dondo
11-06-2011, 02:35 AM
Giants Top Royals
Vancouver 5 Victoria 3
I didn’t get to listen to as much of this one as I would have liked, but I did manage to hear a good portion of the watershed moments in this game. Yet another hotly contested game between these two clubs and as usual the Royals played a mean intense game in their home barn in front of over 7000 eager fans. The Giants finally won a game this season after trailing after two periods, something they had not done as of yet. They brought all their guns plus the kitchen sink in waves in the third, out-shooting the home team handily and putting them back on their heels. The Giants tried to give this game away a few times. Kulak was particularly bad at gifting the puck and the first goal for the Royals came off a defensive gaffe. Sundher scored two for the home boys, Gallagher scored two and added an assist and Tvrdon, Vetterl and Franson got the other Giants markers. The Royals were leading 3-2 going into the third, but the Giants scored three unanswered in the final frame to take a convincing win. Again both netminders were pretty solid. Morrison got the nod for the second of back to back games in Victoria.
The Royals opened the scoring off of a Brett Kulak shot. On the Victoria squad’s PP, Morrison had just given the puck to Brett Kulak, who decided to fire the puck up ice, but instead had it carom off of Kevin Sundher’s leg and into the vacated 6 x 4. Kulak coughed up the puck several times in this one, putting the puck on Victoria sniper’s stick with disturbing frequency. Brendan Gallagher got that back 16 seconds later off of a Nathan Burns feed tying the game before the announcer could say who scored the first one and the statisticians barely putting pen to paper. Gallagher added a PP marker off of Marek Tvrdon in the second giving the Giants a brief lead, before less than a minute later The Royals knotted it at twos. Soudek took the lead back for the home squad on a PP when the puck deflected in off of a skate in front of the net, off an attempted pass. In the third it was all Giants, out-shooting the Royals 13-4 and scoring three goals. Tvrdon tied it up at 9:01 off of a wicked quick one-time snapper that left his stick faster than it got there. Dalton Sward and James Henry at the tail-end of their shift managed to work the puck to Tvrdon. Austin Vetterl put home his 4th of the season off of Levi Bews and Burns. Cain Franson gave the G’s a two goal lead at the 15:29 mark when Gallagher’s work got the puck to Luke Fenske, who fed Franson.
Rookie Watch: Bews (17) some good shifts, decent back-check and an assist. Vetterl (17) working hard at both ends of the ice, scored a goal. Sward (17) playing PP minutes and getting his chances, with a helper of his own. Harland (16) minimal minutes. Houck (16) sounded like first unit PP minutes and some nice chances, by all accounts played big but smart staying out of the box. Kulak (17) might be getting a bit too comfortable, several give-aways, and sounded like too many low percentage passes, had a poor assist and some bad luck making a dumb play on the Royals opening goal.
Fight Night: lots of scrums, some cheap plays, but no fights.
Zebra Cage: Tyler Adair (same as last night) and Colby Smith sounded like they missed a few, could have opted for a major checking to head penalty instead of two minute interference minor for an open ice hit that sounded like it targeted the head. A lot of even up penalties, including - and I need to ask Royals fans this - an embellishment call on Morrison when he was interfered with. I am admittedly biased as I think that the Giants get tagged for goaltender interference more than most teams and rarely do they get an embellishment (diving) call, but did Morrison really throw his arms up and swan dive backward, because anything less is not embellishment in my mind. I’m curious to know. The sheer number of times I have watched a bumped Adam Brown flop back with no call, makes me wonder what action earns that call.
The Giants out shot the Royals again tonight, except this time they were able to solve Hamilton. The shots were 32-24 in favour of the visitors. The Victoria squad were 2 for 6 on the PP, with both goals going in off of bodies. The Giants were 1 for 5.
Nathan Burns finally got some assists, but once again was unable to find the net. I so feel for this guy as he works hard, creates good chances, goes to the hard spots on the ice and nothing. I expect one of these weeks he’s gonna light it up and I want to witness it. I remember Craig Cunningham as a 16 year old never scoring a goal that whole season, but looking so close so many times and doing all of the right things and then the next season just lighting it up. I love that about WHL hockey. Cain Franson has been a fantastic surprise this year after last season playing bad soft perimeter hockey. By the end of last season we were all ready to dump him for a bucket of pucks, but thank the good lord we didn’t as he worked his tail off over the summer, came to camp ready to compete, probably got a pep talk and a reality check from his brother and has arguably been the most consistent Giant on the team shift in and shift out. He also has a wicked shot and plays a great two-way game. It suits him wearing Courchaine’s old number 12. Austin Vetterl is also turning into a great regular, with speed and tenacity and also a solid two-way player. I still expect a bit more out of Sward, but I think it’s coming. He’s got another level and another gear, but he still just needs to find it.
The Giants have a some days off before their next tilt back at the Coliseum. Happy to see them get the split and also the support that Victoria is bringing for their team. This could prove to be a great rivalry.
The Edmonton Oil Kings come to town on Wed Nov 9th for their first of two visits to the Pacific Coliseum this season. The Giants will have had home rest and practice time after playing 5 straight games on the road, going 3-2-0-0, getting splits in both Prince George and Victoria. Considering they went into PG on a 5 game road losing streak, I think they’ll take this outcome as a positive. The Wed game puck drops at 7pm PST, as daylight savings ends tonight. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back an hour on Sunday.
Three Stars
1) Brendan Gallagher
2) Kevin Sundher
3) Marek Tvrdon
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to .. Gallagher. He was doing everything out there. It sounded to me like he was double-shifting and whenever I heard his name it sounded like he was threat even if he was just stripping the puck on the back-check.
Vancouver 5 Victoria 3
I didn’t get to listen to as much of this one as I would have liked, but I did manage to hear a good portion of the watershed moments in this game. Yet another hotly contested game between these two clubs and as usual the Royals played a mean intense game in their home barn in front of over 7000 eager fans. The Giants finally won a game this season after trailing after two periods, something they had not done as of yet. They brought all their guns plus the kitchen sink in waves in the third, out-shooting the home team handily and putting them back on their heels. The Giants tried to give this game away a few times. Kulak was particularly bad at gifting the puck and the first goal for the Royals came off a defensive gaffe. Sundher scored two for the home boys, Gallagher scored two and added an assist and Tvrdon, Vetterl and Franson got the other Giants markers. The Royals were leading 3-2 going into the third, but the Giants scored three unanswered in the final frame to take a convincing win. Again both netminders were pretty solid. Morrison got the nod for the second of back to back games in Victoria.
The Royals opened the scoring off of a Brett Kulak shot. On the Victoria squad’s PP, Morrison had just given the puck to Brett Kulak, who decided to fire the puck up ice, but instead had it carom off of Kevin Sundher’s leg and into the vacated 6 x 4. Kulak coughed up the puck several times in this one, putting the puck on Victoria sniper’s stick with disturbing frequency. Brendan Gallagher got that back 16 seconds later off of a Nathan Burns feed tying the game before the announcer could say who scored the first one and the statisticians barely putting pen to paper. Gallagher added a PP marker off of Marek Tvrdon in the second giving the Giants a brief lead, before less than a minute later The Royals knotted it at twos. Soudek took the lead back for the home squad on a PP when the puck deflected in off of a skate in front of the net, off an attempted pass. In the third it was all Giants, out-shooting the Royals 13-4 and scoring three goals. Tvrdon tied it up at 9:01 off of a wicked quick one-time snapper that left his stick faster than it got there. Dalton Sward and James Henry at the tail-end of their shift managed to work the puck to Tvrdon. Austin Vetterl put home his 4th of the season off of Levi Bews and Burns. Cain Franson gave the G’s a two goal lead at the 15:29 mark when Gallagher’s work got the puck to Luke Fenske, who fed Franson.
Rookie Watch: Bews (17) some good shifts, decent back-check and an assist. Vetterl (17) working hard at both ends of the ice, scored a goal. Sward (17) playing PP minutes and getting his chances, with a helper of his own. Harland (16) minimal minutes. Houck (16) sounded like first unit PP minutes and some nice chances, by all accounts played big but smart staying out of the box. Kulak (17) might be getting a bit too comfortable, several give-aways, and sounded like too many low percentage passes, had a poor assist and some bad luck making a dumb play on the Royals opening goal.
Fight Night: lots of scrums, some cheap plays, but no fights.
Zebra Cage: Tyler Adair (same as last night) and Colby Smith sounded like they missed a few, could have opted for a major checking to head penalty instead of two minute interference minor for an open ice hit that sounded like it targeted the head. A lot of even up penalties, including - and I need to ask Royals fans this - an embellishment call on Morrison when he was interfered with. I am admittedly biased as I think that the Giants get tagged for goaltender interference more than most teams and rarely do they get an embellishment (diving) call, but did Morrison really throw his arms up and swan dive backward, because anything less is not embellishment in my mind. I’m curious to know. The sheer number of times I have watched a bumped Adam Brown flop back with no call, makes me wonder what action earns that call.
The Giants out shot the Royals again tonight, except this time they were able to solve Hamilton. The shots were 32-24 in favour of the visitors. The Victoria squad were 2 for 6 on the PP, with both goals going in off of bodies. The Giants were 1 for 5.
Nathan Burns finally got some assists, but once again was unable to find the net. I so feel for this guy as he works hard, creates good chances, goes to the hard spots on the ice and nothing. I expect one of these weeks he’s gonna light it up and I want to witness it. I remember Craig Cunningham as a 16 year old never scoring a goal that whole season, but looking so close so many times and doing all of the right things and then the next season just lighting it up. I love that about WHL hockey. Cain Franson has been a fantastic surprise this year after last season playing bad soft perimeter hockey. By the end of last season we were all ready to dump him for a bucket of pucks, but thank the good lord we didn’t as he worked his tail off over the summer, came to camp ready to compete, probably got a pep talk and a reality check from his brother and has arguably been the most consistent Giant on the team shift in and shift out. He also has a wicked shot and plays a great two-way game. It suits him wearing Courchaine’s old number 12. Austin Vetterl is also turning into a great regular, with speed and tenacity and also a solid two-way player. I still expect a bit more out of Sward, but I think it’s coming. He’s got another level and another gear, but he still just needs to find it.
The Giants have a some days off before their next tilt back at the Coliseum. Happy to see them get the split and also the support that Victoria is bringing for their team. This could prove to be a great rivalry.
The Edmonton Oil Kings come to town on Wed Nov 9th for their first of two visits to the Pacific Coliseum this season. The Giants will have had home rest and practice time after playing 5 straight games on the road, going 3-2-0-0, getting splits in both Prince George and Victoria. Considering they went into PG on a 5 game road losing streak, I think they’ll take this outcome as a positive. The Wed game puck drops at 7pm PST, as daylight savings ends tonight. Don’t forget to turn your clocks back an hour on Sunday.
Three Stars
1) Brendan Gallagher
2) Kevin Sundher
3) Marek Tvrdon
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to .. Gallagher. He was doing everything out there. It sounded to me like he was double-shifting and whenever I heard his name it sounded like he was threat even if he was just stripping the puck on the back-check.