Results 1 to 4 of 4

Thread: Giants 1 Rockets 5 - Feb 1, 2013

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Location
    vancouver
    Posts
    3,669

    Default Giants 1 Rockets 5 - Feb 1, 2013

    Kind of frustrating - stoned by Whistle and allowing a lot of third period goals when we wasted our second period chances.

    Rockets Juice Giants
    Vancouver 1 Kelowna 5


    Another one those games where the score does not reflect the level of play. A 2-1 game for the majority of the contest the Rockets made a third period PP chance count after Jackson Whistle turned aside a brilliant short-handed chance by the Giants seconds before. After that the goals came easily, with a late insult to injury, salt in the wounds, or whatever other in your face cliché you can come up with.

    Goalie Insanity: It was a former Giant goalie in Whistle ( a goalie the Giants very badly mismanaged last season, were not willing to give a chance after insulting him by starting him in most every game they expected to lose and basically never gave him a chance to grow and didn’t even give him a real opportunity in camp this season either.) who slammed the door shut after allowing one through very early in the game. It was also former Giant JT Barnett who scored the boot to the collective team groin marker. I’m still not sure why Jared Rathjen gets yet another start, but I expect Payton Lee will get the nod in Kelowna tomorrow night – he better. The Giants have to figure out how to properly manage their young ‘tenders, give respect where it is due and have some bloody patience with young netminders. Honestly Rathjen is a cast off from the Royals who sent him down. He was given a second chance by the Giants acquiring his rights for ostensibly a bag of pucks, hardly a dominant veteran presence. The Giants have at times this season stated that 16 yr old Lee is their starter, but they are not treating him as such lately and 17 yr old ‘tender Tyler Fuhr who earned his way on the team with a great camp is out in the cold now as well. These mixed messages are not going unnoticed by agents who might not be willing to throw a young prospect of theirs into the Giants meat-grinder. If there was a season to let the young goalies play and chips fall where they may then this is the one and to be brutally honest they were fine with Lee and Fuhr when 19 yr old Liam Liston, another project goalie who frankly was not good enough, was given the veteran nod by the coaching staff. Simply awful. Liston finally solved the Giants problem by retiring just after Christmas and they go out and get Rathjen. I have nothing against Rathjen per-se, just the way this whole thing was handled and how it has been handled for at least four seasons now. It’s a goalie graveyard which seems bent on inflicting maximum damage to young guys and giving the benefit of the doubt to a struggling 19 yr old while throwing their 16 and 17 yr old ‘tenders to the dogs, wrapped in juicy meat slabs.

    The Rockets opened the scoring about 2 minutes in. 14 seconds later Dalton Sward tied it up with his 5th of the season. The lone assist went to Blake Orban. The Rockets replied exactly a minute later getting back a lead they would not relinquish. The Giants battled, drove the net and did almost everything they could to solve Whistle and peppered the net in the second with 15 shots, many of the great variety. The Gs had a big second with PP chances galore, but were unable to solve Whistle. The Rockets notched a PP marker early in the third, pounding home a hard shot off the end boards. Goals came in bunches tonight and under a minute later the Giants allowed another one against. The Giants allowed a very poor late goal with 21 seconds left in the game to really get the boots taken to them.

    Team Notes: 15 yr old Jacob Stukel got his chance to play in his second game of the season. Recent drafts are allowed to play a maximum of five games, barring mitigating circumstances. They are, however, allowed as many playoff games with the team once their team at the lower level is out of their playoffs. Stukel did not look out of place out there and had some solid shifts. Wes Vannieuwenhuizen still out as is Scott Cooke with injuries. The only plus tonight on the Giants was Thomas Foster interestingly enough.

    Fight Night: nada – a lively game but no fisticuffs

    Zebra Cage:
    Mike Campbell and Sean Raphael. Giants once again got the benefit of the doubt by the zebras and I’m not sure if they are playing smarter better hockey or the refs are seeing less from the G’s. Unfortunately the Giants were not able to make those chances count.

    The Giants out-shot the Rockets 33 – 29, but not where it counted. The Gs had a big second period and despite some dominant play and intense pressure they could not get a puck to go. They created short-handed chances, but could not solve Whistle and when they did get the open look they fanned on the shot. The Giants went 0 for 6 on their PP, but they were getting good chances and they had people going to the net so maybe they’ll be able to get goals to go next time. The Rockets were 1 for 2, but used their one PP goal to launch their game and take over the final frame. The G’s had some good work from Sward, Jackson Houck, Cain Franson and two great short-handed chances by Thomas Foster and Travis McEvoy. Arvin Atwal and Mason Geertsen who were so good in their own end on Wednesday, had a bit of a let down night carrying multiple minuses. Kulak and Orban were our best defensive pair tonight. Jason Trott seemed to have a bunch of chances on the PP going to the blue-ice. The Giants had their chances, but could not bury them when it really counted and wasted some great work in the second unable to beat Whistle. Sweet, sweet justice for Whistle the young and beleaguered netminder who seems to put together his better games versus his old team, which is understandable.

    Next Up:
    Game 2 of the home at home. The Giants have had some tight tilts in Kelowna this season so hopefully they can have a good push back game and maybe drop the mitts a few times. The Giants next home game is against the Winterhawks, so it doesn’t get any easier.

    Three Stars

    1. Jackson Whistle
    2. Colton Sissons
    3. Brett Kulak

    Dondo’s Hardhat:
    goes to – Dalton Sward – not just for his goal, but his body of work tonight. Played well without the puck and earned chances offensively. He tends to play hard and with an edge and he needs to up that game to another level eventually, but tonight he was very solid.
    My Vancouver Giants focused Blog

    A Shot From The Corner

    http://giantshockey.wordpress.com/

  2. #2

    Default

    It's getting old, really old. Same old story. A rather boring game minus about a minute or two. Great crowd, but the game lacked pretty much everything hockey is about, physical play, passion & excitement. Whistle was the best player on the ice, but I honestly couldn't tell you anyone on the Giants that stood out. Neither could Don Hay on the post game show. He said a couple of players played ok.
    When was the last time Kieser scored a goal? Honestly, this team is so bad that the word terrible is too nice a word.
    Last edited by Giantsfan; 02-02-2013 at 02:51 AM.

  3. Default

    No clue why Lee didn't get the start. It's been a week since he's been in a game. How do you develop a 16 year old goaltender by keeping him glued to the bench?

  4. #4

    Default

    Does anyone know the reasoning behind what goalie plays? I thought they should have stuck with Fuhr & Lee. I really don't see the logic behind some of the moves.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •