Giants Grab Point in Wild Finish with Blazers

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WHL Vancouver Giants

Giants Grab Point in Wild Finish with Blazers

January 11, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie versus Kamloops Blazers' Dylan Ernst
Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie versus Kamloops Blazers' Dylan Ernst
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Allen Douglas)

Kamloops, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants found themselves on the wrong end of another hectic contest on Friday night, losing 5-4 in overtime to the Kamloops Blazers.

The OT loss drops Vancouver's record this season to 19-16-5, while the Blazers improve to 14-21-3-0.

The Giants had a 3-1 lead heading into the third period, but Kamloops scored twice in the final six minutes to tie the game 3-3. The Giants retook the lead at 4-3 when they responded 26 seconds after surrendering the 3-3 goal, but the Blazers once again found the equalizer with the goalie pulled for the extra attacker, tying the contest 4-4 with 9.8 seconds left.

Jordan Keller won the game for Kamloops 2:01 into 3-on-3 overtime.

Mazden Lesie had a standout game for the G-Men with four four assists, while Ty Halaburda (13th), Connor Levis (15th), Maxim Muranov (11th) and Ryan Lin (3rd) each scored for Vancouver. Giants goaltender Burke Hood tied a career-high with 44 saves.

Keller had a pair of tallies for the Blazers, as did Tommy Lafreniere. Emmitt Finnie had the other Kamloops goal.

The teams exchanged power play goals in the first period: first Halaburda for the Giants and then Lafreniere for the Blazers.

Hood kept the Giants in it early with 17 first period saves.

Vancouver would score two late second period goals to take a 3-1 lead after 40 minutes.

Levis put home his own rebound with 4:17 left in the second to make it 2-1.

Then Muranov tucked in a rebound off Leslie's point shot to increase the lead to 3-1 with only 1:16 remaining in the middle frame.

Finnie made it a one-goal game off an individual rush and a net drive with just 5:46 left in the game and Keller would tie it - also off the rush - when he went top shelf from the left circle with 1:46 remaining in regulation.

Just 26 seconds after Keller tied it, Vancouver re-took the lead thanks to a dazzling play by Leslie, who put the puck between his legs at the same time as he cut from the board to the middle of the ice, where he quickly fired a shot that hit Ernst's left pad. Lin was right to step into the rebound, roofing the puck to make it 4-3.

The Blazers got the goalie out for the extra attacker and after calling timeout, eventually a point shot from Koci was partially blocked but landed on the stick of Lafreniere in the high slot, who buried it to tie the game again, this time 4-4.

Hood stopped Nathan Behm on a breakaway in overtime to keep the Giants alive, moments before Ernst made a game-saver on Leslie at the other end.

Not long after that, Keller tripped over his teammate Finnie looking for a loose puck in the slot area, but as he was falling he shovelled a backhand shot in along the ice to end the game.

"Disappointing for sure. We were flat to start this game. I don't think we set ourselves up well early on, but credit to our group: we found our legs in the second. Added another solid period. Clawed back again with a late goal from Lin and then a little bit of Plinko around the net hits off a couple bodies, they find it 6-on-5. A tough one because again, we get it to OT and we had a really good look in OT to end it. It just seems to come back at us and the game's over. So, unfortunate. We got a point though and we're going to take that. And again we've just got to move on." - Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio on the game overall

"He was outstanding. He's so gifted offensively. I think his decision making has been really, really good for the most part this year. He's jumping at the right times, finding seams; distributing the puck really well. He was really, really good again tonight. He's been arguably one of our better players since Christmas break and all year." - Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio on the play of Leslie

"I just felt like kind of near the end, maybe we were thinking a little bit about what happened in P.G. Instead of being on our toes and getting after it like we know how and we've done all year for the most part. We've got to reset. We've got to wash that and be able to play with a lead late in the game." - Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio on Kamloops

SOG : VAN - 7/13/9/1 = 30 | KAM - 18/12/17/2 = 49

PP: VAN- 1/2 | KAM - 1 /3

Face-Offs: VAN - 29 | KAM - 29 3 STARS

1st: KAM - Tommy Lafreniere - 2G, 11 SOG, +2

2nd: VAN - Mazden Lesie - 4A, 5 SOG, +2

3rd: KAM - Jordan Keller - 2G, 5 SOG, +4 GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver : LOSS - Burke Hood (44 saves / 49 shots)

Kamloops: WIN - Dylan Ernst (26 saves / 30 shots) UPCOMING Date Opponent Time Location Saturday, January 11 Kelowna 7:00 PM PST Langley Events Centre Friday, January 17 Tri-City 7:00 PM PST Langley Events Centre Sunday, January 19 Brandon 2:00 PM PST Langley Events Centr

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Images from this story

Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie versus Kamloops Blazers' Dylan Ernst
Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie versus Kamloops Blazers' Dylan Ernst
(Allen Douglas)		   

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