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WHL Vancouver Giants

Giants End Skid with Well-Earned Win over Cougars

November 25, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants right wing Connor Levis eyes a scoring opportunity
Vancouver Giants right wing Connor Levis eyes a scoring opportunity
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)

Langley, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants bounced back in a big way on Sunday afternoon, taking down the B.C. Division leading Prince George Cougars 4-3 at the Langley Events Centre to end a six game winless streak.

The Giants' win improves the club's record to 10-8-4 this season, while the Cougars drop to 13-6-3-2. Vancouver out-shot Prince George 28-25 in the game.

There was more than one first on Sunday. Ryan Lin scored his first career Western Hockey League goal early in the second, while 19-year-old goaltender Carter Capton picked up his first win in his first WHL start.

Tyson Zimmer scored twice for the G-Men, including the game-winner - his fifth and sixth goals of the year. Ethan Mittelsteadt also scored in the win.

Prince George got goals from Borya Valis, Lee Surgot and Riley Heidt.

The Giants improved to 7-3-1 on home ice.

The Cougars opened the scoring on a 2-on-0 breakaway 13:25 into the game, where Valis put home a cross-crease pass from Terik Parascak.

Vancouver responded less than a minute later, when London Hoilett entered the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 rush and saw Mittelsteadt across the ice join the play. Hoilett hit him with a pass and the new addition snapped it past Cooper Michaluk on the glove side to tie the game.

Before the first period came to a close, the Cougars would go back in front, after Shurgot scored on a backhand shot in tight with 41 seconds left in the frame.

The Giants came out hungry in the second period.

Just 1:13 in, Thorpe led a 3-on-1 rush during 4-on-4 play and hit Lin across the ice, who one-timed it past Michaluk to tie the game 2-2.

The turning point in the game came late in the second period, when Zimmer scored twice in a span of just 34 seconds.

First, he ripped a quick snap shot to the back of the net on a 1-on-1 rush at the 17:49 mark.

Then, Ty Halaburda did great work to get the puck deep into the offensive zone before throwing it to the net, where Lipinski got a touch on it and it deflected right to the wide-open Zimmer, who easily put it into the open net.

Heidt got a goal back for the Cougars on a power play early in the third, but the Giants locked it down after that, with Capton stopping 11 of 12 shots he faced in the final period.

CLICK FOR ONLINE RECAP WITH GOAL CLIPS

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN - 9/14/5 = 28 | PG - 8/5/12 = 25

PP: VAN- 0/3 | PG - 1/5

Face-Offs: VAN - 33 | PG - 31

THEY SAID IT

"That was how we looked before we got into that stretch of those six games here. So that's something we talked about right after the game with the kids: let's not forget how that felt over the last little while and let's learn from that. It's a big win: that's our third game in two and a half days, with travel. So really proud of the way the kids stepped up." - Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros

"I thought we played really good. We compare last night's game to tonight's game, two different teams. Kids were dialled in. They were. We talked about it after last night, and also today, we just got to get back to the basics of the game: winning puck battles, competing, winning your shifts. And I thought we did. That first period was really good. Second period, got into some penalty trouble, but did an outstanding job. And then in the third period, I thought we did a pretty good job locking it down. It was a good win. With our kids in our group, [it's about] getting them to understand what it takes every day to compete at this level here. We're going to have stretches or games where you're not going to have your best, but the way we worked tonight, like that, [if] you continue winning shift after shift, most of the time you're going to come out on top." - Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros

"He's always playing against the other team's top two lines. That's one of the matchups, with him and Mazden [Leslie], we're trying to get him out there against the other team's top two lines. For a 16-year-old, he defends really well. His mobility is a big part of it - his skating ability. He's able to recover a lot of times. If he gets into a situation where he's in a little bit of trouble he recovers with his legs. He's got a real good hockey IQ and he understands the games. He's a rookie, but he's got a veteran presence with the way he plays." - Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros on Ryan Lin

3 STARS

1st: VAN - Tyson Zimmer - 2G, 3 SOG

2nd: PG - Riley Heidt - 1G, 1A, 2 SOG

3rd: VAN - Carter Capton - 22 Saves, 1st WHL Win

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: WIN - Carter Capton (22 saves / 25 shots)

Prince George: LOSS - Cooper Michaluk (30 saves / 31 shots)

UPCOMING

Date Opponent Time Location

Friday, November 29 Everett Silvertips 7:00 PM PT Langley Events Centre

Sunday, December 1 Seattle Thunderbirds 4:00 PM PT Langley Events Centre

Wednesday, December 4 Regina Pats 7:00 PM PT Langley Events Centre

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics




Images from this story

Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin
Vancouver Giants defenceman Ryan Lin
(Rob Wilton)		 Vancouver Giants gather after a goal
Vancouver Giants gather after a goal
(Rob Wilton)		 Vancouver Giants centre Tyson Zimmer
Vancouver Giants centre Tyson Zimmer
(Rob Wilton)
Vancouver Giants goaltender Carter Capton
Vancouver Giants goaltender Carter Capton
(Rob Wilton)		 Vancouver Giants right wing Connor Levis eyes a scoring opportunity
Vancouver Giants right wing Connor Levis eyes a scoring opportunity
(Rob Wilton)		  

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