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View Full Version : Four goals in the 3rd lift Giants to win



Beaner
02-05-2005, 01:21 PM
from http://www.vancouvergiants.com/


By Matt Barkoff

The Vancouver Giants pounded the Swift Current Broncos into submission on Friday and then parlayed a four-goal third period into a 6-2 victory. The G-Men threw their weight around versus a team with few forwards over six feet tall, and offensively-challenged to boot. Playing their second of six consecutive games away from home, Vancouver broke the game wide open late in the final stanza, improving their record on the season to 27-22-2-2.

Mitch Bartley, the hottest player on offense for the Giants of late, gave his club a 1-0 advantage on a powerplay at 12:25 of the opening frame. Defender Paul Albers scored the Giants' second tally against the flow at 17:51 of the second period, an eventual backbreaker for the hard-luck Broncs. Gilbert Brule grabbed his 29 th goal of the year while skating 4-on-4 at 11:51 of the third, potting the game-winner with a nifty shot when Swift Current goalie Kyle Moir thought he might deke, but the G-Men weren't done. After slick pivot Adam Courchaine scored an insurance marker at 16:33, J.D. Watt converted on a breakaway on the very next shift, at 17:07. Just for good measure, Bartley added his second of the night and 24 th of the campaign at 17:16.

“It was a real good third period,” a proud Craig Bonner, the Giants' Assistant Coach and Assistant General Manager said. “You always want to play like the elite teams and I thought our team in the third period looked a lot like Kelowna . We were real patient, we didn't give them anything and when we got our chance, we beared down and then we got that killer instinct and buried it again and again. It was nice to break out and get four in the third, but I thought we did a real good job checking and when we got our chance we pounced.”

Constant and relentless bodychecking was the name of the game for Vancouver , as it has been for the last few games.

“In the first period we really pounded them and pounded and pounded,” Bonner explained. “The second was an average period when their work ethic matched ours or was probably a little better, but we still only gave up three shots. The pounding we gave them in the first really paid off in the third and it always catches up. Eventually those guys don't want to go get that puck as quick and they're a little slow, they're a little tired and they're looking over their shoulder.”

The Giants got offense from their defense on Friday, receiving strong two-way play from all six blueliners. Albers added an assist to his timely goal and Andrej Meszaros and Chad Scharff made key plays all game, chipping in a helper apiece on third period markers. Max Gordichuk and Conlan Seder were prominent and 16-year-old Luke Egener dressed – and impressed – for the first time in weeks.

“They were good tonight,” Bonner, an ex-WHL defensemen reported. “Luke Egener came in, hadn't played in a while – he did a real good job. He's kept a real positive attitude and it paid off tonight with a solid effort. And the other guys – even in the past few games we haven't given up a lot defensively and been pretty consistent. Also, you can see now in the past two, three games, Andrej is kind of back in form and he's a real dominant player when he's like that.”

Goaltender Marek Schwarz saw just 21 shots – 12 of which came his way in the first period – surrendering goals to Jerrid Sauer and Jason Fransoo of the Broncos. Swift Current had all of nine shots in the final two frames, the same number Vancouver threw at Moir in the second alone. The Giants scored four times on 12 third period shots and rang up 31 in their first-ever win at the hallowed Centennial Civic Centre.

The G-Men head back into Alberta on Saturday to face the Lethbridge Hurricanes and former goalie Aaron Sorochan before bussing it to Medicine Hat and Calgary on Tuesday and Wednesday

Beaner
02-05-2005, 01:27 PM
Looking at the game sheet, I noticed both Kraus and Franson were not playing.

Looks like Kraus is in the Doghouse as this is his 3rd game watching from the Pressbox, in the last few weeks.

Franson, I havent heard anything. Was he a healthy scratch? Looks like they may have just wanted to get Egner back in the lineup and Franson was the odd man out.

Nice to finally see the giants have 1 game where they didnt let up after they got the lead in the 3rd. More than likely a couple lucky goals at the end, ie. bad Bronco breakdowns, but nice to see them finally bury their chances. At least thats how it sounded ont he radio.

Hopefully they can keep it up.

Kassian
02-05-2005, 06:27 PM
I was told Franson had the flu.