Bruins Claw Past Giants 3-2

Published on October 1, 2007 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Chilliwack Bruins News Release


Chilliwack BC - September 30, 2007: The Chilliwack Bruins battled hard and came away with a hard fought 3-2 shootout victory over the Vancouver Giants. The victory marks the first time that the Bruins have defeated the Giants in the regular season.

Chilliwack had to come back twice in this game. Giants forward Chris Cloud opened the scoring for the Giants in the first period, shovelling a backhand under the crossbar, over the shoulder of Bruins goalie Matt Esposito for a 1-0 Giants lead at 18:02 of period one. The Bruins killed off five power plays in the first, including a prolonged 5 on 3 session during which the Giants out shot the Bruins 9-1, but could not convert. The Giants ended up out shooting the Bruins 13-5 through 20 minutes of play.

Colby Kulhanek levelled the game at one early in the second, sliding a puck under Giants keeper Tyson Sexsmith after what seemed like a harmless shot from the point by Cody Hobbs was left unattended. Kulhanek converted the rebound for his third of the season. The Bruins out shot the Giants 9-7 in a fairly even second period, this period marking the first time this season that the Giants had been out shot in a period.

In a tight checking third period, the Giants ran into some penalty trouble early and were killing off a late penalty when Giants forward Spencer Machacek hammered home a slap shot short handed past a startled Esposito. Machacek unassisted and short handed at 16:03 loomed large for the G-Men. But just 63 seconds later, Colby Kulhanek stuffed home another juicy rebound, his second goal of the game, and sent the crowd of 4408 at Prospera Centre, many of whom were heading for the parking lot, scrambling back into their seats. Kulhanek converted a Mark Santorelli rebound, with Cody Smuk also drawing an assist, at 17:06 of the third to tie it up. Two late penalties by the Bruins gave the Giants a late couple of chances, but the Bruins penalty killers did their job and the game headed to overtime.

After a tense start of the overtime which saw the Bruins have to kill off the last 90 seconds of a Cody Hobbs penalty, the remainder of overtime generated few chances, which took the game to a shootout. After a clean sheet through the first three rounds by Esposito, who stopped Michal Repik, Chris Cloud and Machacek, and Sexsmith, who stopped Bruins players Jadon Potter, Oscar Moller and Nick Holden, the shootout went to round four. After a splendid glove save by Matt Esposito on Giant d-man Brent Regner, Bruin forward Mark Santorelli snapped home the winner, glove side, post and in for the victory.

Matt Esposito earns his fourth win of the season, and his first career win against the Giants. Sexsmith drops to 4-0-0-1 on the current campaign. These teams do not play again until the rematch, back at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night. Bruins next home game will be on Saturday, October 6th, when the Kamloops Blazers pay their first visit of the season to Prospera Centre. Game time on Saturday's home game will be at 7 pm.

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Western Hockey League Stories from October 1, 2007


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