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WHL Vancouver Giants

Blazers Defeat Giants 5-1

September 30, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie battles Kamloops Blazers' Harrison Brunicke
Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie battles Kamloops Blazers' Harrison Brunicke
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Allen Douglas)

Kamloops, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants fell to the Kamloops Blazers 5-1 on Friday night at the Sandman Centre in their first road game of the young season.

Their record is now 1-1-0-0, while the Blazers grabbed their first win and are now 1-0-1-0.

Emmitt Finnie, Connor Levis and Shea Van Olm combined for seven points in the win, leading the way for the Blazers.

Tyler Thorpe was the lone Giant to find the back of the net, scoring his second of the season in the third period.

GAME SUMMARY:

The Blazers scored their goals in bunches on Friday, striking twice in quick succession on two separate occasions.

First, a Giants turnover led to rookie Nathan Behm being all alone in the slot. The forward snuck one just past Mirwald for his first career WHL goal with 3:21 left in the opening period. Then, just 28 seconds later, Finnie stole the puck in the left corner and centered to Levis, who made it 2-0.

The Giants had some chances in the second, including a shot that hit the post from Jaden Lipinski, but at the 12:31 mark, Harrison Brunicke worked his way off the blueline and into the slot and fired a shot past Mirwald's blocker to make it 3-0. Just 52 seconds later, Finnie made it 4-0 off a feed from Levis.

Van Olm put the game out of reach in the third by making it 5-0 just 3:29 into the period.

Thorpe did score for Vancouver with 6:57 left to break Kieper's shutout, when he came down the right wing and fired a shot through the five hole.

THEY SAID IT:

"It was humbling tonight. Give credit to that Blazers team. It looked like they carried a lot of momentum from the Memorial Cup, their strong year last year. Our details just weren't there tonight: puck battles, our coverage down low especially. A good learning lesson for our group. We'll have a lot of things to look at going in Sunday here...I think from this group we need to play as five. It starts with everyone. I think we need to be predictable on the ice, knowing where guys are going to be, but also knowing we're going to win more puck battles and we're going to create from hard areas on the ice and that's going to be addressed going into Sunday here." - Associate Coach Adam Maglio post-game

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN - 8/9/6 = 23 | KAM - 11/13/8 = 32

PP: VAN - 0/6 | KAM - 0/4

Face-Offs: VAN - 32 | KAM - 26

3 STARS

1st: Emmitt Finnie - 1G, 2A

2nd: Connor Levis - 1G, 1A

3rd: Harrison Brunicke - 1G

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: Loss - Brett Mirwald (27 save / 32 shots)

Kamloops: Win - Matthiew Kieper (22 saves / 23 shots)

NOTEWORTHY:

Thorpe scored for the second straight game, after scoring four times in 48 games last season

Mazden Leslie and Jaden Lipinski returned to the Giants lineup, combing for five shots on goal and a post

The Giants power play is now 1-for-12 to start the season

NEXT GAME:

The Giants host the Wenatchee Wild on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 4 p.m. It will be the first Save on Foods post-game family skate of the season.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics




Images from this story

Vancouver Giants' Tyler Thorpe and Kamloops Blazers' Ryan Michael and Matthew Kieper on game night
Vancouver Giants' Tyler Thorpe and Kamloops Blazers' Ryan Michael and Matthew Kieper on game night
(Allen Douglas)		 Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie battles Kamloops Blazers' Harrison Brunicke
Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie battles Kamloops Blazers' Harrison Brunicke
(Allen Douglas)		  



Western Hockey League Stories from September 30, 2023


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