Beaner
01-08-2006, 11:07 PM
Well, pretty solid effort from the Giants tonight against a Portland team that didnt seem that interested in playing tonight. Play was pretty much all Giants, there were some good hits, but for the most part it looked like Portland was just going thru the motions tonight. Wasn't a great game to watch, but a Giants win always makes it good.
NOTES
Slade and Butler got the Starts
Slade records his league leading 8th shutout this year
Rutherford was playing with a full cage tonight. More teeth problems?
Tartaglione, Festerling (Flu), and Scharff were the Giants scratches tonight.
PP Giants 0/5, Hawks 0/4
Shots 35/19 Giants
GOALS
1. VAN Bartley, (18) (Albers, Kraus), 0:51 Puck comes back to Albers at the top of the circle, and he fires a cross slot pass to Bartley who is all alone at the side of the net, and he puts it into the open net.
1. VAN Bartley, (19) (Repik, Blum), 14:08 Blum down low in the corner, fights off a check and gets the puck to Repik who fires a pass right across the slot to Bartley who is, once again wide open at the side of the net.
2. VAN Bliznak, (5) (Hunt, Albers), 5:15 After an Albers point shot a scramble ensues, and in the hunt for the puck, Bliznak gets it and taps it in.
2. VAN Kraus, (19) (Franson, Flatters), 16:19 Franson fires the shot from the point that Kraus deflects into the net.
3. VAN Lamb, (17) (Fistric), 1:08 Fistric spots Lamb at the blueline, fires a pass, Lamb goes in with another Giant,fires the shot at Butler that somehow manages to find its way thru Butler and trickle into the back of the net.
FISTICUFFS
Watt vs McLaren
On a faceoff in the neutral zone, Watt and Mclaren are jawing at each other, the ref skates over to get them to settle down which accomplishes nothing. Puck drops and McLaren and Watt are dropping the gear. Watt charges into Mclaren and get in tight, throws a few good shots that land, then Mclaren gets loose and catches Watt with a couple of his own that open Watt up above the eye. Watt gets a few more good hits in as does McLaren, until they both tire out and fall to the ice. Watt had to leave for the rest of the first to get repairs to his cut. Slight edge for Mclaren as both guys got some nice shots in, but he split JD open. Both got 5 in a good fight.
OFFICIATING
Savage was the ref tonight and he actually did a pretty good job tonight. Nothing major, called what he had to, let some stuff go. Very strange, I'm used to having an officiating disaster on my hands when Savage is around, but he actually did a good job tonight.
DUMB PENALTY OF THE NIGHT
There really wasn't one tonight.
OVERALL
Not sure what was up with the Hawks tonight but they just did not seem up for this game one bit. The Giants did work hard, a much better effort from them then the game last night in Kelowna. PP for the Giants seems to have gone very cold as of late, I'd like to see them get some more pucks on the net on the PP. Hunt Bliznak and Rutherford played a great game as a line, great energy and they hit everything that moved. Nice to see them get some PP time together at the end of the game.
3 Stars
1. VAN - 19 Mitch Bartley
2. VAN - 37 Dustin Slade
3. VAN - 3 Paul Albers
NOTES
Slade and Butler got the Starts
Slade records his league leading 8th shutout this year
Rutherford was playing with a full cage tonight. More teeth problems?
Tartaglione, Festerling (Flu), and Scharff were the Giants scratches tonight.
PP Giants 0/5, Hawks 0/4
Shots 35/19 Giants
GOALS
1. VAN Bartley, (18) (Albers, Kraus), 0:51 Puck comes back to Albers at the top of the circle, and he fires a cross slot pass to Bartley who is all alone at the side of the net, and he puts it into the open net.
1. VAN Bartley, (19) (Repik, Blum), 14:08 Blum down low in the corner, fights off a check and gets the puck to Repik who fires a pass right across the slot to Bartley who is, once again wide open at the side of the net.
2. VAN Bliznak, (5) (Hunt, Albers), 5:15 After an Albers point shot a scramble ensues, and in the hunt for the puck, Bliznak gets it and taps it in.
2. VAN Kraus, (19) (Franson, Flatters), 16:19 Franson fires the shot from the point that Kraus deflects into the net.
3. VAN Lamb, (17) (Fistric), 1:08 Fistric spots Lamb at the blueline, fires a pass, Lamb goes in with another Giant,fires the shot at Butler that somehow manages to find its way thru Butler and trickle into the back of the net.
FISTICUFFS
Watt vs McLaren
On a faceoff in the neutral zone, Watt and Mclaren are jawing at each other, the ref skates over to get them to settle down which accomplishes nothing. Puck drops and McLaren and Watt are dropping the gear. Watt charges into Mclaren and get in tight, throws a few good shots that land, then Mclaren gets loose and catches Watt with a couple of his own that open Watt up above the eye. Watt gets a few more good hits in as does McLaren, until they both tire out and fall to the ice. Watt had to leave for the rest of the first to get repairs to his cut. Slight edge for Mclaren as both guys got some nice shots in, but he split JD open. Both got 5 in a good fight.
OFFICIATING
Savage was the ref tonight and he actually did a pretty good job tonight. Nothing major, called what he had to, let some stuff go. Very strange, I'm used to having an officiating disaster on my hands when Savage is around, but he actually did a good job tonight.
DUMB PENALTY OF THE NIGHT
There really wasn't one tonight.
OVERALL
Not sure what was up with the Hawks tonight but they just did not seem up for this game one bit. The Giants did work hard, a much better effort from them then the game last night in Kelowna. PP for the Giants seems to have gone very cold as of late, I'd like to see them get some more pucks on the net on the PP. Hunt Bliznak and Rutherford played a great game as a line, great energy and they hit everything that moved. Nice to see them get some PP time together at the end of the game.
3 Stars
1. VAN - 19 Mitch Bartley
2. VAN - 37 Dustin Slade
3. VAN - 3 Paul Albers