Sports stats



WHL Vancouver Giants

#2 Ranked Blades Down Giants 7-2

January 11, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants' Colton Roberts battkes Saskatoon Blades' Rowan Calvert
Vancouver Giants' Colton Roberts battkes Saskatoon Blades' Rowan Calvert
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Steve Hiscock)

Saskatoon Sask. - The Vancouver Giants lost 7-2 to the Eastern Conference-leading Saskatoon Blades on Wednesday night at Sasktel Centre.

The Blades - who entered as the no. 2 ranked team in the CHL Top-10 Rankings - improved to 14-1-1 on home ice this season.

With the loss, Vancouver's record falls to 16-22-2-0. Saskatoon's overall record improves to 27-8-2-2.

The Giants got goals from Mazden Leslie (9th) and Tyson Zimmer (13th), his first regulation goal in a Giants uniform.

Saskatoon got a hat-trick from Alexander Suzdalev, plus single tallies Easton Armstrong, Brandon Lisowsky, Brayden Klimpke and Rowan Calvert.

CLICK FOR THE OFFICIAL WHL BOXSCORE

GAME SUMMARY:

Saskatoon scored twice in the opening period, first when Suzdalev walked in uncontested from the left circle for his first in a Blades uniform, and then with just 1:01 remaining in the period when Armstrong backhanded a puck in from the side of the goal on the power play.

Leslie got the Giants on the board with a one-time rocket on the power play - his ninth goal of the season and fifth goal in his last four games.

Just 13 seconds later, the Blades restored their two-goal lead off the stick of Suzdalev, who was all alone in front of the net.

Lisowsky scored for Saskatoon just a couple minutes later to make it 4-1 after a 4-on-2 rush.

Before the period was done, Vancouver got to within two, this time after Zimmer put home the rebound from Tyler Thorpe on a 2-on-1 while the Giants were shorthanded.

However, just like before, it didn't take long for Saskatoon to respond, this time scoring 23 seconds later when Suzdalev completed the hat-trick to make the score 5-2.

In the third period, rookie defenceman Brayden Klimpke would score his first WHL goal and Rowan Calvert also found the back of the net to make it a 7-2 final score.

CLICK FOR THE ONLINE RECAP WITH GOAL CLIPS

THEY SAID IT

"It didn't start off well for us. Against top teams like this, you want to build momentum early and get some belief with the group and they got that one early on there. I didn't think we responded well to it, to be honest. As far as a game plan and a way that we could stay in this game and compete with this team, I thought we were really in and out. I felt we kind of had half our guys going and the other half maybe on their own page. So good learning lesson. You play these top teams, there's a certain way you have to do it to get a win and tonight we didn't." Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio on the game overall.

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN - 8/11//3 = 22 | SAS- 16/12/17 = 45

PP: VAN - 1/3 | SAS - 1/5

Face-Offs: VAN - 37 | SAS - 32

3 STARS

1st: SAS - Alexander Suzdalev - 3G, 1A, 4 SOG, +3

2nd: SAS- Fraser Minten - 3A, 4 SOG, +2

3rd: SAS - Brandon Lisowsky - 1G, 1A, 4 SOG, +1

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: Loss - Brett Mirwald (38 saves / 45 shots)

Saskatoon: WIN - Evan Gardner (20 saves / 22 shots)

NEXT GAME:

The Giants continue their five-game road trip through the Prairies on Friday when they face off against Regina, before wrapping up against Moose Jaw on Saturday.

The Giants next home game is Sunday, January 21 at 2 p.m. against the Kelowna Rockets.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics




Images from this story

Vancouver Giants' Colton Roberts battkes Saskatoon Blades' Rowan Calvert
Vancouver Giants' Colton Roberts battkes Saskatoon Blades' Rowan Calvert
(Steve Hiscock)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from January 11, 2024


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central