Blazers 4 @ Giants 3 - Nov. 11th (Shoot-out)

[Beaner]

Well a much better game then the first time these 2 teams played in Vancouver. Lots of hitting, intensity and all around very entertaining game. Dubynk showed everyone tonight why he was a #1 pick, he definatley kept the Blazers in the game tonight. Giants probably should have had this game, but c'est la vie. Blazers got in some penalty trouble again in the third, but managed to kill off the penalties.

NOTES
Slade and Dubnyk got the starts.
Mikkelson (knee), Sexsmith (Hip), Reese, Hunt , Czibre were the Giant scratches.
Shots were 35-16 Giants.
PP Giants 1/10, Blazers 1/6
Rutherford left the game mid-third after a big collision into the end boards. Seemed to be favoring his leg. Managed to get called on a charge on the play.

GOALS
1. VAN Albers, (3) (Franson, Kraus), 4:24 (PP)Off the draw, puck comes to Franson, passes across ice to Albers who one times it high past Dubnyk.
1. KAM Jorgensen, (11) (Mulock, Rome), 9:30 Puck is coming around behind the net, takes a funny hop off the boards catching Slade out of his net, Rome tips it out front, Mulock tips it to the middle and Jorgenson taps in the empty netter.
1. KAM Steinmann, (2) (Tesliuk), 10:06 (PP) Steinmann crosses the blue line with the puck and just lets a wrister go, stick side, mid high that just goes right past Slade.
3. VAN Watt, (2) , 7:15 Watt gets the puck in the neutral zone, lots of people changing at the time, crosses the blue line and just fires one at the net, thru the Defenceman that beats Dubnyk Five hole.
3. KAM Steinmann, (3) , 10:44 Franson decides to try and deek the Forechecker in the slot in his own zone. Wrong Decision. Steinmann chips it off his stick grabs the puck and fires a shot right past the startled Slade.
3. VAN Lamb, (7) (Watt, Fistric), 15:47 Puck goes in on Dubnyk on a dump -in, he goes to play it in the faceoff circle, a hard-charging Watt manages to get to Dubnyk and the puck, takes it from Dubnyk, throws it backhand to the front of the net, and Lamb redirects it home into the open net.

SHOOT-OUT
Ashton Rome No Goal - I think he lost control just as he was making his move stick side.
Reid Jorgensen Goal - Shot past Slade.
T.J. Mulock No Goal - I think we went for the deke, Slade got him.
Tim Kraus No Goal - Tried to go 5-hole.
Mitch Bartley No Goal - Tried to go 5-hole.
Michal Repik No Goal - Shot glove side, mid net high, Dubnyk glove faster.

FISTICUFFS
None - but for a second at the end of the second I thought we might get to see the Bartley brothers have another go at it. :laugh:

OFFICIATING
Rehman got he call tonight. Pretty good job I thought, nothing glaring - for the most part he let them play. GRADE:B

DUMB PENALTY OF THE NIGHT
Victor Bartley 2 for Slashing in the third, when they were already shorthanded. Have to keep your head together better than that.

OVERALL
Much better game like I said than the first game. Giants probably deserved a better fate, they had the better chances and a lot more pressure, but the Blazers did what they had to, to get the win. Game 2 tomorrow night should be fantastic.

Franson had a terrible game I thought tonight, he at times during games doesn't seem to know what to do with the puck, and tonight it almost cost them the game.

Biggest hit of the night has to go to JD Watt who caught some Blazer in the railroad tracks early and he absolutely flattened the guy, so hard was the hit the mouthguard went flying. Player was ok, missed who JD caught, but that was the best open ice hit of the season thus far.

Blum is just looking better and better for a 16yr. old. Great play on Rome one on one late in the thrid to negate a scoring chance.

3 Stars
1. VAN - 11 J. D. Watt
2. KAM - 10 Janick Steinmann
3. VAN - 3 Paul Albers

Dubnyk should have got a star tonight, except for those 2 goals he was amazing.

[GF71]

I have to agree about Franson having a terrible game. He has had a few of these lately...sophmore slump maybe? His give-away was BRUTAL. Again Slade had a less than stellar showing. While he did make a couple of nice saves, he was WAY out of position on the first goal, and simply just blew it on the second. Can't blame him on the third one though.. that was Cody's gaff. I thought Blum had a very strong game. He impresses everytime out. One thing I noticed that to me, was alarming. Why was Voytechek, who is a fourth line player, out on the power play? Especially given his renowned scoring prowess. I was just shaking my head. I remember thinking Watt wasn't doing much, other than a couple of hits on the first shift. Then he scores a goal on a screened shot, and makes a HUGE paly to get Lamb the puck for the third goal. Go figure. Dubnyk, for the first time in a couple of years had a great game against Vancouver. The Giants usually have his number and always seem to make him look bad. Tonight he was ultimately the difference in the game, Slade's mis-ques aside. Czibere will draw into the line up tomorrow...as was the plan, but with Rutherford's owie, Dulle should stay in the line up. Speaking of Rutherford...why is he not getting more powerplay time? Yes he is small, Yes he gets knocked down often, but he has major league puck handling skills and having watched him for a couple of years now, I can confidently say he is a pure goal scorer. Ergo, my Voytechek comment. David will NOT be playing in the game on Saturday. He left the game after having his bell rung...he has a minor concussion. He will be going on the road trip however. And...FYI... Sexsmith will be going out on the road trip through the prairies.

[rinkrat]

Good report,Beaner.
I think it was Eisenkirch that JD flattened in the first.He also nailed somone open ice on the giants own blueline later in the 3rd,just before the comeback started.Entertaining game!
Just curious,what section do you reside in?

[Beaner]

Hmm.

I agree about Rutherford, however, he may not be seeing that much PP time just because he has been so injured lately, seems he can't play more than 1-2 games without getting banged up. Maybe thats the reaason?

I think Don was just throwing anyone out there on the PP in the third who seemed to be going - Voytechuk, Watt etc were out there and doing stuff, the top line seemed to be just a little off all night.

Ok, so Czibre is in but what about Hunt? This is the perfect style of game to have him out there. I know in the past he has taken a lot of stupid penalties but this year, IMO he has played that 4th line checking roll just great. Dulle played well, but, I think I would rather see Hunt out there with his energy and aggressiveness. He will get under the Blazers skin, and more than likely draw more penalties than he takes, if he takes any at all. His forecheck has been great in the games he has played so far. This Hunt being a healthy scratch is starting to be a real mystery to me, and everyone else who sits around me.


Rinkrat - I live in section U, right on the blue line. Could have swore I felt that hit from JD in the first, you could just see it coming from a mile away, a great start to Heavyweight heros of Hastings night.

[GF71]

I agree with you Beaner...I would rather see Hunt in there, other than Dulle. I guess Don will decide forsure tomorrow, but games against Kamloops are perfect for Garet, who BTW was PISSED that he was a scratch. SHoudl be a beauty tomorrow. I think I may go up tomorrow... will have to see in the morning.

[scamperdog]

Well Beaner for the most part I am going to agree with what you have to say,that was the most hitting I have seen in a game in some time was nice to see and made for an entertaining game.
I thought goaltending a both ends was average, not Devons best game or his worst, after that third goal I thought we were doomed, that hurt, but we hung on for the overtime, were I thought the Blazers were the better team.

Fisticuffs I was looking forward to the Bartley match, maybe tonight :laugh:
Offficiating, As soon as I seen that Rehman was the ref I knew we were screwed, glued and tatooed, I thought he did his best to give you guys the game, he forgot there was two teams on the ice, I will give him a E as always. great penalty kill by the blazers in the third.

As for the hit by Watt, that was huge, there was another hit behind the Blazer net I believe also in the first were a blazer sent a giant head over heals, not sure of the players as I was sitting at other end,

As for Franson, a week ago he scores a beauty on us, this week he returns the favour.
the Rutherford injury is that were he got called for charging, he hit the boards hard there,
Anyways it was well worth the trip, made for a good bus trip back, I loved that Gino, Gino before the game, the fans never forget.

[Beaner]

Glad to hear you had a good time, the Gino chant was fun.

Yes - Rutherford got the concussion on that charge in the third - I thought he caught more board than Blazer to be honest.

Dubnyk played very well until those 2 bad goals - It was his best game in Vancouver, and besides those 2 goals he played very well. I thought he was the best Blazer on the ice.

[rinkrat]

there was another hit behind the Blazer net I believe also in the first were a blazer sent a giant head over heals, not sure of the players as I was sitting at other end,

That was Victor Bartley with the hip check!

[sircountalot]

That was Victor Barley with the hip check behind the net on Mario Bizneck. Great hit...maybe the best one of the night! What was with Rome standing over Watt during the scrum...while Watt is tied up and on the ice...slashing at the front of his skates! I thought that was pretty cheap...especially for a 20 year old...stand up and challenge him to a fight...none of that cheap crap!

[Beaner]

That was Victor Barley with the hip check behind the net on Mario Bizneck. Great hit...maybe the best one of the night! What was with Rome standing over Watt during the scrum...while Watt is tied up and on the ice...slashing at the front of his skates! I thought that was pretty cheap...especially for a 20 year old...stand up and challenge him to a fight...none of that cheap crap!

Heh, yeah it was kind of a big mix up in front of the net. Rome is lucky he didnt get another 2 mins, I believe Mitch Bartley and Dubnyk both got 2 on that play, after Mitch went for a puck late after Dubnyk covered up.

I seem to have missed this huge Hit that Victor laid on Bliznak, Im gonna have to load up the Archive and watch it. :) :clap:

[KBF]

Boy, BCTV is probably the most biased newsstation I've ever seen. Like God forbid they talk about other teams in BC.

[GF71]

They are based in Burnaby and Vancouver is the local team. The only other team that I have really ever seen them talk about is the Rockets, and that is only in the playoffs each year. Sportsnet is even worse, but again, they only report on the local team. Do they show Blazers highlights locally?

[scamperdog]

Global does a decent job on reporting all the BC teams, on the weekend morning news Kamloops often gets more attention than the other three teams combined, sportsnet pacific well thats the biggest waist of a tv station there is,

[playon]

Hmm.

I agree about Rutherford, however, he may not be seeing that much PP time just because he has been so injured lately, seems he can't play more than 1-2 games without getting banged up. Maybe thats the reaason?

I think Don was just throwing anyone out there on the PP in the third who seemed to be going - Voytechuk, Watt etc were out there and doing stuff, the top line seemed to be just a little off all night.

Ok, so Czibre is in but what about Hunt? This is the perfect style of game to have him out there. I know in the past he has taken a lot of stupid penalties but this year, IMO he has played that 4th line checking roll just great. Dulle played well, but, I think I would rather see Hunt out there with his energy and aggressiveness. He will get under the Blazers skin, and more than likely draw more penalties than he takes, if he takes any at all. His forecheck has been great in the games he has played so far. This Hunt being a healthy scratch is starting to be a real mystery to me, and everyone else who sits around me.


Rinkrat - I live in section U, right on the blue line. Could have swore I felt that hit from JD in the first, you could just see it coming from a mile away, a great start to Heavyweight heros of Hastings night.

What's up with him being out? Maybe he needs to be gone so some of the other top forwards can get more ice time?

[Beaner]

What's up with him being out? Maybe he needs to be gone so some of the other top forwards can get more ice time?

Are you asking about Reese? I have no idea why he has been out lately either to be frank. Currently right now the Giants are carrying 15 active forwards, which I think is the main reason to seeing some of the scratches.

I would like to see both Reese and Hunt get some more game time, and think maybe its time to send Dulle down, so he can get some playing time since he has only played 6 games thus far.

[Beaner]

Boy, BCTV is probably the most biased newsstation I've ever seen. Like God forbid they talk about other teams in BC.

Other Teams? What other Teams? :laugh:

Sorry couldn't resist - I agree with you fully though. The only time they talk about other teams is when the play the Giants, which is a shame for the WHL as a whole.