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View Full Version : Giants 1 Tigers 6 - Nov 25, 2014



dondo
11-25-2014, 11:38 PM
*sigh* First off all RIP Pat Quinn. A true players coach - well-loved and respected individual. We'll miss you ya Big Irishman. By all accounts from Toigo and Bonner he was the brain-child behind the Vancouver Giants.

*also big sigh* Okay boys, what the F was that?? Two shorthanded goals against. Sloppy crappy hockey and no battle back. They better bounce back in Lethbridge.

I do have to say that after getting the early pull - deservedly - it was good to see Lee returned in the third to try to rebuild his shattered confidence. He turned away all of the shots he faced in the final frame.

Tigers Rake Giants
Vancouver 1 Medicine Hat 6


Road woes continue. So instead of 9 good minutes the boys dropped down to 2 good minutes of intense hockey and then dribs and drabs later and flashes now and again, but nothing building momentum and no shift to shift progression. A very early SH’d goal against crushed the boys spirit and they sunk and slunk their way through the rest of the period. The really crushing aspect being that it was the first shot on goal when the Giants had already generated 6 shots on net. It was a goaltending revolving door as Payton Lee got the start and coughed up three goals on 7 seven shots, was pulled and then returned between the pipes in the third after Cody Porter coughed up 3 goals on 19 shots. The Tigers scored two SH’d goals in the game and three PP goals. Matt Bellerive got the Giants only goal to break the shutout with about a 1:30 left in the game. The goal was unassisted.

So let’s call a spade a spade. That was abysmal. There truly is no excuse for that kind of hockey, or that first period. The Giants played stupid, lazy and sloppy hockey on their special teams and were barely hanging on for the rest of the game. They squandered their chances and if the broadcast is to be believed took some really soft dumb penalties to put themselves even farther behind their own self-constructed wall. The guys could not complete a pass and just suffered from a crippling lack of focus. Jackson Houck and Mason Geertsen at different times tried to bring up the energy and go for some payback, but it would be a better proactive act rather than a reactive one. The Giants are playing frustrated and not able to really establish confidence in games. They take far too many shifts off and it is past time for a shake-up. That was a f*cking painful game to listen to.

I have to hope that the room was more than a bit rattled at the passing of Pat Quinn and that it had something to do with their confusion, but the cynic in me doesn’t believe it.

Team Notes: Sherwood Park Alberta boy 15 year old defenseman Dylan Plouffe saw his first ice time for the Giants tonight and according to Matt Erhart, acquitted himself fairly well. He was the only Giants player with a plus in the game. Ryley McKinstry is still out with injury.

Fight Night: Jackson Houck v. Matt Staples: Houck laid a big open ice hit and was taken to task by Staples. Houck stapled the Tiger player in the head a few times getting the win. Mason Geertsen v. Chad Butcher AND Ty Schultz. Schultz held Geertsen when the big defenseman dropped his gloves and ragged dolled Butcher who did not drop his gloves and neither did Schultz. Mason was given 5 and a game and Schultz a game for being third man in and Butcher was given a roughing call. There was a delayed cross-checking penalty being called on Benson at the time, so the Tigers were gifted a 5 minute major penalty.

Zebra Cage: Jason Cramer and Kevin Webinger. Sounded like the boys were more than a tad precious making calls. They conveniently forgot that someone instigating a fight as retaliation for a hit is an instigator penalty (actually why the stupid penalty was invented in the first place.) They also made some bad choices late in the game regarding Geertsen imo. Not sure why Schultz only gets third man in and not anything more, but I didn’t see the play.

The Giants were out shot 43-25. Porter turned aside 16 of 19, while Lee’s final tallies were 21 of 24. The Giants got the only goal of the third period as the Tigers were in cruise control for the majority of final frame. The Giants were 0 for 5 on the PP (coughing up two shorties in the process) and allowed the Tiger a 50% PP night, with 3 for 6.

Nice big hit by Houck by the sounds of it. It’s a shame the team didn’t use it and the fight as a motivating moment, but as I said before there were flashes on shifts here and there, but no momentum building. Playing Osipov on his off-wing side on the blue-line during the PP was a poor decision as he had to play the pass frequently on his backhand and his puck handling skills are not at the top of his skill list. Also Osipov and Thrower as a pair seemed to struggle mightily tonight. Not sure if Benson with Stukel and Baer is a smart choice either. The young guys need to play with vets so they don’t teach each other bad habits as I see it.

Let’s hope the boys have a real bounce-back game tomorrow in Lethbridge. It is a team they should beat and to be honest this team is not really as poor as their current record so it’s time for them to suck it up and bring a more complete game for possibly a whole game and not just random periods. It gets a lot harder in Edmonton and Calgary on Friday and Saturday. Puck drops in Lethbridge at 7pm local, 6 pm PST … on TEAM 1410 – pre-game at 5pm.

Three Stars

1. Matt Bradley
2. Kyle Becker
3. Marek Langhamer

No hardhats.

Giantsfan
11-26-2014, 03:12 AM
FNL good post I agree with most of what you said. It was extremely painful watching Lee blow goals 1 & 3. He has zero confidence left. Ward has completely mismanaged the goaltenders & has destroyed Lee's game. I'm sure they put Lee back in for period three when he realized the game was out of reach & keep Porter fresh for tomorrow, the only "winnable" game on this trip.

It really doesn't matter how good or bad the goaltending is when the team is so weak offensively. They generated almost no quality chances the entire game. Even the goal by Bellerive was soft & lucky it went in. Once again, nobody was noticeable out there. It was that bad. A complete embarrassment & waste of time.

Not sure what the Medicine Hat announcer Bob Ridley was smoking. He continued to call Troy Ward, Troy Wood all game & nobody corrected him. He also was talking about how Bellerive is one of our elite players & the colorman commented about what a good player Roach is. Obviously they haven't seen this team play this year.

I don't agree that the Giants were strong at the start. Yes, they had a few chances but nothing really dangerous & once the Tigers scored the game was over. As for Dylan Plouffe, I never heard his name once. Didn't even notice him at all.

Good to see Houck & Geertsen show some emotion. At least someone got their hands dirty.

Ward is a dead man walking. I agree, he knows it & I'm sure management is looking for another coach. I hear Erhart is not well liked & I think it's time they clean house with the coaching staff.

I agree the Tigers did rest many of their top players & let their foot off the gas, enough for the Giants to pad the shot clock.

Overall it was another unacceptable, lifeless game & there is almost no hope left for the fans & for the players. It's sad to be out of the playoffs before the end of November. A game like this makes you shake your head & wonder how did such a proud franchise become a laughing stock.

johnnyradiant
11-26-2014, 01:57 PM
If Bonner has held his ground on player movement/acquisitions and such for several seasons why would he unload Ward now considering how long it took to settle on him. The team would probably be lifeless and coachless till next Sept. While I wouldn't mind reading of his departure at this point I'm not convinced those with the ability to make it happen will. If he is thinking about pulling that pin he should be at home or on a different road working on a new coaching staff plan. They should go out and find the best they can and pay him what he wants. If it's too much for Toigo then they should simply just cut team expenses and not go to any more road games. They can't win em anyhow, and they have a chance at being fresher for their home games.

The season tix plan including the away game feed was priced wrong. It should have been if you take the feed and actually watch it we'll give you a discount.

Giantsfan
11-26-2014, 03:41 PM
If he is thinking about pulling that pin he should be at home or on a different road working on a new coaching staff plan. They should go out and find the best they can and pay him what he wants.

Who's to say that Scott isn't meeting with some potential candidates while on the road with the team? We don't know what goes on behind closed doors & wouldn't expect that it would become common knowledge especially since Ward is still here. The bleeding has to stop at some point. Hopefully tonight.

Knuckles Muldoon
11-26-2014, 06:47 PM
I listened to the first period and kept shaking my head until it almost fell off. Turned it off (click) and happily watched the Canucks put in a solid 60 minutes for a win.
I think the next candidate for coach is Connie the interview girl. Couldn't hurt.

Lucic
11-28-2014, 03:06 PM
I listened to the first period and kept shaking my head until it almost fell off. Turned it off (click) and happily watched the Canucks put in a solid 60 minutes for a win.
I think the next candidate for coach is Connie the interview girl. Couldn't hurt.

No matter how bad the Giants are playing I don't think I could could stomach watching an NHL game. Unless of course I was suffering from insomnia. That fixes the problem each and every time! :p