dondo
02-27-2013, 12:33 AM
Better late than never on the recap, I suppose. ;) Good bounce back game breaking the 4 game losing streak.
Giants Pluck Birds
Vancouver 4 Seattle 1 EN
It was good to see Payton Lee get the start after a rough night versus the Blazers on Friday. He made one brilliant stop when the game was still close and was solid between the pipes throughout the full 60. A nice bounce back game for the boys, but the Giants had the benefit of Seattle really not showing up. The Thunderbirds were not a hungry team in this one, but the Giants finally got something they have had a tough time finding this season, an insurance marker and a bit of breathing room. It was a great special teams night as well as the Giants got three goals from their PP with the other into an empty net. The Giants had their PP clicking in January, but February had been a rough special teams month, but going 3 for 7 in this game helps the numbers a bit.
Carter Popoff opening the scoring just past the mid-way mark of the opening frame on the PP. Arvin Atwal and Travis McEvoy got the other points on the play. Brendan Rouse tapped in a rebound from the side of the net scoring one on his former team and adding some padding to the score on the PP in the second. Brett Kulak and Cain Franson with the helpers. Seattle found twine on the PP late in the second. Kulak responded in the third just past the 12 minute mark. Another PP tally assisted by Jackson Houck and Rouse. Franson added an unassisted empty netter, finally getting a goal after getting close so many times in this one.
Team Notes: Wes Vannieuwenhuizen not playing in this one serving his one game suspension for the boarding major and gm that wasn’t imo, but it’s pretty much an automatic extra game vacation if you get a major and a game these days. I would prefer if they would actually review these better as it is clear what really happened and where a lot of that blame lays.
Fight Night: none – lots of roughing calls though, so I think if there was an actual fight the refs would have had their heads explode considering how petty they were already being in this one.
Zebra Cage: Mark Pearce and Sean Raphael. Pretty damn precious officiating in my mind, called every little thing. I guess it was consistent, but this kind of reffing drags games down unnecessarily. The Giants were good capitalizing on the chances they were given though.
The Giants out-shot the Seattle squad 34-24. The Gs went 3 for 7 on the PP and held the T-Birds to 1 for 6. Seattle had an awful first period, getting three shots on goal and seeming to be quite disinterested from the out-set. It took at least a period and a half for the Birds to really make it a game, but when they did Lee had to make some nice stops to keep his team in there. Arvin Atwal had a good game, solid in his own end and not afraid to take it up the ice. Ditto Reid Zalitach who made a few nice offensive forays. Brendan Rouse had some good effort against his former squad and looked motivated in this one. Brendan Glover between the pipes for the Birds, robbed a few really nice even-strength chances especially versus Cain Franson who was snake-bit until his empty net goal. It was all about the PP in this one. In the Blazers game the PP was looking decent with better movement and puck handling, but just not able to make the man-advantages count. In this one the Giants took that same work ethic, but managed to bulge the twine when needed.
Up Next: The Dreaded Kamloops Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday. The Giants will need their best game and really need to limit quality chances and focus on playing smarter and defusing the Blazers attack. Not exactly the most exciting hockey, but it is the best way to keep it close and capitalize on their chances. It’ll be a tough one and the boys will need to stick up for one another and really pressure the puck carrier. Lazy sloppy careless passes are not acceptable.
Three Stars
1. Payton Lee
2. Brendan Rouse
3. Arvin Atwal
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Brendan Rouse – played like an OA player should against his former team, going to the net and grinding it out along the boards made himself tough to contain in this game.
Giants Pluck Birds
Vancouver 4 Seattle 1 EN
It was good to see Payton Lee get the start after a rough night versus the Blazers on Friday. He made one brilliant stop when the game was still close and was solid between the pipes throughout the full 60. A nice bounce back game for the boys, but the Giants had the benefit of Seattle really not showing up. The Thunderbirds were not a hungry team in this one, but the Giants finally got something they have had a tough time finding this season, an insurance marker and a bit of breathing room. It was a great special teams night as well as the Giants got three goals from their PP with the other into an empty net. The Giants had their PP clicking in January, but February had been a rough special teams month, but going 3 for 7 in this game helps the numbers a bit.
Carter Popoff opening the scoring just past the mid-way mark of the opening frame on the PP. Arvin Atwal and Travis McEvoy got the other points on the play. Brendan Rouse tapped in a rebound from the side of the net scoring one on his former team and adding some padding to the score on the PP in the second. Brett Kulak and Cain Franson with the helpers. Seattle found twine on the PP late in the second. Kulak responded in the third just past the 12 minute mark. Another PP tally assisted by Jackson Houck and Rouse. Franson added an unassisted empty netter, finally getting a goal after getting close so many times in this one.
Team Notes: Wes Vannieuwenhuizen not playing in this one serving his one game suspension for the boarding major and gm that wasn’t imo, but it’s pretty much an automatic extra game vacation if you get a major and a game these days. I would prefer if they would actually review these better as it is clear what really happened and where a lot of that blame lays.
Fight Night: none – lots of roughing calls though, so I think if there was an actual fight the refs would have had their heads explode considering how petty they were already being in this one.
Zebra Cage: Mark Pearce and Sean Raphael. Pretty damn precious officiating in my mind, called every little thing. I guess it was consistent, but this kind of reffing drags games down unnecessarily. The Giants were good capitalizing on the chances they were given though.
The Giants out-shot the Seattle squad 34-24. The Gs went 3 for 7 on the PP and held the T-Birds to 1 for 6. Seattle had an awful first period, getting three shots on goal and seeming to be quite disinterested from the out-set. It took at least a period and a half for the Birds to really make it a game, but when they did Lee had to make some nice stops to keep his team in there. Arvin Atwal had a good game, solid in his own end and not afraid to take it up the ice. Ditto Reid Zalitach who made a few nice offensive forays. Brendan Rouse had some good effort against his former squad and looked motivated in this one. Brendan Glover between the pipes for the Birds, robbed a few really nice even-strength chances especially versus Cain Franson who was snake-bit until his empty net goal. It was all about the PP in this one. In the Blazers game the PP was looking decent with better movement and puck handling, but just not able to make the man-advantages count. In this one the Giants took that same work ethic, but managed to bulge the twine when needed.
Up Next: The Dreaded Kamloops Blazers in Kamloops on Wednesday. The Giants will need their best game and really need to limit quality chances and focus on playing smarter and defusing the Blazers attack. Not exactly the most exciting hockey, but it is the best way to keep it close and capitalize on their chances. It’ll be a tough one and the boys will need to stick up for one another and really pressure the puck carrier. Lazy sloppy careless passes are not acceptable.
Three Stars
1. Payton Lee
2. Brendan Rouse
3. Arvin Atwal
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Brendan Rouse – played like an OA player should against his former team, going to the net and grinding it out along the boards made himself tough to contain in this game.