dondo
04-04-2012, 10:51 AM
I guess those on this site are as shell-shocked and depressed as I have been. Listening to the team dismantle themselves in Spokane was just brutal. I have never seen a Giants team not show up for periods at a time in the playoffs and it disappoints me greatly. I have had a hard time trying to write a recap .. so it's way late, but here for posterity.
Chiefs Eliminate Giants
Round 1 – Game 6
Vancouver 1 Spokane 3
I am still angry and very disappointed in the Giants.
After winning the first two games handily, they allowed a moderate goalie change to get into their heads and played as if they didn’t really want to see round 2, which they didn’t. They put together a one period (worth of effort) game twice in Spokane to allow the Chiefs to tie up the series and then came home and played a decent period and a half before imploding badly. In short, Spokane didn’t win this series so much as the Giants beat themselves. Eric Williams was not that good, he frequently left rebounds that the Giants were not willing to pay a price to get to, for some much needed goals. The Giants were very sloppy with the puck, made soft and low-percentage passes, were regularly stripped of the puck due to lack of effort, squandered their PP chances badly and were pretty damn bad in their own end of the ice. They were also out-coached as Hay was undoubtedly preaching patience up to the very last minute of game 6, instead of getting them to drive the net hard and take the rebounds. And to be brutally honest; if the refs are going to give you a goalie interference penalty anyway (usually for breathing on the goalie from outside the blue-paint) – then make it count – take his head off – finish the move and go through him – demonstrate what an actual goaltender interference penalty looks like.
This was not the Giants team I know and love and respect. These were not the players who would give everything on every shift to get the win. This was a bunch of pretenders who took advantage of their skill in the first two games and then allowed themselves to get shut-down the rest of the way. The Giants had not lost 4 games in a row all season, but sadly they opted to use the playoffs for a nice example of that particular mode of futility. Credit the Chiefs for frustrating the Giants and forcing them to the outside and managing to not get caught with late punches and cheap hits after the whistle. Credit them for having their back-up goalie play out of his head when the chips were down and the effort was needed, and credit them for never giving in by battling every shift and earning this series versus a less than interested Giants club. This is definitely a team the Giants were capable of beating, but they simply did not want it enough. Undoubtedly the Chiefs will fare better versus the Americans than the Giants would have (as the Ams have had the G’s number for a long time now), but it would have been nice to see the boys at least force a game 7 and exhibit some desire to win the series.
Cain Franson opened the scoring very early in the first and considering that the team which scored the first goal in this series had won every game up until that point, it was an important goal to get. One would think that the Giants would use that to motivate them to really dig in, but a very bad give-away late in the first saw that lead erased. Aviani got the marker. The Giants barely held on in the second as the Chiefs peppered 17 shots on Morrison who was brilliant keeping his scrambling team in the hunt – until he wasn’t. That back-breaker goal came with three seconds left in the middle frame, when the Giants coughed up the puck at the Chiefs blue-line and found themselves looking skyward as the odd-man rush the other way found twine behind Morrison. The G’s put 12 shots on the net in the third, but only succeeded in allowing a soft goal against early on and were not willing to battle back by throwing everything at the net, but rather patiently ran themselves out of time - over-passing and coughing up the biscuit with great regularity.
Game Notes: Wes Vannieuwenhuizen had an awful game, posting a –3 (on the ice for all of the goals against) and instrumental in two of the big turnovers. Chiefs captain Kramer was serving a one game suspension for some cheap play in game 5. Giants lose four straight games for the first time this season.
Fight Night: Matt Bellerive v Reid Gow - a decent tilt, coming out of a hit by Bellerive and a challenge by Gow – who obviously punched first, but it was Bellerive who came away with the extra two for roughing (***?)
Zebra Cage: Jeff Ingram and Pat Smith. Tried their damnedest not to call anything in this one, despite frequent hits and punches after the whistle. Some soft even-ups and even softer interference calls. After deciding to call nothing, what they did call was quite lame and not consistent with the rest of the game. Minimal PP chances for both teams. I guess it’s better than a parade to the penalty box, but not even close to predictable. The only penalty called in the third was too many men penalty against Spokane, when it was too late to matter.
The Chiefs out shot the Giants 32-27. Both squads were 0 for 2 on the PP. Morrison was good up until he was not. The late odd-man goal is one of those he must have with 3 seconds left in the period. The team has to take care of the puck with time ticking down after weathering an onslaught and being very lucky not to have given up one early. That gaffe ended up being the play of the game and one which cemented all of the momentum towards the home team. The Giants were very careless with the puck in all but Game 2 of this series. They out-scored their gaffes in Game 1 and were much better taking care of the puck in Game 2. From then on though they showed up for maybe a period at a time and allowed the Chiefs to out-work them at all ends of the ice. The G’s effort for five of the six games was simply not playoff worthy or acceptable. I expect either a rebuild or a big shuffle come next season. Impact players seem to be lacking, but maybe Sward and Bellerive can become those playing top minutes. The Giants are done. The Chiefs advance and need to bring the same game if they hope to beat the Americans. I really don’t expect Williams to be nearly as effective versus the deadly Americans and it will be nothing less than a full team effort that earns the Chiefs that series.
Three Stars
1. Mike Aviani
2. Eric Williams
3. Corbin Baldwin
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to… Cain Franson, 5 goals in this series and a big nod for most improved player. At the end of last season I was unsure why he was even on the team, other than the name Franson, but he proved the faith the team had in him coming into this season as he lit it up, blowing everyone’s expectations out of the water. He scored the only goal and was a +1 on a night where most of the Giants carried minuses.
Chiefs Eliminate Giants
Round 1 – Game 6
Vancouver 1 Spokane 3
I am still angry and very disappointed in the Giants.
After winning the first two games handily, they allowed a moderate goalie change to get into their heads and played as if they didn’t really want to see round 2, which they didn’t. They put together a one period (worth of effort) game twice in Spokane to allow the Chiefs to tie up the series and then came home and played a decent period and a half before imploding badly. In short, Spokane didn’t win this series so much as the Giants beat themselves. Eric Williams was not that good, he frequently left rebounds that the Giants were not willing to pay a price to get to, for some much needed goals. The Giants were very sloppy with the puck, made soft and low-percentage passes, were regularly stripped of the puck due to lack of effort, squandered their PP chances badly and were pretty damn bad in their own end of the ice. They were also out-coached as Hay was undoubtedly preaching patience up to the very last minute of game 6, instead of getting them to drive the net hard and take the rebounds. And to be brutally honest; if the refs are going to give you a goalie interference penalty anyway (usually for breathing on the goalie from outside the blue-paint) – then make it count – take his head off – finish the move and go through him – demonstrate what an actual goaltender interference penalty looks like.
This was not the Giants team I know and love and respect. These were not the players who would give everything on every shift to get the win. This was a bunch of pretenders who took advantage of their skill in the first two games and then allowed themselves to get shut-down the rest of the way. The Giants had not lost 4 games in a row all season, but sadly they opted to use the playoffs for a nice example of that particular mode of futility. Credit the Chiefs for frustrating the Giants and forcing them to the outside and managing to not get caught with late punches and cheap hits after the whistle. Credit them for having their back-up goalie play out of his head when the chips were down and the effort was needed, and credit them for never giving in by battling every shift and earning this series versus a less than interested Giants club. This is definitely a team the Giants were capable of beating, but they simply did not want it enough. Undoubtedly the Chiefs will fare better versus the Americans than the Giants would have (as the Ams have had the G’s number for a long time now), but it would have been nice to see the boys at least force a game 7 and exhibit some desire to win the series.
Cain Franson opened the scoring very early in the first and considering that the team which scored the first goal in this series had won every game up until that point, it was an important goal to get. One would think that the Giants would use that to motivate them to really dig in, but a very bad give-away late in the first saw that lead erased. Aviani got the marker. The Giants barely held on in the second as the Chiefs peppered 17 shots on Morrison who was brilliant keeping his scrambling team in the hunt – until he wasn’t. That back-breaker goal came with three seconds left in the middle frame, when the Giants coughed up the puck at the Chiefs blue-line and found themselves looking skyward as the odd-man rush the other way found twine behind Morrison. The G’s put 12 shots on the net in the third, but only succeeded in allowing a soft goal against early on and were not willing to battle back by throwing everything at the net, but rather patiently ran themselves out of time - over-passing and coughing up the biscuit with great regularity.
Game Notes: Wes Vannieuwenhuizen had an awful game, posting a –3 (on the ice for all of the goals against) and instrumental in two of the big turnovers. Chiefs captain Kramer was serving a one game suspension for some cheap play in game 5. Giants lose four straight games for the first time this season.
Fight Night: Matt Bellerive v Reid Gow - a decent tilt, coming out of a hit by Bellerive and a challenge by Gow – who obviously punched first, but it was Bellerive who came away with the extra two for roughing (***?)
Zebra Cage: Jeff Ingram and Pat Smith. Tried their damnedest not to call anything in this one, despite frequent hits and punches after the whistle. Some soft even-ups and even softer interference calls. After deciding to call nothing, what they did call was quite lame and not consistent with the rest of the game. Minimal PP chances for both teams. I guess it’s better than a parade to the penalty box, but not even close to predictable. The only penalty called in the third was too many men penalty against Spokane, when it was too late to matter.
The Chiefs out shot the Giants 32-27. Both squads were 0 for 2 on the PP. Morrison was good up until he was not. The late odd-man goal is one of those he must have with 3 seconds left in the period. The team has to take care of the puck with time ticking down after weathering an onslaught and being very lucky not to have given up one early. That gaffe ended up being the play of the game and one which cemented all of the momentum towards the home team. The Giants were very careless with the puck in all but Game 2 of this series. They out-scored their gaffes in Game 1 and were much better taking care of the puck in Game 2. From then on though they showed up for maybe a period at a time and allowed the Chiefs to out-work them at all ends of the ice. The G’s effort for five of the six games was simply not playoff worthy or acceptable. I expect either a rebuild or a big shuffle come next season. Impact players seem to be lacking, but maybe Sward and Bellerive can become those playing top minutes. The Giants are done. The Chiefs advance and need to bring the same game if they hope to beat the Americans. I really don’t expect Williams to be nearly as effective versus the deadly Americans and it will be nothing less than a full team effort that earns the Chiefs that series.
Three Stars
1. Mike Aviani
2. Eric Williams
3. Corbin Baldwin
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to… Cain Franson, 5 goals in this series and a big nod for most improved player. At the end of last season I was unsure why he was even on the team, other than the name Franson, but he proved the faith the team had in him coming into this season as he lit it up, blowing everyone’s expectations out of the water. He scored the only goal and was a +1 on a night where most of the Giants carried minuses.