Rd. 3, Gm 1 Notes

[Tipped Off]

The Giants enter tonight’s game after progressing past the second round of the WHL playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Last Sunday, the
Giants defeated the Portland Winter Hawks 2−0 at the Pacific Coliseum to clinch the series in five games. Milan Lucic and Gilbert Brule scored the
Giants goals while goaltender Dustin Slade made 13 saves for his third shut−out of the playoffs. Vancouver out−shot Portland 48−13 on a night which saw the Giants go 0/6 on the power play and a perfect 6−for−6 on the penalty kill.

HEAD−to−HEAD:

This is the 2nd time the Giants and Silvertipss are facing each other in a playoff series. In 2003, the Giants lost in the 2nd round to the Tips in six
games. During the regular season, Vancouver went 2−4−0−0 against Everett. Paul Albers and Mitch Bartley each had a goal and three assists against the Silvertips while John Lammers (8g,6a) Zach Hamill (1g,7a), and Peter Mueller (5g,2a) had the most points against Vancouver. Lifetimethe Giants are 13−10−1−0 against Everett, including 7−5−0−0 in Vancouver. Game 2 will be tomorrow at the Pacific Coliseum.

NOTES/TIDBITS:

The Giants have 25 players on their roster (2 goalies, 7 defencemen, 16 forwards). Included in that total are 12 players from last year’s roster… Vancouver has the lowest goals against in the WHL Playoffs (12)…The Giants wrapped up this season 1st in the WHL on the penalty kill (52−in−397=86.9%) and are currently 2nd in the WHL playoffs on the PK (3−in−58=94.8%)…During the regular season, Vancouver was 3rd in the
WHL on the power play (91/465=19.6%). The Giants were on the power play more than any team in the WHL this year, and are 6th in the playoffs on
the PP (12/60=20.0%)… Dustin Slade leads all WHL goalies in the playoffs in goals against average (1.16). He is tied for 1st in shut−outs (3) and is
3rd in save percentage (94.0%). He is the Western Conference nominee for WHL Goalie of the Year and was named to the Western Conference First
All−Star Team…Gilbert Brule leads all Giants in playoff scoring (7g,4a). He was WHL and CHL Player of the Week Mar.27−Apr.2. He has two overtime winning goals in the post season…Paul Albers is the Western Conference nominee for WHL Defenceman of the Year. Albers led all WHL d−men in points (62), goals (17), power play goals (13), short−handed goals (2), and plus−minus (+38). He was also named to the Western Conference First All−Star Team... Gilbert Brule and Cody Franson were named to the Western Conference Second All−Star Team. Brule had 23 goals and 15 assists in 27 games and was WHL Player of the Month in February. Franson had 15 goals and 40 assists in 70 games…Giants Coach Don Hay is the Western Conference nominee for WHL Coach of the Year while General Manager Scott Bonner is up for WHL Executive of the Year…Mitch Bartley has played more regular season games than any player in Giants history (280). He has 20 career playoff points (11g,9a)...Last season the Giants posted a record of 34−30−4−4, good enough for 76 points. This year they finished 47−19−0−6 with 100 points…Vancouver finished this year the highest scoring team in their conference and allowed the 2nd fewest goals against of any team in the WHL.

MILESTONES:

Gilbert Brule is now the Giants all−time leader in playoff scoring (13g,12a). He has surpassed former forward Adam Courchaine (10g,10a)…Vancouver has three players who lead the club in playoff appearances. Mitch Bartley, Mark Fistric, and Gilbert Brule each have played 31 playoff games for the Giants…Don Hay collected his 50th playoff as a Head Coach in the WHL against Portland April 12…The Giants have 11 players who have just spent their first season in the Giants line−up. They include C Brett Parker (20), G Dustin Slade (19), D Brendan Mikkelson (18), D John Flatters (18), RW David Rutherford (18), C Spencer Machacek (17), LW Milan Lucic (17), RW Michal Repik (17), D Jonathan Blum (16), C Mitch Czibere (16), G Tyson Sexsmith (16).

CURRENT NHL DRAFTEES/SIGNEES:
Mario Bliznak (Vancouver−7th Rd/05), Gilbert Brule (Columbus−1st Rd/05), Brett Festerling (Anaheim−Free Agent/05), Mark Fistric (Dallas−1st
Rd/04), John Flatters (Philadelphia−6th Rd/05), Cody Franson (Nashvile−3rd Rd/05), Brendan Mikkelson (Anaheim−2nd Rd/05), J.D. Watt (Calgary−4th Rd/05)

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[Tipped Off]

Head-to-Head Breakdown



Here's a look at how the Everett Silvertips and Vancouver Giants match up going into the Western Hockey League's Western Conference championship series:

Offense




Vancouver has perhaps the most explosive offensive player in the WHL in Gilbert Brule. Brule scored 23 goals in 27 games after returning from the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets at midseason, and he's continued that pace in the playoffs, scoring seven times in 10 games.

Unlike Kelowna in the previous round, the Giants can match Everett's depth with four lines of forwards capable of causing problems. Tim Kraus is back from the broken jaw that kept him out at the end of the regular season, Mitch Bartley is a proven offensive performer, and Michal Repik, Spencer Machacek and Kyle Lamb all showed this season they can put points on the board. In Paul Albers and Cody Franson the Giants have a pair of defensemen who are major offensive contributors.

However, Everett has more players capable of breaking the game open on their own. Peter Mueller was a dominant offensive force during much of the Kelowna series, John Lammers was even better in the regular-season series against Vancouver with eight goals and six assists in six games, and Zach Hamill is tied for the league lead in playoff scoring among still-active players with 14 points. With Ondrej Fiala back at full strength - he had four goals and four assists against Kelowna after missing the entire first round - the Tips appear to be a tad more dangerous.

Edge: Everett

Defense

Everett's history is built around sound defense, and the Tips have always been good at limiting opponents' scoring opportunities. However, even Everett is no match for what the Giants can do defensively. Vancouver has the best defensive unit in the league. The Giants allowed the fewest goals in the Western Conference during the regular season, and they were even better in the first two rounds of the playoffs, giving up just 12 goals in 10 games. Albers, Franson and captain Mark Fistric get the most attention, but Brett Festerling, Jonathan Blum and John Flatters are also capable defensemen. Vancouver's forwards play an active role in the defense with an aggressive forecheck that causes fits when opponents try to break out of their own zone.

Everett's defense is also effective, having allowed just two more goals than Vancouver during the regular season and just 17 in 11 playoff games so far. The Tips can also match Vancouver in terms of sending six defensmen - Shaun Heshka, Taylor Ellington, Cody Thoring, Jonathan Harty, Jason Fransoo and Graham Potuer - onto the ice on a regular basis. But Everett doesn't do it quite as well as Vancouver.

Edge: Vancouver

Goaltending

Vancouver goaltender Dustin Slade has been unbelievable statistically. During the regular season he had a 1.90 goals against average, .912 save percentage, 11 shutouts and was named a first-team Western Conference all-star. His numbers are even better in the playoffs, with a microscopic 1.16 goals against average, .940 save percentage and three shutouts. However, it's easy to put up gaudy numbers when one faces just 15 shots per game, and Slade has the reputation of being combustible.

Meanwhile, Everett's Leland Irving has numbers just as good, despite facing approximately 50 percent more shots. Irving had nearly an identical goals against average during the regular season (1.91) and a better save percentage (.925), and his playoff numbers mirror Slade's (1.48 goals against average, .944 save percentage). Irving's contributions against Kelowna were far more crucial than Slade's versus Portland.

Edge: Everett

Special teams

Talk about a wash. Both teams were excellent on both the power play (Vancouver at .196, Everett at .193) and penalty kill (Vancouver at .869, Everett at .860) during the regular season. Both teams have been even better on both the power play (Everett at .200, Vancouver at .200) and penalty kill (Everett at .957, Vancouver at .948) during the playoffs. Everett had a slight advantage during the season series, going 8-for-36 on the power play to the Giants' 3-for-34.

While it may be impossible to separate the two, it should be entertaining watching two of the best power plays and penalty kills going head-to-head.

Edge: Even

Coaching

It would be difficult to find two better coaches in the WHL. Everett's Kevin Constantine and Vancouver's Don Hay are both former NHL coaches. Hay's WHL resume includes three Memorial Cup rings as a member of the Kamloops Blazers' coaching staff in the 1990s. Constantine has guided Everett to three banners (so far) in the Tips' first three seasons of existence. Hay was recognized as the Western Conference's Coach of the Year for turning a Vancouver team that wasn't that highly regarded into the conference's best, but Constantine has taken a team thought to be a year away from contention to the league's final four.

Edge: Even

Overall

This is a classic matchup between two teams that have talent and play hard. Vancouver has been as good as anyone over the past four months, but Everett is playing its best hockey right now. Everett held the advantage in the season series 4-2, but Prince George won six of eight during the regular season against Vancouver and was subsequently dispatched in five games in the first round. The key could be whether Everett can steal an early game on the road because the Giants have yet to face a team as strong as Everett in the playoffs. Expect a drawn-out, competitive series.

Prediction: Everett in seven games

Nick Patterson, Herald Writer