dondo
03-24-2012, 01:29 AM
Giants Hold Chiefs
Vancouver 7 Spokane 5 EN
Round 1 Game 1
Not exactly the most scintillating night for defensive games or goaltending. Neither ‘tender came out of this one without a couple of goals they would want back and although the Giants were able to keep pace with the markers that the Chiefs put past Adam Morrison, they would have preferred not to allow two shorthanded goals against. Suffice to say it was not the best game for the Giants or the Chiefs, but where it really counts - on the scoresheet – the Giants took the W. Hopefully it’s a lesson learned and the boys will be better locking up their own end of the ice and not lazily put sticks out in front of players shooting pucks. All that said, the boys were good at going to the net and driving the offensive zone as well as battles for the pucks and for the most part finishing checks.
Austin Fyten picked the right game to come back and play. Scoring the opening goal with about 2 secs left in the first, driving hard to the net. The 20 yr old had a lively game, but was most noticeable in the opening frame. Jordan Martinook and Brendan Gallagher had the assists on the play. Early in the second Cain Franson capitalised on a Spokane gaffe as their d-man stumbled. Taking it down the ice Franson faked the shot and went backhand past Mac Engel. The goal was unassisted. A couple of minutes later it was Marek Tvrdon who tallied an unassisted marker, putting the Giants up 3-0. Spokane notched a short-handed tally a few minutes later. Martinook used that same PP to get that one back. Brett Kulak and Gallagher had the other points. Spokane replied, putting one past Morrison several minutes later. Vancouver responded just over a minute later, making it 5-2 going into the third. Franson drove hard to the net and Martinook cleaned up the rebound, putting away his second of the game. Jackson Houck had the other helper. Spokane scored a PP marker early in the third to draw within two. Then another SH’d marker just over a minute later to close the gap to one. Franson increased the lead back to two, going to the net and putting in a wrap-around goal. With the goalie pulled and confusion around the Giants net, the Chiefs got back to within one with 1:30 still left in the game. Gallagher pressed in the offensive zone and managed to protect the puck, getting it to Franson for his hat trick marker and an empty net insurance tally. The Giants were far too sloppy with the puck in this one and it was more their lack of discipline, rather than the pressure of the Chiefs which made this game closer than it should have been.
Fight Night: nada
Team Notes: Austin Fyten made his debut in a Giants uni, finally healthy enough to take to the ice after being acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline. Reid Zalitach was a minus player on the back-end and Carter Popoff saw his first ice in a Giants sweater. Kiefer McNaughton still wearing a full birdcage, was none-the-less fairly effective on D. Austin Vetterl, Anthony Ast, David Musil and Nathan Burns are still out of the line-up.
Zebra Cage: Brett Iverson and Colby Smith. I was concerned early when Smith called some softies from centre ice, but eventually the refs settled down and called a more consistent game for the final 40 minutes. Their calls in the first were pretty suspect though. Every call resulted in a penalty in the game, no coincidentals.
The Giants out shot the Chiefs 40-24. They went 1 for 4 on the PP, while the Chiefs were 1 for 6. The G’s PP was sloppy though and coughed up two short-handed tallies, which is a stat I am sure has Hayzer burning. All the boys looked to have jump, other than Kuvaev (who a friend of mine calls Kumbaya) who was his usual soft euro self. Fyten was high on adrenaline early on, probably happy to be back on the ice and competing, but I suspect his conditioning was not game ready as I rarely saw him in the third. Morrison was fighting the puck tonight and was lucky not to have a couple of more squeak past him. It looked like two of the pucks which got past him were tipped with a lazy sticks by Giants players not ready to commit to the block, but there were a couple really soft ones that slipped through him and not the kind of goals you want to allow in the playoffs. He was very lucky that his team gave him such great goal support, otherwise he would have been wearing goat-horns tonight. Franson had jump all night, creating chances and chasing down pucks. No longer “scared ****less” to go into the corners, he kept his head on a swivel and seems willing to take contact to make a play. Gallagher was battling hard and got some nice helpers. His effort will eventually be rewarded with goals down the road. Martinook reminds me more and more of Machacek with each passing game. He’s becoming the power forward we all hoped to see last season, but looks to be a major contributor in these playoffs and next season.
The Giants take Game 1 of a best of seven vs Spokane and hope to get the sweep at home tomorrow night when they take on the Chiefs in Game 2 at the Coliseum. Their goaltending will have to be better than it was tonight and their defensive game in their own end and puck handling have to be much better. That said, they still need to continue to bring the kind of effort and intensity we saw on the offensive side of the puck and persist in pressing the Chiefs hard in their own end. I expect a tighter game on Saturday. Puck drops at 7pm PDT at the Rink on Renfrew. Only 5816 saw the game tonight, let’s hope those numbers grow as this hungry hockey is better than anything the Canucks put on the ice for 10 times the price.
Three Stars
1. Cain Franson
2. Jordan Martinook
3. Blake Gal
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to .. Cain Franson. It could have gone to Martinook, but it was Franson who was more of the catalyst in this game. He was solid at both ends and a +3 with three goals and four points on the night.
Vancouver 7 Spokane 5 EN
Round 1 Game 1
Not exactly the most scintillating night for defensive games or goaltending. Neither ‘tender came out of this one without a couple of goals they would want back and although the Giants were able to keep pace with the markers that the Chiefs put past Adam Morrison, they would have preferred not to allow two shorthanded goals against. Suffice to say it was not the best game for the Giants or the Chiefs, but where it really counts - on the scoresheet – the Giants took the W. Hopefully it’s a lesson learned and the boys will be better locking up their own end of the ice and not lazily put sticks out in front of players shooting pucks. All that said, the boys were good at going to the net and driving the offensive zone as well as battles for the pucks and for the most part finishing checks.
Austin Fyten picked the right game to come back and play. Scoring the opening goal with about 2 secs left in the first, driving hard to the net. The 20 yr old had a lively game, but was most noticeable in the opening frame. Jordan Martinook and Brendan Gallagher had the assists on the play. Early in the second Cain Franson capitalised on a Spokane gaffe as their d-man stumbled. Taking it down the ice Franson faked the shot and went backhand past Mac Engel. The goal was unassisted. A couple of minutes later it was Marek Tvrdon who tallied an unassisted marker, putting the Giants up 3-0. Spokane notched a short-handed tally a few minutes later. Martinook used that same PP to get that one back. Brett Kulak and Gallagher had the other points. Spokane replied, putting one past Morrison several minutes later. Vancouver responded just over a minute later, making it 5-2 going into the third. Franson drove hard to the net and Martinook cleaned up the rebound, putting away his second of the game. Jackson Houck had the other helper. Spokane scored a PP marker early in the third to draw within two. Then another SH’d marker just over a minute later to close the gap to one. Franson increased the lead back to two, going to the net and putting in a wrap-around goal. With the goalie pulled and confusion around the Giants net, the Chiefs got back to within one with 1:30 still left in the game. Gallagher pressed in the offensive zone and managed to protect the puck, getting it to Franson for his hat trick marker and an empty net insurance tally. The Giants were far too sloppy with the puck in this one and it was more their lack of discipline, rather than the pressure of the Chiefs which made this game closer than it should have been.
Fight Night: nada
Team Notes: Austin Fyten made his debut in a Giants uni, finally healthy enough to take to the ice after being acquired from Lethbridge at the trade deadline. Reid Zalitach was a minus player on the back-end and Carter Popoff saw his first ice in a Giants sweater. Kiefer McNaughton still wearing a full birdcage, was none-the-less fairly effective on D. Austin Vetterl, Anthony Ast, David Musil and Nathan Burns are still out of the line-up.
Zebra Cage: Brett Iverson and Colby Smith. I was concerned early when Smith called some softies from centre ice, but eventually the refs settled down and called a more consistent game for the final 40 minutes. Their calls in the first were pretty suspect though. Every call resulted in a penalty in the game, no coincidentals.
The Giants out shot the Chiefs 40-24. They went 1 for 4 on the PP, while the Chiefs were 1 for 6. The G’s PP was sloppy though and coughed up two short-handed tallies, which is a stat I am sure has Hayzer burning. All the boys looked to have jump, other than Kuvaev (who a friend of mine calls Kumbaya) who was his usual soft euro self. Fyten was high on adrenaline early on, probably happy to be back on the ice and competing, but I suspect his conditioning was not game ready as I rarely saw him in the third. Morrison was fighting the puck tonight and was lucky not to have a couple of more squeak past him. It looked like two of the pucks which got past him were tipped with a lazy sticks by Giants players not ready to commit to the block, but there were a couple really soft ones that slipped through him and not the kind of goals you want to allow in the playoffs. He was very lucky that his team gave him such great goal support, otherwise he would have been wearing goat-horns tonight. Franson had jump all night, creating chances and chasing down pucks. No longer “scared ****less” to go into the corners, he kept his head on a swivel and seems willing to take contact to make a play. Gallagher was battling hard and got some nice helpers. His effort will eventually be rewarded with goals down the road. Martinook reminds me more and more of Machacek with each passing game. He’s becoming the power forward we all hoped to see last season, but looks to be a major contributor in these playoffs and next season.
The Giants take Game 1 of a best of seven vs Spokane and hope to get the sweep at home tomorrow night when they take on the Chiefs in Game 2 at the Coliseum. Their goaltending will have to be better than it was tonight and their defensive game in their own end and puck handling have to be much better. That said, they still need to continue to bring the kind of effort and intensity we saw on the offensive side of the puck and persist in pressing the Chiefs hard in their own end. I expect a tighter game on Saturday. Puck drops at 7pm PDT at the Rink on Renfrew. Only 5816 saw the game tonight, let’s hope those numbers grow as this hungry hockey is better than anything the Canucks put on the ice for 10 times the price.
Three Stars
1. Cain Franson
2. Jordan Martinook
3. Blake Gal
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to .. Cain Franson. It could have gone to Martinook, but it was Franson who was more of the catalyst in this game. He was solid at both ends and a +3 with three goals and four points on the night.