored his second of the game gutting one past Pickard, with Teal and Stastny garnering the extra points. Zach Hodder closed out the scoring floating one through from the point. Michael Burns and Martinook with the assists. Credit the T-Birds for not giving up as they pressed for most of the game, but got minimal shots on Segal and were rarely allowed a lane to the front of the net to get to those rebounds.
Rookie Watch: Hart back in the line-up, was even playing a decent game. Sward playing minimal minutes still looked good. Bellerive sat and Franson was in playing with Sward. Expect Bellerive back in versus Kelowna. Hodder has a nice goal, showed some speed I didn’t know he had and was solid on the back end.
Fight Night: one actual fight and a few facsimiles. Jacob Doty, he of 153 PIMs and Wes Vannieuwenhuizen, he of 139 PIMs threw down, with Doty holding the upper-hand through most and getting the quick take-down. Kind of a nothing fight in the end.
Zebra Cage: I thought Matt Kirk and Colby Smith missed a lot in this one, but they also made the right calls in some instances. I felt they called some soft stuff and then let bigger stuff of the same variety go by the wayside. I think the players were at a loss for how the game was being called and for me that’s poor reffing. So not awful, but not what I would call good either.
The Giants out shot the T-Birds 37-19, except this time the shots they got lead to real chances and a bit of effort around the net and driving to the net without the puck lead to goals. Versus Kelowna that second effort was not there, so the number of shots didn’t mean much. The support players floated about and did not step up. Tonight they did and were the difference. Imagine getting that kind of effort shift in and shift out. Martinook has some skill and size and could be Bouma with better hands with that kind of effort every shift. He earned his first star nod tonight. I hope Hay keeps this combo together for more than one game as they have the potential to really be dangerous as the season progresses.
The T-Birds did a good job shutting down the top line, but with the journeymen finding twine it made it difficult to contain the Giants entirely. It’s essential that these players show up ready to go every shift tomorrow in Kelowna. I really hope they do as they made it a fun game to watch in tonight’s tilt. Teal was excellent tonight, using his speed playing on the RW and working hard down low. When he came here he took off, but has struggled to get points for a long stretch and I bet these three helpers feel good and will restore some of that swagger he came with to the team. Tomorrow in Kelowna is pretty much a must win after dropping a lack-lustre effort to them on Wednesday at the Coliseum and the team will need all hands ready to go. I expect them to take the confidence of this game and carry it over. The puck drops at 7pm PST at Prospera Place.
Three Stars
1. Jordan Martinook
2. Nathan Burns
3. Teal Burns
Dondo’s Doghouse: all but Connor Redmond and Cain Franson leap from the doghouse. The PP is still in there though as the Giants had a hard time chasing down dump-ins and maintaining puck possession in the TBirds’ end of the ice, squandering their man-advantage chances badly.