dondo
11-11-2013, 10:04 PM
One of Sward's better games this season. It feels like he might finally be getting it. Let's hope it continues.
Tips Slip Giants
Vancouver 3 Everett 4 OT
I was hoping we’d hold on for the two points and to lose it in OT off of a careless play with the puck after such a good game for Payton Lee makes it hurt a bit more, but the boys played a mostly solid game. Sward actually finds some twine tonight, rewarded for his hard work and making a breakaway count. Not a bad game for the Giants, no real argument with the zebras, but the boys didn’t pull out the W. Credit them for coming from behind after squandering an early lead to at least force the point, but after such a tight game to get the goal ahead goal and then cough one up to the bad guys less than a minute later is nothing but lack of focus. Too many goals allowed in the first minute of the game and response goals in very time are part of what causes this team to struggle. At least the effort is there these days and the fragility seemingly a thing of the past. I suspect that Dalton Thrower in the line-up could have turned one point into two in this one, but that’s just supposition and a little bit of faint hope. Still really tired of the cowbells in Everett. No more cowbell.
The Giants opened the scoring in the second after both teams played to a scoreless first. Dalton Sward buried a solo effort, stealing the puck at the Everett neutral zone, going in on Daniel Cotton and tickling the twine. Everett responded less than a minute later to tie the game. Everett added another off of a breakdown in the Giants end of the ice before the end of the second. Trent Lofthouse knotted it back up 31 seconds into the third. Brett Kulak and Carter Popoff had the helpers. Everett capitalized on a bad turnover and an even poorer deflection as Geertsen deflected the puck into his own net. Popoff ground out the tying marker inside the final five minutes of regulation. The Giants would hold on for the point. Lee had to make some tough stops down the stretch. In OT Lee, who had handled the puck very well through out the game, coughed up the puck with a bad pass. A quick pass out front and the Silvertips found the back of the net, the bonus point and the win. It was kind of a poor way to end the game and kind of ironic as Lee handled the puck as well as could be expected for the majority of the tilt.
Team Notes: Thrower still out with suspected concussion symptoms, hopefully he will be back in the line-up come the weekend for two back-to-back games at home.
Rookie Watch: Ronning had his moments playing with Houck and others, but he was on the wrong side of the plus/minus stats sheet with a –2. Baer had a few decent looks, but really needs to step his game up another level. He’s been pointless in a few too many games for my liking, having evens across the board for far too many. I really need to see our euro players step it up a few levels. Other team’s euros are not only difference makers, but their top players – we haven’t had a top euro since Meszaros. No offense to Repik and Bliznak, but they neither were the best player on the team. So is it our drafting? What agents will actually talk to us? Or simply the biases of Don Hay, which need to be satisfied? Osipov was supposed to be a first overall KHL pick. Either that league is far worse than I suspected and Osipov is their best defensive prospect (that I sincerely doubt) or he played a very different game in Russia – a game he has the potential to bring here, but we have yet to see.
Fight Night: All of the fights came in the third period. Travis McEvoy v. Brayden Low. Tim Traber v. Jujhar Khaira - a lively tilt where both combatants fell to the ice and got back up to continue. A good toe to toe battle.
Zebra Cage: Brett Iverson and Mark Pearce – seems to be fairly balanced calls.
The Silvertips barely out shot the Giants 26-24. The Gs were 0 for 3 on the PP, while the Tips went 0 for 2. I felt we could have had a better first period and pressed harder. The Giants played a decent game and did not give up easily. A bit of puck luck and some lack of focus were the main reasons for the loss, but overall the team continues to play like a team. There are still components that need to up their games and the top line struggled in this one. They were okay at forcing opportunities, but gave up too many really good chances around their net. Lee had to be good often and made a few brilliant saves when the game was close, which if the goal were allowed would have given the Tips a big momentum shift and possibly pushed this game completely out of reach.
The Giants have the rest of the week to practice before taking on Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday at the Coliseum. Tied for the first in the East the Tigers will be a big challenge for the Gs. Canucks draft pick Hunter Shinkaruk will be the line-up for the Tigers. The Saturday tilt versus the Tri-City Americans will feature the first WHL regular season game for Giants top prospect Tyler Benson in his first game in a Giants uni. In a game that mean something in the standings and on the stats sheet. The puck on Friday drops at 7:30PST at the Rink on Renfrew. The G-Men will have to bring their best game to the ice as anything less will not get them the victory.
Three Stars
1. Manraj Hayer
2. Dalton Sward
3. Darcy DeRoose
Dondo’s Doghouse: Time for our euro players to begin to show their worth. Both 17yr olds I still do expect them to push and grow and I have yet to really see too many signs so far this season. Blips here and there, but nothing of import to really get me believing.
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Dalton Sward – now that he seems to be completely healthy it is clear that Sward is interested in upping his game. He was frequently in the mix tonight and unlucky to get more points. He opened the scoring with a brilliant bit of thievery and assisted on the game-tying marker late. Great effort in this one, comfortably centring the third line early and getting more minutes as the game progressed. I’ve been waiting a couple of years for this game, which I always knew he had in him, but needed the confidence to let to show. I still believe he could be a Machacek type of player and as successful as Spencer if he’s willing to go to the hard areas of the ice consistently.
Tips Slip Giants
Vancouver 3 Everett 4 OT
I was hoping we’d hold on for the two points and to lose it in OT off of a careless play with the puck after such a good game for Payton Lee makes it hurt a bit more, but the boys played a mostly solid game. Sward actually finds some twine tonight, rewarded for his hard work and making a breakaway count. Not a bad game for the Giants, no real argument with the zebras, but the boys didn’t pull out the W. Credit them for coming from behind after squandering an early lead to at least force the point, but after such a tight game to get the goal ahead goal and then cough one up to the bad guys less than a minute later is nothing but lack of focus. Too many goals allowed in the first minute of the game and response goals in very time are part of what causes this team to struggle. At least the effort is there these days and the fragility seemingly a thing of the past. I suspect that Dalton Thrower in the line-up could have turned one point into two in this one, but that’s just supposition and a little bit of faint hope. Still really tired of the cowbells in Everett. No more cowbell.
The Giants opened the scoring in the second after both teams played to a scoreless first. Dalton Sward buried a solo effort, stealing the puck at the Everett neutral zone, going in on Daniel Cotton and tickling the twine. Everett responded less than a minute later to tie the game. Everett added another off of a breakdown in the Giants end of the ice before the end of the second. Trent Lofthouse knotted it back up 31 seconds into the third. Brett Kulak and Carter Popoff had the helpers. Everett capitalized on a bad turnover and an even poorer deflection as Geertsen deflected the puck into his own net. Popoff ground out the tying marker inside the final five minutes of regulation. The Giants would hold on for the point. Lee had to make some tough stops down the stretch. In OT Lee, who had handled the puck very well through out the game, coughed up the puck with a bad pass. A quick pass out front and the Silvertips found the back of the net, the bonus point and the win. It was kind of a poor way to end the game and kind of ironic as Lee handled the puck as well as could be expected for the majority of the tilt.
Team Notes: Thrower still out with suspected concussion symptoms, hopefully he will be back in the line-up come the weekend for two back-to-back games at home.
Rookie Watch: Ronning had his moments playing with Houck and others, but he was on the wrong side of the plus/minus stats sheet with a –2. Baer had a few decent looks, but really needs to step his game up another level. He’s been pointless in a few too many games for my liking, having evens across the board for far too many. I really need to see our euro players step it up a few levels. Other team’s euros are not only difference makers, but their top players – we haven’t had a top euro since Meszaros. No offense to Repik and Bliznak, but they neither were the best player on the team. So is it our drafting? What agents will actually talk to us? Or simply the biases of Don Hay, which need to be satisfied? Osipov was supposed to be a first overall KHL pick. Either that league is far worse than I suspected and Osipov is their best defensive prospect (that I sincerely doubt) or he played a very different game in Russia – a game he has the potential to bring here, but we have yet to see.
Fight Night: All of the fights came in the third period. Travis McEvoy v. Brayden Low. Tim Traber v. Jujhar Khaira - a lively tilt where both combatants fell to the ice and got back up to continue. A good toe to toe battle.
Zebra Cage: Brett Iverson and Mark Pearce – seems to be fairly balanced calls.
The Silvertips barely out shot the Giants 26-24. The Gs were 0 for 3 on the PP, while the Tips went 0 for 2. I felt we could have had a better first period and pressed harder. The Giants played a decent game and did not give up easily. A bit of puck luck and some lack of focus were the main reasons for the loss, but overall the team continues to play like a team. There are still components that need to up their games and the top line struggled in this one. They were okay at forcing opportunities, but gave up too many really good chances around their net. Lee had to be good often and made a few brilliant saves when the game was close, which if the goal were allowed would have given the Tips a big momentum shift and possibly pushed this game completely out of reach.
The Giants have the rest of the week to practice before taking on Medicine Hat Tigers on Friday at the Coliseum. Tied for the first in the East the Tigers will be a big challenge for the Gs. Canucks draft pick Hunter Shinkaruk will be the line-up for the Tigers. The Saturday tilt versus the Tri-City Americans will feature the first WHL regular season game for Giants top prospect Tyler Benson in his first game in a Giants uni. In a game that mean something in the standings and on the stats sheet. The puck on Friday drops at 7:30PST at the Rink on Renfrew. The G-Men will have to bring their best game to the ice as anything less will not get them the victory.
Three Stars
1. Manraj Hayer
2. Dalton Sward
3. Darcy DeRoose
Dondo’s Doghouse: Time for our euro players to begin to show their worth. Both 17yr olds I still do expect them to push and grow and I have yet to really see too many signs so far this season. Blips here and there, but nothing of import to really get me believing.
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Dalton Sward – now that he seems to be completely healthy it is clear that Sward is interested in upping his game. He was frequently in the mix tonight and unlucky to get more points. He opened the scoring with a brilliant bit of thievery and assisted on the game-tying marker late. Great effort in this one, comfortably centring the third line early and getting more minutes as the game progressed. I’ve been waiting a couple of years for this game, which I always knew he had in him, but needed the confidence to let to show. I still believe he could be a Machacek type of player and as successful as Spencer if he’s willing to go to the hard areas of the ice consistently.