Giants Wrap up 2020-21 Season with a 6-1 Victory over Victoria
May 12, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release
Vancouver Giants say goodbye to the 2020-21 season
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Allen Douglas)
Kamloops, B.C. - Tuesday evening in Kamloops, B.C. the Vancouver Giants earned a 6-1 victory over the Victoria Royals. Tristen Nielsen paced the Giants attack with four points (4A) while Tanner Brown (3A) and Justin Sourdif (1G, 2A) added three point games. Six different Giants contributed goals while Drew Sim made 12 saves in the Giants goal. The lone Royals goal came from Keanu Derungs late in the first period. The Giants power play was two-for-six while the Royals went one-for-four.
1st Period:
VAN - Zack Ostapchuk opened the scoring off a shorthanded two-on-one rush at 11:03. Justin Sourdif threaded a pass to Ostapchuk who raced down the right wing, and placed a perfect backhand shot up and over Adam Evanoff's left shoulder.
VAN - One minute and 10 seconds later, Marko Stacha recorded his first career WHL goal off the rush with Tristen Nielsen. Nielsen raced down the right-wing, and centered a perfect pass to the trailing Stacha, who did the rest by one-timing the pass home.
VIC - With 30 seconds left in the period, Keanu Derungs knocked home his fifth of the season off a Matthew Smith rebound. Derungs was at the side of the Giants goal, and as Smith's shot went wide, it bounced off the end boards and right to Derungs who backhanded the shot over Drew Sim's right pad. Brayden Schuurman posted the second assist.
Shots: 6-5 Vancouver
2nd Period:
VAN - Justin Sourdif extended the Giants lead to 3-1 at the 15:07 mark of the middle frame. Tristen Nielsen forced a turnover along the left-wing boards, and then centered a cross-crease pass to Justin Sourdif who tallied for the 11th time this season. Eric Florchuk earned the second assist on the play.
Shots: 20 - 2 Vancouver
3rd Period:
VAN - Alex Kannok Leipert got in on the scoring act on a power play at 2:24. The Giants captain parked himself in the slot, and deflected a Tristen Nielsen shot up and over the stick of Adam Evanoff. Justin Sourdif also assisted.
VAN - Justin Lies made it a 5-1 game for Vancouver on a breakaway at 6:28. Lies took a Tanner Brown feed, and skated in alone on the Victoria net from the blueline in, and roofed his third of the season to the glove side.
VAN - The final goal of the 2020-21 season for the Vancouver Giants came courtesy of Bryce Bader on a power play at 14:41. Tristen Nielsen and Connor Horning both drew the assists off Bader's fifth goal of the season that came off a shot from the left-wing circle.
Shots: 11-6 Vancouver
GAME SUMMARY
Final Score: Vancouver 6 - Victoria 1
Final Shots: 37-13 Vancouver
Drew Sim: 12/13 saves for Vancouver
Adam Evanoff: 31/37 saves for Victoria
Vancouver Power Play: 2/6
Victoria Power Play: 1/4
3 Stars:
1) Alex Kannok Leipert
2) Tristen Nielsen
3) Eric Florchuk
THANK YOU ERIC
Tonight marked the final WHL game for forward Eric Florchuk of Fort Saskatchewan, AB. Originally selected 13th overall by the Victoria Royals in 2015, Eric Florchuk has since gone on to play 270 career WHL games (Victoria, Saskatoon and Vancouver). With the Giants this season, Florchuk has compiled four goals and 16 assists for 20 points. For his entire WHL career, the one-time draft pick of the Washington Capitals has 65 goals and 121 assists for 186 points.
THANK YOU TRISTEN
Tonight also marked the final WHL game for forward Tristen Nielsen of Fort St. John, B.C. He was selected 20th overall by the Calgary Hitmen back in 2015, and has since played in 241 career games with Calgary and Vancouver. Nielsen led the B.C. Division with 15 goals, and his 32 points rank him second on the team in scoring behind Justin Sourdif. For his career, Nielsen has managed 82 goals and 93 assists for 175 points.
THANK YOU ALEX
Defenceman Alex Kannok Leipert of Regina, SK took the ice for the final time tonight in a Giants uniform. Originally selected by the Giants in Round 4 of the 2015 WHL Bantam Draft, Kannok Leipert has gone on to play 219 career games, all with the Giants. In that span, the one-time draft pick of the Washington Capitals has managed 21 goals and 62 assists for 83 points for his career along with 240 penalty minutes and a +47 rating. As of tonight, he leads all B.C. Division defencemen in scoring with 18 points.
Images from this story
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