Chiefs 1 @ Giants 4 -Feb. 28th

[Beaner]

A better effort tonight than the weekend, in a game that the Giants started slowly, but the Giants continued along and improved greatly as the game went on. All Giants in the third period as the Giants outshot the Chiefs 17-5 in the final frame. Two very quick teams, but the chiefs Defence had a lot of problems with the Giants outside speed, which caused them to have to take a lot of penalties.

NOTES
Sexsmith and Stehr got the starts
Mikkelson (Knee), Kraus (Jaw), Lucic (hand), Watt (Shoulder), and Slade (Flu) were the Giants scratches.
Deck was in the lineup again wearing #38
Kramer Barnstable played the role of Backup goalie tonight.
Giants dressed a full roster for the first time since the middle of February
Rutherford returned tonight after missing 9 games.
Shots 34/18 Giants
PP Giants 1/7, Spokane 0/3

GOALS
2. VAN Machacek, (19) (Scharff), 1:37 Good work by Scharff behind the net as he centers the puck to Machacek all alone at the top of the crease and he beats Stehr.
3. VAN Brule, (18) (Albers, Reese), 9:06 (PP) 5-4, Brule gets the feed from Albers at the half boards and he wrists a shot from the top of the circle, top corner thru a lot of traffic.
3. SPO Grabner, (28) , 14:58 Bad turnover in the Giants zone as Grabner grabs the weak clearing attempt cuts thru the slot and and puts it past Sexsmith shortside, along the ice.
3. VAN Machacek, (20) (Reese, Festerling), 17:28 4-4, Reese and Machacek cross at the blueline going into the zone, Reese sends the pass back to Machacek alone at the top of the crease and he deflects it into the open side.
3. VAN Rutherford, (4) (Brule, Franson), 18:52 Franson gets a pass from Rutherford, dekes the defender and puts the shot on net. Huge rebound that bounces off Brule and Rutherford picks up the loose puck and fires it into the open side.

FISTICUFFS
Hunt vs. Blackwater
On the ensuing faceoff following the Giants 4th goal, Hunt and Blackwater line up against each other and the challenged is issued and accepted. Puck drops, they drop the lids and gloves and square up right at center ice. They come together and start throwing a flury of punches each landing a couple, and then Hunt catches Blackwater with a solid punch that dazes him and Blackwater stops throwing. Hunt continues throwing punches just knocking the you know what out of him. Linesman jump in to put a stop to it. Blackwater may have both been cut, but I couldnt really tell. He was a bit shakey going to the bench. WIN:Hunt

OFFICIATING
Pat Smith got the call tonight and did a very good job. I have no complaints tonight as he called pretty much everything that had to be called. Gave Stoesz the extra ten at the end of the game after Stoesz had already slashed Rutherford, for trying to throw an Elbow at him but missed.

OVERALL
Early in the game I thought the Giants were having problems getting their forecheck going, but they continued to work at it, and finally really got it going to the point we are used to in the third. Thought Spokane played well, but they couldnt match the work ethic of the Giants, and it looked like they were starting to run out of gas as the game progressed.

Giants PP I thought for the most part struggled tonight. Not a lot of shots generated on the PP, not many good scoring chances, and in general it just felt off. An adjustment I think may be needed, as it looks like opposition teams have figured out what the Giants are doing on the PP. Discipline level for the Giants was very good tonight, as they took the extra punches etc and just skated away.

A good 2nd 1/2 of the game tonight for the Giants, and better than the game on Saturday in PG.

3 Stars
1. VAN - 29 Tyson Sexsmith
2. VAN - 20 Mario Bliznak
3. SPO - 17 Michael Grabner

Grabner is quite the player, fast and had some very good scoring chances tonight.

[rinkrat]

Blackwater was bleeding really bad! Cut near his eye and his nose was gushing...Kinda gross, really.Probably a broken nose,although I'm not a doc...
What did Rutherford do to piss off Stoez?Stoez was after him all night,pretty lame to go after Rutherford I thought.Fistric will probably tune him in on Saturday.Also Stoez gave Rutherford a butt end to the face at the end of the game.Looked like a deliberate attempt to injure to me.
Grabner is a very talented player,every time he gets the puck he is dangerous,good wheels!Nice game by Sexsmith,I see Tartaglione was busy playing with the Ice-Hawks tonight.

[Beaner]

Stoesz and Rutherford were into it all night, what happend to get it started I have no idea, but I will assume it is Rutherford being his usual pesty self.

Thanks for the Blackwater info, couldnt tell since he turned straight to the bench after the fight.

[Section_Z]

Grabner was good, but I thought the 3 star selection was off...Machacek gets 2 goals, and thus joins the 20 club tonight..with no recognition?

[GF71]

I thought Fistric and Blum had rough games and Flatters had what 3 shifts? On the other hand though Sexsmith was awesomme and Spencer impressed the hell out of me once again. The re-match on Saturday night should be a beauty!

[Section_Z]

Grabner was good, but I thought the 3 star selection was off...Machacek gets 2 goals, and thus joins the 20 club tonight..with no recognition?

Sounds like the Team echoes my sentiments...
According to todays Sun, Spencer walked out of the dressing room with the Silver Hard Hat last night, and Bartley had nothing but praise for him....

Article by Ian Walker...

Craig Conroy has been credited with starting -- or at the least rejuvenating -- hockey's Hard Hat tradition upon finding an old, dust-covered and scratched-up hat in the Pengrowth Saddledome just before the Calgary Flames euphoric 2003-04 season. The now-Los Angeles King decided it to be a perfect reward for the unsung hero of each and every win, to honour the player who wasn't lauded among the three stars but did the little things that made a difference.

It was fitting then that Spencer Machacek walked out of the Vancouver dressing room sporting a silver construction workers hat -- the Giants' version of what can best be described as the rather odd-looking tradition.

Although scoring two goals in the Giants 4-1 win over the Spokane Chiefs, Machacek was shutout of the game's three stars. Tuesday's pair in front of 8,754 fans at the Pacific Coliseum gives Machacek 20 goals on the season, a lofty mark for anyone in the Western Hockey League. Never mind a raw rookie.

Even more impressive is the fact Machacek only scored three goals in his first 30 games in the league. To go one better, the native of Lethbridge, Alta., scored just 16 times last year as a member of the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

"It's a big goal to hit and wasn't one I expected to reach in my first season, for sure," said the Lethbridge, Alta., native. "I have my teammates to thank -- every goal is a credit to them."

Teammates disagree. Giants leading scorer Mitch Bartley never hit the 20-goal plateau until his second year in the league. The 20-year-old winger said Machacek should take the credit where credit is due.

"Twenty goals? As a 17-year-old in his first year in the 'Dub'? It's huge," said Bartley, who has 29 goals and 62 points in 63 games. "More than that though, it's going to be a huge confidence boost for him down the final stretch and in the playoffs."

"It was for me -- and I was a year older. He deserves a lot of credit. Every one of those 20 he's worked for. No matter what he tells you."

Gilbert Brule and David Rutherford scored the Giants' other goals.

Michael Grabner spoiled backup goalie Tyson Sexsmith's shutout attempt with 5:02 remaining after picking off Vancouver defenceman Paul Albers cross ice pass deep in the Giants zone.

Sexsmith, who improves to 5-2-0-1 on the season, only learned of the start seven hours earlier after getting a surprise call from head coach Don Hay.

[Beaner]

Blackwater is a scratch tonight playing against Kelowna.

No details from the Kelowna broadcasters as to what the injury is, but have to assume its a broken nose or head injuury of some kind, after he took that pounding from Hunt on Tuesday.

Hopefully he is going to be allright.

[rinkrat]

Chat is not working. :skeptical