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WHL Vancouver Giants

Giants Cap Impressive Weekend With 4-3 Win Over Silvertips

February 4, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants celebrate win
Vancouver Giants celebrate win
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)

Langley, B.C. - Another standout performance from goaltender Brett Mirwald and goals from four different suspects - including a game-winner from captain Sam Honzek - led the Vancouver Giants to a 4-3 win over the Everett Silvertips on Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre.

The Giants are now on a roll, not just because of back-to-back wins against two of the top clubs in the Western Conference, but because they are now 9-3-1 since the calendar flipped to 2023, including a perfect 5-0 on home ice during that stretch.

Saturday's win improves Vancouver's overall record to 22-24-3-0, now tied for sixth in the Western Conference with Kelowna. Everett falls to 32-17-1-2 this season.

Scoring for the Giants on Saturday was Cameron Schmidt (16th), London Hoilett (5th), Tyler Thorpe (23rd) and Honzek (7th). Ten different players registered a point in the win.

Everett got two goals from Beau Courtney and one tally from Dominik Rymon.

GAME SUMMARY:

Everett got the scoring started early on Saturday, after Rymon cleaned up in front for his 28th goal of the season just 1:06 into the game.

Midway through the period, the Giants drew their second power play of the game, and found the back of the net after some quick puck movement. Connor Levis passed to Colton Roberts at the mid-point, who quickly one-touched it to Adam Titlbach at the left circle, who then zipped a cross-ice feed to Schmidt, who went top-corner to tie the game 1-1.

Before the period was done, the Giants took their first lead of the game, after Logen Hammett wound up from the top of the right circle and had his shot deflect off Hoilett and in to make it 2-1 after 20 minutes.

Only one goal was scored in the middle frame, and it was scored while down a man, as Thorpe chipped the puck top corner right off an offensive zone face-off while shorthanded, increasing his team-leading goal total to 23.

In the third, Honzek extended the Giants advantage to 4-1 after poking home the loose puck in front.

The Silvertips wouldn't go down easy, as they continued to push and got two goals, both from Courtney, one with 6:34 remaining in the game and one with 49 seconds left, but Vancouver would ultimately hold on for the 4-3 win.

"We're very thankful that the kids are absorbing what we're trying to teach and work with them and they're doing a heck of a job as far as applying that when we're on the ice during our games, and not only that, during practice too. But it certainly does help when you have a guy like Samuel Honzek back in your lineup too, when he's only played I think 15 games for us this year and [since] he's been back, he's a force out there, there's no question about it. He's a heck of a hockey player. So it's not just the new acquisitions we've got on our club, but everybody in our group has made that next step that we were hoping after Christmas was going to happen. Collective team improvement, which is something you're always looking for." - Head Coach Manny Viveiros

"It's learning how to play in certain situations throughout the game and we're still learning that. We're still in that situation where we're playing good teams like tonight like Everett, we're up 4-1 and we're up even in the second period here and we're, in my opinion, in control of the hockey game and then we made some mistakes, untimely penalties that we could have prevented and gave the momentum back in the game. Then in the third period we kind of let our foot off the gas pedal for a couple minutes there and all of a sudden it's 4-3...so that's a learning experience, but to have that experience you have to be in those situations, [like] protecting the lead. And when I say protecting the lead that doesn't mean you're just defending. That means that you're still attacking, still playing the same way, but you don't make as many high risk plays as you normally would if you were behind the eight ball." - Head Coach Manny Viveiros

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN - 10/9/13 = 32 | EVT - 10/12/15 = 37

PP: VAN - 1/4 | EVT - 0/3

Face-Offs: VAN - 22 | EVT - 32

3 STARS

1st: VAN - Sam Honzek - GWG

2nd: VAN - Brett Mirwald- 34 Saves on 37 Shots

3rd: EVT - Ben Hemmerling - 2A, 5 SOG

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: WIN - Brett Mirwald (34 saves / 37 shots)

Evrertt: Loss - Ethan Chadwick (28 saves / 32 shots)

NEXT GAME:

The Giants head to Seattle next weekend for a road game on Friday, Feb. 9 before returning home on Saturday, Feb. 10 for a battle with the Wenatchee Wild.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics




Images from this story

Vancouver Giants celebrate win
Vancouver Giants celebrate win
(Rob Wilton)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from February 4, 2024


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