dondo
01-26-2014, 02:29 PM
Victoria made their chances count.
Royals Trump Giants
Vancouver 1 Victoria 3
The Royals used two early goals in the first to carry them through. The Giants didn’t make too many mistakes in this one, but when they did the Royals seemed to find the back of the net. Not a huge amount of emotion in this one. The Victoria squad were opportunists and tough to play in their own end. When they did leave holes, Patrik Polivka was there to shut the door. Polivka did not have to be great, but he was solid minimizing rebounds and controlling the play. The Giants were a bit slow to loose pucks and not as good as they could have been in the face-off dot. Both teams played well, but the Royals had the edge in net and on their back-end. Sward got the only goal for the Giants, which came on the PK. The Giants were without Dalton Thrower who has a lower body injury and is not expected to play until Friday when the Giants take on the Royals in Victoria for a back-to-back across the straight.
The Royals opened the scoring off of a poor give-away 4:06 into the game. They notched another a couple of minutes later as the puck was wired from the face-off dot, far post and in. The goal came off of another sloppy give-away. The Giants out shot and out chanced the visitors in the first period, but that dominance was not reflected on the scoresheet. Mid-second the Giants made a horrible cross-ice pass in their own zone having it easily picked off. The generous gift was finished off by a great deke to the backhand and into the top of the net. That goal was really an energy killer. The Giants found the scoresheet a few minutes later while killing a penalty. Dalton Sward buried the puck with a nice move across the crease. Mason Geertsen got the only other assist. The Giants pressed in the third, but could not get past the Royals stifling defensive shell. Polivka continued to be good at managing the puck, helping his team hold onto the win.
Team Notes: Dalton Thrower out of the line-up until Friday. Thrower has been nursing an injury and playing through pain for some time apparently and has not been able to practice, so he is going to take the week to give him a chance to rest. Lofthouse out with injury and Ronning was a scratch due mainly to the flu. Sward has scored 5 SH’d goals this season.
Fight Night: nada
Zebra Cage: Tyler Adair and Fraser Lawrence .. I guess they think you can’t get mad at them if they call nothing, but even though there wasn’t a ton of infractions to call they missed the boat a few times and after letting almost everything go called a clean shoulder check as checking from behind. 3 penalties called the whole game.
The Giants out shot the Royals 33-23. They went 0 for 1 on the PP, while the Royals were 0 for 2, allowing a short-handed goal against. Not the most scintillating of games and a mouthy Royals fan who would not shut up the whole game made it a bit trying. Both teams put in some good effort, but the Royals were the better squad. The Giants felt a step behind to me most of the night, even though they dominated the shot tally. I know there is a better game in the boys and the team definitely missed their Captain. I am hoping he is healthy going into Victoria next week.
Hay was talking about how much he liked Morrison and McEvoy’s games, but to be honest they were the two who had –2s beside their name and what I saw was effort, but a lack of responsibility. Morrison may be giving Hayzer what he wants in a lot of respects, but to me he’s a better forward than he is a defenseman. I find him to be a defensive liability and when he is paired with Osipov I shudder a bit. That said, Kulak was also a –2 and he had some very nice moments in the game and also a few gaffes. The story of the game was the ability for the Royals to capitalise on minimal gaffes. The team has to play mistake free hockey versus the Victoria squad as they have players with the skill-set to make them pay.
The Giants have a tilt on Wednesday at home versus the Blazers. They are hoping that they can continue to dominate the Kamloops squad. The puck on Wednesday drops at 7pm.
Three Stars
1. Brandon Magee
2. Dalton Sward
3. Logan Nelson
Dondo’s Doghouse: I was not fond of Morrison’s game in this one, but it might be my own bias
Dondo’s Hardhat: Again to Dalton Sward – he has been finding his scoring touch as of late and filling that hole in his game. I see more confidence and willingness to go to the net with the puck this year. I was hoping to see this kind of game from him last year, but better late than never. Nice SH’d goal for his 5th on the season.
Royals Trump Giants
Vancouver 1 Victoria 3
The Royals used two early goals in the first to carry them through. The Giants didn’t make too many mistakes in this one, but when they did the Royals seemed to find the back of the net. Not a huge amount of emotion in this one. The Victoria squad were opportunists and tough to play in their own end. When they did leave holes, Patrik Polivka was there to shut the door. Polivka did not have to be great, but he was solid minimizing rebounds and controlling the play. The Giants were a bit slow to loose pucks and not as good as they could have been in the face-off dot. Both teams played well, but the Royals had the edge in net and on their back-end. Sward got the only goal for the Giants, which came on the PK. The Giants were without Dalton Thrower who has a lower body injury and is not expected to play until Friday when the Giants take on the Royals in Victoria for a back-to-back across the straight.
The Royals opened the scoring off of a poor give-away 4:06 into the game. They notched another a couple of minutes later as the puck was wired from the face-off dot, far post and in. The goal came off of another sloppy give-away. The Giants out shot and out chanced the visitors in the first period, but that dominance was not reflected on the scoresheet. Mid-second the Giants made a horrible cross-ice pass in their own zone having it easily picked off. The generous gift was finished off by a great deke to the backhand and into the top of the net. That goal was really an energy killer. The Giants found the scoresheet a few minutes later while killing a penalty. Dalton Sward buried the puck with a nice move across the crease. Mason Geertsen got the only other assist. The Giants pressed in the third, but could not get past the Royals stifling defensive shell. Polivka continued to be good at managing the puck, helping his team hold onto the win.
Team Notes: Dalton Thrower out of the line-up until Friday. Thrower has been nursing an injury and playing through pain for some time apparently and has not been able to practice, so he is going to take the week to give him a chance to rest. Lofthouse out with injury and Ronning was a scratch due mainly to the flu. Sward has scored 5 SH’d goals this season.
Fight Night: nada
Zebra Cage: Tyler Adair and Fraser Lawrence .. I guess they think you can’t get mad at them if they call nothing, but even though there wasn’t a ton of infractions to call they missed the boat a few times and after letting almost everything go called a clean shoulder check as checking from behind. 3 penalties called the whole game.
The Giants out shot the Royals 33-23. They went 0 for 1 on the PP, while the Royals were 0 for 2, allowing a short-handed goal against. Not the most scintillating of games and a mouthy Royals fan who would not shut up the whole game made it a bit trying. Both teams put in some good effort, but the Royals were the better squad. The Giants felt a step behind to me most of the night, even though they dominated the shot tally. I know there is a better game in the boys and the team definitely missed their Captain. I am hoping he is healthy going into Victoria next week.
Hay was talking about how much he liked Morrison and McEvoy’s games, but to be honest they were the two who had –2s beside their name and what I saw was effort, but a lack of responsibility. Morrison may be giving Hayzer what he wants in a lot of respects, but to me he’s a better forward than he is a defenseman. I find him to be a defensive liability and when he is paired with Osipov I shudder a bit. That said, Kulak was also a –2 and he had some very nice moments in the game and also a few gaffes. The story of the game was the ability for the Royals to capitalise on minimal gaffes. The team has to play mistake free hockey versus the Victoria squad as they have players with the skill-set to make them pay.
The Giants have a tilt on Wednesday at home versus the Blazers. They are hoping that they can continue to dominate the Kamloops squad. The puck on Wednesday drops at 7pm.
Three Stars
1. Brandon Magee
2. Dalton Sward
3. Logan Nelson
Dondo’s Doghouse: I was not fond of Morrison’s game in this one, but it might be my own bias
Dondo’s Hardhat: Again to Dalton Sward – he has been finding his scoring touch as of late and filling that hole in his game. I see more confidence and willingness to go to the net with the puck this year. I was hoping to see this kind of game from him last year, but better late than never. Nice SH’d goal for his 5th on the season.