WHL Vancouver Giants

Giants Fall 8-4 Saturday to Kelowna Rockets on the Road

Published on April 10, 2022 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants defend against the Kelowna Rockets
Vancouver Giants defend against the Kelowna Rockets
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Steve Dunsmoor)

Vancouver, B.C. - Saturday night at Prospera Place in Kelowna, the Vancouver Giants (23-37-4-0) dropped an 8-4 decision to the Kelowna Rockets (40-19-1-5). Andrew Cristall (2G, 3A) and Colton Dach (1G, 4A) each had five points apiece for Kelowna while Mark Liwiski and Adam Kydd each added two goals. Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk responded with three goals for the Giants to secure his first career WHL hat-trick. Alex Cotton and Fabian Lysell also recorded multi-point games for the Giants who now sit in eighth place in the Western Conference standings with four games remaining in their regular season.

1st Period:

VAN - 4:03 into the first, Zack Osstapchuk opened the scoring for the Giants off a low shot from the slot. Ostapchuk's 21st of the season came off an Adam Hall feed that came as a result of a Kelowna defensive-zone turnover.

KEL - Nine seconds later Mark Liwiski tied the score for Kelowna. Liwiski took a feed from Andrew Cristall, cut wide on a Giant defenceman and snapped a shot home from the left-wing circle. Tyson Feist had the second assist.

KEL - At 7:59 Pavel Novak made it 2-1 Kelowna off a power play rush. Novak raced up the middle, skated onto a pass from Colton Dach and wired home a shot past the blocker of Connor Martin. Adam Kydd put up the second helper.

KEL - Then at 10:21, rookie Andrew Cristall (25) secured his first of two in the period. This one came off a slick back-door cross-ice feed from Colton Dach. Mark Liwiski nabbed the second assist.

KEL - The final goal of the period came at 19:18, again from Andrew Cristall. Cristall's 26th came off a rush from the left-wing where he dragged the puck back to the middle and slid a low shot home. Mark Liwiski and Colton Dach had had assists, giving all three players their third point of the period.

Shots: 13-8 Kelowna

2nd Period:

*Will Gurski started the second period in goal for Vancouver

VAN - Zack Ostapchuk's (22) second goal of the night came on a Giants power play. Talyn Boyko made the initial save off an Alex Cotton rebound, but Ostapchuk pounced on the loose change, and stuffed a backhand shot home. Fabian Lysell had the second assist.

KEL - Adam Kydd's first of the night came at 13:43 off a Pavel Novak rebound. Kydd found the loose puck in the right-wing circle and roofed it up high for his 16th.

Shots: 10-5 Vancouver

3rd Period:

KEL - Adam Kydd made it 6-2 Kelowna off the rush at 1:11. Kydd took a feed from Colton Dach, and took advantage of a fallen Giant defender before tucking a low shot past Will Gurski.

VAN - Alex Cotton responded for the Giants at 6:02 when he parked himself at the left side of the Kelowna goal and one-timed home a Fabian Lysell pass to make it 6-3. For Cotton it was his 15th goal of the season.

KEL - A minute and 14 seconds later, Mark Liwiski potted his second of the game for Kelowna on a breakaway. The lone helper coming from Andrew Cristall giving him his fifth point of the night.

VAN - Zack Ostapchuk (23) completed his hat-trick effort for the Giants at 14:22 on a power play. The Ottawa Senators prospect knocked down a pass from in close, and snuck it through Talyn Boyko's legs. Payton Mount and Alex Cotton both assisted.

KEL - The game's final goal came unassisted from Colton Dach into an empty net at 19:31.

Shots: 12-6 Vancouver

GAME SUMMARY

Final Score: Kelowna 8 - Vancouver 4

Final Shots: 34-24 Vancouver

Connor Martin: 9/13 saves for Vancouver

Will Gurski: 7/10 saves for Vancouver

Talyn Boyko: 30/34 saves for Kelowna

Vancouver Power Play: 2/6

Kelowna Power Play: Â1/2

3 Stars:

1) Andrew Cristall (KEL - 2G, 3A)

2) Adam Kydd (KEL - 2G, 1A)

3) Mark Liwiski (KEL - 2G, 2A)

Next Game: A rematch with Kelowna tomorrow at 4:00 PM on the road.

NOTES

- Zack Ostapchuk recorded his first career WHL hat-trick. He now leads the Giants with 23 goals this season. He's the second Giant this season (Payton Mount is the other) to record a hat-trick.

- With an assist on Zack Ostapchuk's third period goal, Payton Mount recorded his 100th career WHL point.

- With two assists on Saturday, Fabian Lysell recorded his 18th multi-point game of the season.

- The Giants will head into tomorrow night's game ranked eighth in the Western Conference standings after the Prince George Cougars secured a regulation victory over Victoria. Both the Giants and Royals have 50 points apiece. The Giants have four games remaining in their season while the Royals have two.

- The Giants are now 4-5-1-0 for the season against Kelowna.

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Images from this story

Vancouver Giants defend against the Kelowna Rockets
Vancouver Giants defend against the Kelowna Rockets
(Steve Dunsmoor)		 Vancouver Giants right wing Payton Mount takes a shot against the Kelowna Rockets
Vancouver Giants right wing Payton Mount takes a shot against the Kelowna Rockets
(Steve Dunsmoor)		 Vancouver Giants defend against the Kelowna Rockets
Vancouver Giants defend against the Kelowna Rockets
(Steve Dunsmoor)



Western Hockey League Stories from April 10, 2022


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