dondo
01-04-2014, 06:42 PM
Holy Crap 2014! -- A nice way to start the year. Playing a full 60 and shutting down the best team in the CHL with all of their players in the line-up.
Giants Fuse Rockets
Vancouver 4 Kelowna 2
The Rockets are the best team in the CHL. They dominate on the PP and have had only 5 losses on the year going into this game (6 now), 3 (now 4) in regulation and 2 SOL. They were on a 16 game win streak. The Giants not only competed, but were able to shut down one of the best lines in the entire league allowing a mere 17 shots on their net. It was probably the most complete 60 minutes the Giants have played all season. It was smart hard hockey, with a lot of offensive pressure combined with defensive responsibility. The only possible break the G’s got was Jackson Whistle in net. A former Giant, Whistle was badly mismanaged here and has similar numbers to the Rockets 20 yr old starter Jordon Cooke playing for Kelowna this season – with the exception of number of starts and wins of course. Houck notched his third WHL career hat trick.
Jackson Houck opened the scoring on the PP 4:58 into the opening frame. Arvin Atwal and Carter Popoff had the helpers. Kelowna tied it up before the end of the first. A puck which squeaked through Jared Rathjen and one he would want back. Anthony Ast got the Giants back their lead early in the second, Joel Hamilton and Atwal with the assists. Kelowna tied it up on the PP not long after. The Giants took back the lead with Houck scoring his 21st of the season a couple of minutes later. Dalton Thrower and Cain Franson had the helpers. Houck added one more before the end of the middle stanza getting his hat-trick in the process. The Giants held on by not sitting back, but by keeping up the smart pressure and closing gaps quickly. The G’s worked hard for a period and a half and held onto their two goal lead until the final buzzer.
Team Notes: Sward and Lofthouse are still injured and out of the line-up. Tyler Morrison played as a forward as the Giants dressed 7 defensemen. Ty Ronning playing for the U-17s on Team Pacific in the Gold medal game versus a very dominant US squad. Tyler Benson is on Team Pacific as well. Blake Orban was traded to The Oil Kings for a second round pick.
Rookie Watch: Osipov looked good on a regular shift with Mason Geertsen. Ronning at U-17s, Alec Baer had been getting a chance on the PP as of late – he was –1 tonight, but had some good forays. Dosanjh was +2 and looked solid.
Fight Night: nada
Zebra Cage: Adam Griffiths and Brett Montsion .. Montsion was a bit quick with the whistle all night, whistling down loose pucks as covered and making some soft calls.
The Giants out shot the Rockets 26-17. They went 1 for 6 on the PP and it was the only time the boys were less than solid. The Rockets were 1 for 4 with their man-advantage chances. The Rockets were also undisciplined, but some credit goes to the Giants for keeping their feet moving and forcing the Rockets to chase (something I am sure they are unused to doing this season). It was good hockey. I didn’t see many huge checks or big, big plays, but the boys kept the shots to the outside, controlled the gaps and did not sit back but instead kept the pressure up. I really liked Tim Traber’s game tonight – he only had 1 point, but was a +2 and first into the play whether back-checking or fore-checking. Atwal had a couple of assists as did Franson.
Now the boys have to do the near impossible. Namely bring that same game into Kelowna tonight. The Rockets are going to pissed after allowing their 16 game win streak and 16 game road win streak to be broken. They will be starting Cooke and will not take the Giants lightly in the least. There will be push-back. The Giants will need to play hard and smart to have a hope at Prospera Centre tonight and they will need almost flawless goaltending and a complete team effort for the full 60. That’s not too much to ask is it? I really don’t expect the Giants to beat one of the best teams in the CHL in back-to-back games, but that’s why we play the game. Maybe this will be the start of a Rocket slump and the Giants can find the net enough to pull out a win. You never know.
The puck drops tonight in Kelowna at 7pm PST. Not sure who will be getting the start, but maybe Rathjen will get the nod since he was able to hold the fort on Friday. That said he was never required to be exceptional as the boys just played that smart of a game.
Three Stars
1. Jackson Houck
2. Tim Traber
3. Anthony Ast
Dondo’s Doghouse: no-one in the doghouse tonight, even the role players stepped up their game every shift
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Tim Traber – it would be so easy to give it to a very deserving Houck, but I felt that Traber’s work at both ends, his effort on the puck, his tenacity and gap control was exceptional tonight and the reason the Rockets offense had a tough time finding room on the ice.
Giants Fuse Rockets
Vancouver 4 Kelowna 2
The Rockets are the best team in the CHL. They dominate on the PP and have had only 5 losses on the year going into this game (6 now), 3 (now 4) in regulation and 2 SOL. They were on a 16 game win streak. The Giants not only competed, but were able to shut down one of the best lines in the entire league allowing a mere 17 shots on their net. It was probably the most complete 60 minutes the Giants have played all season. It was smart hard hockey, with a lot of offensive pressure combined with defensive responsibility. The only possible break the G’s got was Jackson Whistle in net. A former Giant, Whistle was badly mismanaged here and has similar numbers to the Rockets 20 yr old starter Jordon Cooke playing for Kelowna this season – with the exception of number of starts and wins of course. Houck notched his third WHL career hat trick.
Jackson Houck opened the scoring on the PP 4:58 into the opening frame. Arvin Atwal and Carter Popoff had the helpers. Kelowna tied it up before the end of the first. A puck which squeaked through Jared Rathjen and one he would want back. Anthony Ast got the Giants back their lead early in the second, Joel Hamilton and Atwal with the assists. Kelowna tied it up on the PP not long after. The Giants took back the lead with Houck scoring his 21st of the season a couple of minutes later. Dalton Thrower and Cain Franson had the helpers. Houck added one more before the end of the middle stanza getting his hat-trick in the process. The Giants held on by not sitting back, but by keeping up the smart pressure and closing gaps quickly. The G’s worked hard for a period and a half and held onto their two goal lead until the final buzzer.
Team Notes: Sward and Lofthouse are still injured and out of the line-up. Tyler Morrison played as a forward as the Giants dressed 7 defensemen. Ty Ronning playing for the U-17s on Team Pacific in the Gold medal game versus a very dominant US squad. Tyler Benson is on Team Pacific as well. Blake Orban was traded to The Oil Kings for a second round pick.
Rookie Watch: Osipov looked good on a regular shift with Mason Geertsen. Ronning at U-17s, Alec Baer had been getting a chance on the PP as of late – he was –1 tonight, but had some good forays. Dosanjh was +2 and looked solid.
Fight Night: nada
Zebra Cage: Adam Griffiths and Brett Montsion .. Montsion was a bit quick with the whistle all night, whistling down loose pucks as covered and making some soft calls.
The Giants out shot the Rockets 26-17. They went 1 for 6 on the PP and it was the only time the boys were less than solid. The Rockets were 1 for 4 with their man-advantage chances. The Rockets were also undisciplined, but some credit goes to the Giants for keeping their feet moving and forcing the Rockets to chase (something I am sure they are unused to doing this season). It was good hockey. I didn’t see many huge checks or big, big plays, but the boys kept the shots to the outside, controlled the gaps and did not sit back but instead kept the pressure up. I really liked Tim Traber’s game tonight – he only had 1 point, but was a +2 and first into the play whether back-checking or fore-checking. Atwal had a couple of assists as did Franson.
Now the boys have to do the near impossible. Namely bring that same game into Kelowna tonight. The Rockets are going to pissed after allowing their 16 game win streak and 16 game road win streak to be broken. They will be starting Cooke and will not take the Giants lightly in the least. There will be push-back. The Giants will need to play hard and smart to have a hope at Prospera Centre tonight and they will need almost flawless goaltending and a complete team effort for the full 60. That’s not too much to ask is it? I really don’t expect the Giants to beat one of the best teams in the CHL in back-to-back games, but that’s why we play the game. Maybe this will be the start of a Rocket slump and the Giants can find the net enough to pull out a win. You never know.
The puck drops tonight in Kelowna at 7pm PST. Not sure who will be getting the start, but maybe Rathjen will get the nod since he was able to hold the fort on Friday. That said he was never required to be exceptional as the boys just played that smart of a game.
Three Stars
1. Jackson Houck
2. Tim Traber
3. Anthony Ast
Dondo’s Doghouse: no-one in the doghouse tonight, even the role players stepped up their game every shift
Dondo’s Hardhat: goes to Tim Traber – it would be so easy to give it to a very deserving Houck, but I felt that Traber’s work at both ends, his effort on the puck, his tenacity and gap control was exceptional tonight and the reason the Rockets offense had a tough time finding room on the ice.