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Giants Comeback Attempt Falls Short Again in Victoria

September 23, 2012 - Western Hockey League (WHL) Vancouver Giants

VANCOUVER, BC - Another great 3rd period for the Giants, but the first two cost them in a 3-2 loss to Victoria. The Royals broke the game open with goals 26 seconds apart in the 2nd period to take a 3-0 lead. Vancouver would climb back with a pair in the 3rd, including one with the goalie pulled, but that's as close as they would come. The Giants went 0 for 2 on the power play while Victoria finished 1 for 4. Liam Liston bounced back with some big saves but took the loss in making 20 saves on 23 shots. Patrick Polivka picked up the win by making 23 saves on 25 shots.

The Victoria Royals came out flying in their home opener tonight, dominating in most facets of the game in the first period. They outshot the Giants 10-4 and forced Liam Liston into making some clutch saves, and he was able to make all but one. The only goal that beat him was a good effort by Ben Walker at the side of the goal, where he tried to centre the puck out front, got a lucky bounce off a defender's stick back onto his own stick, and was able to slide the puck under Liston short side. Victoria was air-tight defensively, not allowing the Giants to create much offensively. Royals led 1-0 after 20 minutes.

In the 2nd period, there was a long lull in the first half where scoring chances and shots were few and far between for both sides. But a Victoria power play would turn that around. Brandon Magee was sprung on a partial break down the right wing (on a great stretch pass by Jamie Crooks) and was able to snap a great shot over Liston's glove to put the Royals up 2-0. It was only 26 seconds later when the Giants were caught up-ice, and Victoria broke back on a 2 on 1. Logan Nelson, coming down the left wing, made a perfect saucer pass across to Alex Gogolev who finished it off to give Victoria a 3-0 lead, which they would carry into the 3rd.

In the final frame, the Giants suddenly woke up and came out firing on all cylinders from the opening shift. They outshot Victoria 13-5, but it wasn't until the halfway mark when they finally found the back of the net. After Marek Tvrdon's backhand wrap-around attempt was awkwardly fought off by Polivka, Nathan Burns was able to knock the puck out of the air from the other side to get the Giants on the board. That goal came seconds after the Giants power play, which was their first of the game a full 50 minutes in.

Vancouver kept pouring it on for the remainder of the 3rd. They couldn't connect on a late power play, so had to result to pulling the goaltender. With all the guns out (Franson, Tvrdon, Burns, Houck), the Giants overwhelmed Victoria in their own zone and it was a firing squad on Polivka. However a lot of those shots were blocked, and one blocked shot landed on the stick of Franson in the right circle, where he was able to snap the puck past a sprawling Polivka to cut the deficit to 3-2 with just 27 seconds left. Unfortunately the Giants were not able to generate another scoring chance, and the Royals hung on to improve their record to 2-0 and drop the Giants to 0-2 on the new season.

The Giants next game is on Friday, September 28th when Ryan Murray and the Everett Silvertips come to town for a 7:30 puck drop at the Pacific Coliseum.

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Western Hockey League Stories from September 23, 2012


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