dondo
12-15-2013, 03:15 AM
Worth the road trip, really odd beginning, but in the end some really good hockey, lots of good clean checks and great effort.
Giants Squash Tips
Vancouver 6 Everett 3 EN
What an odd start. First of all I was at the game sitting just behind the benches and what seemed to be right under the goal/period starting horn which rattled my teeth every time it blew. The Giants opened the scoring 20 seconds into the game. Everett scored 25 seconds later. They added another goal a minute and a half later, which if you are scoring at home was 2 goals on 2 shots. Hayzer has more patience than I have as I would have pulled Rathjen after the second goal which was ugly. It would remain that way until the Giants tied it up in the second period. In the third the Giants took over and put two past Austin Lotz before the Tips replied on the PP. The Giants added two more, one of which was an empty-netter before the end of the game. The boys played a very hard-nosed intense game. They were very quick to the puck and frequently won puck battles. The Giants were the hungrier team and the scoresheet reflected that.
The Giants opened the scoring 19 seconds into the game. It came out of nowhere a quick point shot by Brett Kulak found the back of the net. Dalton Sward and Joel Hamilton had the helpers. The Tips responded before the Giants goal was announced 25 seconds after that. They took the lead a couple of minutes later. Four on Four carried from the first into the second. The Giants tied up the contest in the second when Jackson Houck found the back of the net with Alec Baer and Travis McEvoy getting the assists. Carter Popoff took the lead on the PP in the third, their only PP of the game. The goal was unassisted and appeared to go off the back boards and off of Lotz into the net from my perspective. Oddly it was one of those face-offs I really focused in on. The drop was contested and the next thing I knew it was in the back of the net. The goal came in the first minute of the third. Houck had his second of the night off of Cain Franson and Baer. The Silvertips responded with their only PP of the game a brilliant fake shot and pass to the open man. The Giants got that one back when Popoff assisted on a Trent Lofthouse tally. Tim Traber showed a lot of class potting the empty netter, making sure he found the back of the net, but eschewing the big celebration. A very workman-like effort from the boys. The Tips were sloppy, but also forced to be that way as the Giants pressured the puck hard for the majority of the game.
Team Notes: Geertsen still out of the line-up with a three game suspension. I guess the defenseman got an early Christmas break. Ast was not in the line-up tonight. Trent Lofthouse was a Silvertip once upon a time and according to a display in the concourse of Comcast Arena (formerly the Everett Events Center) scored a hat trick versus the Giants as a Silvertip a little over a year ago.
Rookie Watch: Baer was back in the line-up and had couple of nice helpers playing with the top guys. Osipov had another solid night on the back-end, but was still the only -1 on the team. I think he's a shut-down D-man, but still has a lot to learn. Ronning was a scratch.
Fight Night: The boys tried a hard to fight, but in the end there were no fisticuffs.
Zebra Cage: Jeff Ingram and Jason Nissen – let a ton go on both sides of the puck, but when they called something it was often a surprise. A clean check called a charge. Hooking that wasn't called a few minutes earlier all of a sudden a penalty. Get some freaking consistency boys. Tips fans weren't happy, but then again this is a crowd that wildly cheers a goalie catching the puck in his glove, even though it is high or going wide. Wildly...
The Giants out shot the Tips 30-24. They really helped their PP stats by going 100%, 1 for 1.
The Tips went 1 for 3. I was concerned that Thrower was out for the game when he was hooked, tumbled over the goalie and landed square on his shoulder. He was back a few shifts later after he had been looked at. Lotz on the other-hand lay on the ice like he had been shot and then beaten with a baseball bat and got up just fine and ready to play when the refs assessed a goaltender interference penalty. Bad form Lotz, bad form. Some nice jump from Houck, Franson and Baer playing on the first line. Kulak had a good solid game as did most of the D. I saw Shaun Dosanjh during the warm-up, but don't recall seeing him out on the ice during the game. If he had shifts he was buried deep in the line-up. Dalton Sward continued his defensive ways shutting down the Tips and getting some good turnover chances. One in particular was really close and elicited some glass meets stick banging by Sward upon his return to the bench. I was impressed with the Giants speed and tenacity around the puck tonight. They just wanted it more. A fine road effort by the boys.
Winquist should have got a star nod tonight more than last night. I like Khaira's game, but Winquist was doing everything to try for the win and his goal and later assist on the PP showed why he is an effective quality player.
On Sunday they face what will probably be a tired Cougars team for their last game before the Christmas break. The Cougars got a schooling by the Chiefs who at one point had a 4-0 lead before taking a 6-3 victory. The puck drops at 5pm PST as it often does on Sunday at the Rink on Renfrew.
Three Stars
1. Jackson Houck
2. Carter Popoff
3. Jujhar Khaira
Dondo's Hardhat: goes to .. Dalton Thrower. He had a great night not on the score-sheet, but doing what he does best, shutting down the opposition. His breakaway ending in a penalty was a great drive to the net. +3.
Giants Squash Tips
Vancouver 6 Everett 3 EN
What an odd start. First of all I was at the game sitting just behind the benches and what seemed to be right under the goal/period starting horn which rattled my teeth every time it blew. The Giants opened the scoring 20 seconds into the game. Everett scored 25 seconds later. They added another goal a minute and a half later, which if you are scoring at home was 2 goals on 2 shots. Hayzer has more patience than I have as I would have pulled Rathjen after the second goal which was ugly. It would remain that way until the Giants tied it up in the second period. In the third the Giants took over and put two past Austin Lotz before the Tips replied on the PP. The Giants added two more, one of which was an empty-netter before the end of the game. The boys played a very hard-nosed intense game. They were very quick to the puck and frequently won puck battles. The Giants were the hungrier team and the scoresheet reflected that.
The Giants opened the scoring 19 seconds into the game. It came out of nowhere a quick point shot by Brett Kulak found the back of the net. Dalton Sward and Joel Hamilton had the helpers. The Tips responded before the Giants goal was announced 25 seconds after that. They took the lead a couple of minutes later. Four on Four carried from the first into the second. The Giants tied up the contest in the second when Jackson Houck found the back of the net with Alec Baer and Travis McEvoy getting the assists. Carter Popoff took the lead on the PP in the third, their only PP of the game. The goal was unassisted and appeared to go off the back boards and off of Lotz into the net from my perspective. Oddly it was one of those face-offs I really focused in on. The drop was contested and the next thing I knew it was in the back of the net. The goal came in the first minute of the third. Houck had his second of the night off of Cain Franson and Baer. The Silvertips responded with their only PP of the game a brilliant fake shot and pass to the open man. The Giants got that one back when Popoff assisted on a Trent Lofthouse tally. Tim Traber showed a lot of class potting the empty netter, making sure he found the back of the net, but eschewing the big celebration. A very workman-like effort from the boys. The Tips were sloppy, but also forced to be that way as the Giants pressured the puck hard for the majority of the game.
Team Notes: Geertsen still out of the line-up with a three game suspension. I guess the defenseman got an early Christmas break. Ast was not in the line-up tonight. Trent Lofthouse was a Silvertip once upon a time and according to a display in the concourse of Comcast Arena (formerly the Everett Events Center) scored a hat trick versus the Giants as a Silvertip a little over a year ago.
Rookie Watch: Baer was back in the line-up and had couple of nice helpers playing with the top guys. Osipov had another solid night on the back-end, but was still the only -1 on the team. I think he's a shut-down D-man, but still has a lot to learn. Ronning was a scratch.
Fight Night: The boys tried a hard to fight, but in the end there were no fisticuffs.
Zebra Cage: Jeff Ingram and Jason Nissen – let a ton go on both sides of the puck, but when they called something it was often a surprise. A clean check called a charge. Hooking that wasn't called a few minutes earlier all of a sudden a penalty. Get some freaking consistency boys. Tips fans weren't happy, but then again this is a crowd that wildly cheers a goalie catching the puck in his glove, even though it is high or going wide. Wildly...
The Giants out shot the Tips 30-24. They really helped their PP stats by going 100%, 1 for 1.
The Tips went 1 for 3. I was concerned that Thrower was out for the game when he was hooked, tumbled over the goalie and landed square on his shoulder. He was back a few shifts later after he had been looked at. Lotz on the other-hand lay on the ice like he had been shot and then beaten with a baseball bat and got up just fine and ready to play when the refs assessed a goaltender interference penalty. Bad form Lotz, bad form. Some nice jump from Houck, Franson and Baer playing on the first line. Kulak had a good solid game as did most of the D. I saw Shaun Dosanjh during the warm-up, but don't recall seeing him out on the ice during the game. If he had shifts he was buried deep in the line-up. Dalton Sward continued his defensive ways shutting down the Tips and getting some good turnover chances. One in particular was really close and elicited some glass meets stick banging by Sward upon his return to the bench. I was impressed with the Giants speed and tenacity around the puck tonight. They just wanted it more. A fine road effort by the boys.
Winquist should have got a star nod tonight more than last night. I like Khaira's game, but Winquist was doing everything to try for the win and his goal and later assist on the PP showed why he is an effective quality player.
On Sunday they face what will probably be a tired Cougars team for their last game before the Christmas break. The Cougars got a schooling by the Chiefs who at one point had a 4-0 lead before taking a 6-3 victory. The puck drops at 5pm PST as it often does on Sunday at the Rink on Renfrew.
Three Stars
1. Jackson Houck
2. Carter Popoff
3. Jujhar Khaira
Dondo's Hardhat: goes to .. Dalton Thrower. He had a great night not on the score-sheet, but doing what he does best, shutting down the opposition. His breakaway ending in a penalty was a great drive to the net. +3.