dondo
11-19-2014, 01:40 AM
Just when you think the boys are going drop another road game, they suprise you and battle back for a deserved win.
Giants Claw Back Cats
Vancouver 6 Prince George 4 (EN)
The Giants needed at least a split in Prince George to gain some road confidence, but they did not start out the game that way. The boys decided to get their crappy period out of the way early, before making the comeback. They struggled in the first; all except for Mason Geertsen who seemed to be the only player to start with intensity. The Cougars controlled the first period and looked to be getting out the opening frame up by one, when the Giants won a face-off with 9 seconds left, promptly coughed up the puck and allowed a goal with 1.5 seconds remaining. The Cats added another early in the second to go up 3 buzz. The Giants utilised their special teams to get back into the game. They out-distanced the Cougars in the third, never giving up even when the Cats came back to tie it late.
Prince George opened the scoring 2 minutes into the game. With time ticking down they stripped the Giants of the puck and scored with 1.5 seconds left in the period to go up 2-0. In the second a Cougar’s PP marker chased Payton Lee from the net, to be replaced by Cody Porter. Porter shut the door in the middle frame and gave his team a chance to come back. Carter Popoff used a Giants PP to break the ice for the visitors. Dmitry Osipov got the only assist. A couple of minutes later, when the Giants were getting into penalty trouble, some great effort by Thomas Foster got the puck to Dalton Sward for his 9th SH’d tally of his WHL career. He is now one shy of Chucky’s franchise record of 10. The Giants tied the game in the third, on another PP. Clayton Kirichenko scored from the point, assisted by Arvin Atwal and Foster. Matt Bellerive gave the Giants the lead, putting home a Thomas Foster feed. The goal chased Tavin Grant from the net, to be replaced by ex-Giant Jared Rathjen. With time getting short the Cougars tied it up, but the Giants responded quickly as Shaun Dosanjh got his first goal of the season, unassisted. After a few missed chances at the open net by other Giants, Atwal found the back of the cage as the puck caromed off of a Cougar player in front of the net.
Team Notes: Jakob Stukel was back in the line-up. He started out a bit slow, but gained momentum as the game went on. Ryley McKinstry is still out. I’m not sure if Tyler Benson travelled with the team, but he was not in this game. It’s most likely that his first game back will be Friday at the Coliseum.
Fight Night: No actual fights, but Geertsen tried to fight, dropped his gloves and the Cougar player did not bite. Geertsen was already going to get a penalty on the play.
Zebra Cage: Brett Iverson and Nick Swaine seemed to be in game management mode in the second. Adding 10 minute misconducts to control a possible outbreak of emotion and intensity and we don’t want that now do we? Gawd forbid we allow players to battle and hit without calling some ticky tack crap. Ah I miss refs that let players play, and hit and fight and battle.
The Giants were badly out shot 37-21 by the Cougars, but Cody Porter held his team in there in relief. Lee allowed three goals on 15 shots, but I think he was pulled more as a message to the rest of the team. The Giants were 2 for 5 on the PP and held the Cats to 1 for 7. The Giants best effort came from their special teams. They used the PP as a springboard, managed to grind out a SH’d marker and then they used that momentum to get the tie and cue the comeback.
Good to see the Gs getting some scoring from the blue-line. It felt like they were bringing more offense from behind and a few good odd-man rushes with defensemen as part of the rushing unit. The Giants best players stepped it up when they needed to and showed some character in the battle-back. I was pretty irritated when they allowed that goal at the end of the first though. It’s that kind of lack of focus that has been their downfall so far this season. Kudos though - go to the boys for not giving in and continuing to press in the offensive zone and finally solve the young Prince George netminder. I might have to resurrect my good/bad framework for Mason Geertsen. He rode pine in the third after taking a few undisciplined penalties and poorly coughing up the puck, but he also brought the most intensity of any Giant early on and was finally playing the physical game he needs to play.
The team lost a bit of their fragility and hopefully are gaining some confidence on the road. They have a chance to test that theory tomorrow night as they play part 2 of the PG back-to-back. Getting the first win will take a lot of the pressure off though. I expect Porter will get the nod in net, as he was a huge reason for the Giants being able to come back. This game marked the first of four in five nights. The puck drops at CN Centre at 7pm on Wednesday.
Three Stars
1. Sam Ruopp
2. Cody Porter
3. Chase Witala
Dondo’s Doghouse: Tyler Morrison has struggled as of late and he had a rough game tonight, not necessarily on the scoresheet, but whenever I heard his name it sounded like he was making poor passes and mishandling the puck a lot. He needs some production to get some confidence back.
Dondo’s Hardhat: I could give it to a forward, but without Cody Porter shutting the door until the boys made their comeback there would have been no win. He turned aside 21 of 22 and gave his team the confidence to battle back. Honourable mention: to Dalton Sward, who had a heart on his sleeve kind of workman effort tonight. Leading by example as a proper captain should.
Giants Claw Back Cats
Vancouver 6 Prince George 4 (EN)
The Giants needed at least a split in Prince George to gain some road confidence, but they did not start out the game that way. The boys decided to get their crappy period out of the way early, before making the comeback. They struggled in the first; all except for Mason Geertsen who seemed to be the only player to start with intensity. The Cougars controlled the first period and looked to be getting out the opening frame up by one, when the Giants won a face-off with 9 seconds left, promptly coughed up the puck and allowed a goal with 1.5 seconds remaining. The Cats added another early in the second to go up 3 buzz. The Giants utilised their special teams to get back into the game. They out-distanced the Cougars in the third, never giving up even when the Cats came back to tie it late.
Prince George opened the scoring 2 minutes into the game. With time ticking down they stripped the Giants of the puck and scored with 1.5 seconds left in the period to go up 2-0. In the second a Cougar’s PP marker chased Payton Lee from the net, to be replaced by Cody Porter. Porter shut the door in the middle frame and gave his team a chance to come back. Carter Popoff used a Giants PP to break the ice for the visitors. Dmitry Osipov got the only assist. A couple of minutes later, when the Giants were getting into penalty trouble, some great effort by Thomas Foster got the puck to Dalton Sward for his 9th SH’d tally of his WHL career. He is now one shy of Chucky’s franchise record of 10. The Giants tied the game in the third, on another PP. Clayton Kirichenko scored from the point, assisted by Arvin Atwal and Foster. Matt Bellerive gave the Giants the lead, putting home a Thomas Foster feed. The goal chased Tavin Grant from the net, to be replaced by ex-Giant Jared Rathjen. With time getting short the Cougars tied it up, but the Giants responded quickly as Shaun Dosanjh got his first goal of the season, unassisted. After a few missed chances at the open net by other Giants, Atwal found the back of the cage as the puck caromed off of a Cougar player in front of the net.
Team Notes: Jakob Stukel was back in the line-up. He started out a bit slow, but gained momentum as the game went on. Ryley McKinstry is still out. I’m not sure if Tyler Benson travelled with the team, but he was not in this game. It’s most likely that his first game back will be Friday at the Coliseum.
Fight Night: No actual fights, but Geertsen tried to fight, dropped his gloves and the Cougar player did not bite. Geertsen was already going to get a penalty on the play.
Zebra Cage: Brett Iverson and Nick Swaine seemed to be in game management mode in the second. Adding 10 minute misconducts to control a possible outbreak of emotion and intensity and we don’t want that now do we? Gawd forbid we allow players to battle and hit without calling some ticky tack crap. Ah I miss refs that let players play, and hit and fight and battle.
The Giants were badly out shot 37-21 by the Cougars, but Cody Porter held his team in there in relief. Lee allowed three goals on 15 shots, but I think he was pulled more as a message to the rest of the team. The Giants were 2 for 5 on the PP and held the Cats to 1 for 7. The Giants best effort came from their special teams. They used the PP as a springboard, managed to grind out a SH’d marker and then they used that momentum to get the tie and cue the comeback.
Good to see the Gs getting some scoring from the blue-line. It felt like they were bringing more offense from behind and a few good odd-man rushes with defensemen as part of the rushing unit. The Giants best players stepped it up when they needed to and showed some character in the battle-back. I was pretty irritated when they allowed that goal at the end of the first though. It’s that kind of lack of focus that has been their downfall so far this season. Kudos though - go to the boys for not giving in and continuing to press in the offensive zone and finally solve the young Prince George netminder. I might have to resurrect my good/bad framework for Mason Geertsen. He rode pine in the third after taking a few undisciplined penalties and poorly coughing up the puck, but he also brought the most intensity of any Giant early on and was finally playing the physical game he needs to play.
The team lost a bit of their fragility and hopefully are gaining some confidence on the road. They have a chance to test that theory tomorrow night as they play part 2 of the PG back-to-back. Getting the first win will take a lot of the pressure off though. I expect Porter will get the nod in net, as he was a huge reason for the Giants being able to come back. This game marked the first of four in five nights. The puck drops at CN Centre at 7pm on Wednesday.
Three Stars
1. Sam Ruopp
2. Cody Porter
3. Chase Witala
Dondo’s Doghouse: Tyler Morrison has struggled as of late and he had a rough game tonight, not necessarily on the scoresheet, but whenever I heard his name it sounded like he was making poor passes and mishandling the puck a lot. He needs some production to get some confidence back.
Dondo’s Hardhat: I could give it to a forward, but without Cody Porter shutting the door until the boys made their comeback there would have been no win. He turned aside 21 of 22 and gave his team the confidence to battle back. Honourable mention: to Dalton Sward, who had a heart on his sleeve kind of workman effort tonight. Leading by example as a proper captain should.