Giants Storm Back from 4-1 Deficit to Top Blazers 8-6
October 5, 2024 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release
Vancouver Giants celebrate win
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)
Langley, B.C. - The Vancouver Giants scored six consecutive goals in just under 26 minutes on Friday night, helping them dig out of a 4-1 hole and defeat the visiting Kamloops Blazers 8-6.
The G-Men got goals in every which way, scoring once on the power play, once shorthanded, once into the empty net and five times at even strength.
Leading the way was newly-named captain Mazden Leslie, who scored the game-winning-goal and added two assists, to go along with a +3 rating and six shots on goal. Aaron Obobaifo and Connor Levis each had multi-goal nights, while Ty Halaburda, Kyren Gronick and Jakob Oreskovic rounded out the scoring. Meanwhile Ryan Lin recorded three assists, and Colton Roberts, Tyler Thorpe and Tyson Zimmer had two assists each.
Lost in all the offence on Friday was goaltender Matthew Hutchison, who came in relief midway through the first period after the Giants got into a 3-0 hole. Hutchison made 30 saves on 33 shots for his second win of the season.
Emmitt Finnie and Tommy Lafreniere had a pair of goals each for the visitors, with Nathan Behm and Max Sullivan also scoring once each.
Kamloops stormed out of the gate, going up 3-0 within the first 7:52 thanks to two goals from Lafreniere and one from Finnie.
Halaburda got the Giants on the board with a wrap-around goal just a few minutes after Finnie's 3-0 goal, but the Red Wings draft pick would respond with his second of the game for Kamloops on an odd-man rush at the 12:42 mark of the first period to make it 4-1.
Vancouver scored two important goals before the first period came to a close.
First, Levis launched a one-timer past goaltender Logan Edmonstone and power play with just over five minutes remaining in the frame, and then Leslie fired a shot from the right circle that went in off Gronick to make it 4-3 after 20 minutes.
The G-Men came out guns a blazing in the second.
Obobaifo slid home a rebound off a Roberts point shot less than two minutes into the second, and then Obobaifo scored again several minutes later after taking a a pass from Zimmer and rifling one past Edmonstone's blocker to give the Giants their first lead of the night at 5-4.
Oreskovic scored from distance after a well-executed give and go with Kolby Gapter to increase the Giants lead to 6-4.
Before the second period ended, Leslie scored shorthanded after Gronick was the first to a loose puck behind the Kamloops net and saw Leslie sneak into the slot for an open look.
Max Sullivan scored for the Blazers to make it 7-5 early in the third, but Levis added an empty-net goal to make seal the deal. STATISTICS
SOG : VAN - 19/12/16 = 47 | KAM - 12/14/16 = 42
PP: VAN- 1/5 | KAM - 1/4
Face-Offs: VAN - 46 | KAM - 29 THEY SAID IT "I liked the response. I didn't have to say anything. They did the right things and said the right things and they executed and they got ourselves back in the game, I thought we played a really good game...We did a lot of good things. What cost us tonight are the goals that were similar to the Prince George game. Not to take any credit away from Kamloops, but they were self-inflicted. Turnvoiers, getting caught out of position. Instead of making simple plays to clear the pressure, we sustained our own pressure in our own zone.Those type of things - we can clean those up." - Head Coach Manny Viveiros 3 STARS
1st : VAN - Mazden Leslie - 1 G, 2A, 6 SOG, +3
2nd: KAM - Emmitt Finnie - 2G, 9 SOG
3rd: VAN - Aaron Obobaifo - 2G, 2 SOG GOALTENDING BATTLE
Vancouver : WIN - Matthew Hutchison (30 saves / 33 shots) / Burke Hood (6 saves / 9 shots)
Kamloops: LOSS - Dylan Ernst (22 saves / 25 shots) / Logan Edmonstone (17 saves / 21 shots) UP NEXT Date Opponent Time Location Sunday, October 6 Calgary Hitmen 1 PM PT Scotiabank Saddledome Tuesday, October 8 Red Deer Rebels 6 PM PT Peavey Mart Centrium Friday, October 11 Lethbridge Hurricanes 6 PM PT VisitLethbridge.com Arena Saturday, October 12 Medicine Hat Tigers 6 PM PT Co-op Place
Giants season tickets and flex packs are NOW ON SALE! Season ticket packages start as low as $17.20 per game and include the first two home playoff games, plus a free subscription to WHL Live. Flex packs start at just $135 and come in six or 12-ticket packs. Call the Giants Office at 604.4.GIANTS (+1 (604) 444-2687) or contact the Giants at: sales@vancouvergiants.com.
Images from this story
 Vancouver Giants' Mazden Leslie (Rob Wilton) |
 Vancouver Giants celebrate win (Rob Wilton) |
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