Giants Grab Sole Possession of First with a 5-1 Win in Seattle
March 13, 2019 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release
Yannik Valenti of the Vancouver Giants eyes the Seattle Thunderbirds defense
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Brian Liesse)
Kent, WA - With two games remaining in their 2018-19 regular season, the Vancouver Giants now sit alone atop the Western Conference standings. Tuesday night in Kent, WA the Vancouver Giants defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds by a 5-1 score. Lukas Svejkovsky scored twice while Davis Koch registered three assists. Goals also came courtesy of Justin Sourdif, Alex Kannok Leipert and Dylan Plouffe. Between the pipes David Tendeck made 38 saves for Vancouver. Henrik Rybinski had Seattle's lone tally while the tandem of Roddy Ross and Cole Schwebius combined for 19 saves. The win for the Giants coupled with Everett's 4-1 loss in Portland gives the Giants sole possession of first place with two games remaining.
BOX SCORE
1st Period:
VAN - With 5:15 remaining in the first period, Justin Sourdif (22) put the Giants up 1-0 when he powered past a Seattle defender, cut in front of the Seattle net and beat Roddy Ross with a forehand deke. Davis Koch's first of three assists came on Sourdif's marker.
Shots: 15-8 Seattle
2nd Period:
VAN - 2:29 into the middle frame, Lukas Svejkovsky potted his first of two goals on the night on a power play. Svejkovsky's eighth of the season came courtesy of Bowen Byram and Dallas Hines.
VAN - Alex Kannok Leipert extended Vancouver's lead to 3-0 at 7:12 when he knocked home his own rebound off a point-blank chance. Brayden Watts and Davis Koch earned assists on Kannok Leipert's fourth goal of the campaign.
SEA - Off a faceoff win, Henrik Rybinski (8) supplied Seattle with their lone goal as he spun and fired home a feed from Matthew Wedman.
VAN - 23 seconds later the Giants restored their three-goal lead when Lukas Svejkovsky tucked a backhand deke past Ross. Yannik Valenti drew the lone assist after he checked the Seattle defender of the puck as he was trying to vacate his zone.
Shots: 15-7 Seattle
3rd Period:
VAN - 43 seconds into the final period Dylan Plouffe wired home a shot from the top of the right-wing circle to make it a 5-1 game. Plouffe's seventh goal of the season came on the power play and marked the 100th career point of his WHL career. Brayden Watts and Davis Koch assisted.
Shots: 9-9
--
Final Score: Vancouver 5 - Seattle 1
Final Shots: 39-24 Seattle
David Tendeck: 38/39 saves for Vancouver (24-10-1-1)
Roddy Ross: 12/17 saves for Seattle (14-5-1-2)
Cole Schwebius: 7/7 saves for Seattle
Vancouver: 2/4 on the power play
Seattle: 0/5 on the power play
3 Stars:
1. David Tendeck (VAN - 38 saves)
2. Lukas Svejkovsky (VAN - 2G)
3. Davis Koch (VAN - 3A)
Next Giants Game: Friday night at hme against the Kelowna Rockets at 7:30 PM. That night is Fan Appreciation Night. Enter to win a 2019 Chevrolet Equinox HERE.
NOTES:
- Tuesday's game marks the first multi-goal game of Lukas Svejkovsky's WHL career.
- Now with 100 career points, Dylan Plouffe is sixth all-time in scoring among Giants defencemen.
- The Giants finished their season series with Seattle with an even 2-2 record. The road team won all four of the regular season matchups.
- The Giants improved their road record to 22-9-1-1.
- The Giants finish the season with a record of 11-8-1-0 against US Division teans,
Images from this story
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