WHL Vancouver Giants

Giants Edged 3-2 in OT by Tigers

October 18, 2023 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants' Brett Mirwald versus Medicine Hat Tigers' Brayden Boehm
Vancouver Giants' Brett Mirwald versus Medicine Hat Tigers' Brayden Boehm
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)

Langley, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants were neck and neck with the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers on Wednesday night, but ultimately only mustered a single point following a 3-2 overtime loss.

With the overtime setback, the Giants are now 2-3-1-0 this season.

The Giants got goals from Jakob Oreskovic and Skyler Bruce, plus a standout 45-save performance from goaltender Brett Mirwald.

Oasiz Wiesblatt scored the overtime winner for the Tigers, while Brayden Boehm and Tomas Mrsic provided the other goals. Medicine Hat improves to 6-3-1 this season.

GAME SUMMARY:

The Tigers scored the only goal in the opening period, which came shorthanded with just 2:30 left, after Boehm came down the right wing and ripped a shot past the blocker of Mirwald.

Just over three minutes into the second period, Oreskovic put home a rebound off the end boards after Connor Dale's shot missed the net, giving the Langley native his first WHL goal.

Halfway through the middle frame, the Giants grabbed their first lead of the game.

Youngster Colton Alain fed a bank pass up the right side for veteran Bruce, who toe dragged his way to the middle and lifted a shot over the shoulder of goaltender Zach Zahara as he was falling, for an incredible individual effort.

Mirwald did his best to keep the Giants ahead, as he faced 19 shots in the second period, but before the intermission came, Mrsic scored on a Tigers power play to even the score 2-2.

Neither team could find the back of the net in the third period, though the Giants had some quality looks, including Alain, Colton Roberts, Adam Titlbach and Jaden Lipinski.

The Giants took a penalty 19 seconds into overtime, but they were able to kill it off.

Not long after, however, Wiesblatt walked down the right side after barely keeping the puck inside the zone and fired the game-winner short side past Mirwald.

CLICK FOR ONLINE RECAP WITH GOAL CLIPS

THEY SAID IT:

"I was really pleased with the way we played tonight. Our effort tonight and our attention to the details tonight were so much better. It was something we worked on this week here. We knew coming in and playing Medicine Hat, another one of the top teams in the Western Hockey League, that we were going to have to be ready and really a lot of focus was with the details of our game and on our systems. We made a couple adjustments this week here to how we want to play our game with our group and I thought the kids, within a short period of time, really absorbed it well and it made a big difference in our game tonight. I thought we were a lot more connected in a lot of areas. I'm really happy with the way the kids played, the way they battled hard. We could have easily won that game tonight too." - Head Coach Manny Viveiros post-game

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN - 6/9/11/1 = 27 | MH - 14/19/8/7 = 48

PP: VAN - 0/2 | MH - 1/4

Face-Offs: VAN - 33 | MH - 25

3 STARS

1st: VAN - Brett Mirwald - 45 Saves on 48 Shots

2nd: MH - Brayden Boehm - 1G, 6 SOG

3rd: MH - Oasiz Wiesblatt - OT Winner, 1A, 1 SOG, +2

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: OT Loss - Brett Mirwald (45 saves / 48 shots)

Medicine Hat: Win - Zach Zahara (25 saves / 27 shots)

NOTEWORTHY:

Brett Mirwald finished with 45+ saves for the second time this season, after also posting 45 saves on Oct. 7 vs. Portland

Jakob Oreskovic scored his first career WHL goal in his 11th WHL game (his 5th game this season)

Czech forward Patrik Kral made his Giants debut after being claimed off waivers from Moose Jaw. He was 6-for-9 in the faceoff circle, had a +1 rating and two shots on goal, playing with Bruce and Titlbach

The Giants did not allow an even-strength goal through sixty minutes, as the Tigers first two goals were on special teams (one shorthanded, one on the power play)

NEXT GAME:

The Giants busy week continues with a 3-in-3 this weekend. Their first stop is Wenatchee on Friday at 7:00 p.m., followed by Kelowna on Saturday at 7:05 p.m., before coming home for Referee Appreciation Night on Sunday, Oct. 22 vs. the Spokane Chiefs.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics




Images from this story

Vancouver Giants' Brett Mirwald versus Medicine Hat Tigers' Brayden Boehm
Vancouver Giants' Brett Mirwald versus Medicine Hat Tigers' Brayden Boehm
(Rob Wilton)		   



Western Hockey League Stories from October 18, 2023


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