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WHL Vancouver Giants

Hood Clutch in Extra Time, Helps Giants to 4-3 SO Win Over Royals

February 16, 2025 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


Vancouver Giants on game night
Vancouver Giants on game night
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Rob Wilton)

Langley, B.C. - Two goals from Ty Halaburda and nine saves from Burke Hood between overtime and a shootout led to a 4-3 Vancouver Giants win over the Victoria Royals on Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre.

The win improves Vancouver's record this season to 26-21-6, while Victoria falls to 32-14-3-6 on the season. The Giants are now 17-9-2-0 on home ice.

Captain Mazden Leslie also scored in regulation for Vancouver, while Adam Titlbach delivered the only goal in the shootout, dazzling with a one-handed goal, much like Peter Forsberg introduced to the hockey world in 1994.

Victoria erased a 2-0 deficit early in the third period when Nolan Stewart, Kenta Isogai and Justin Kipkie each found the back of the net in a span of 4:54 to give the visitors a 3-2 lead.

Halaburda would tie the game 3-3 with only 3:35 remaining to force overtime, which led to Hood's heroics and Titlbach's eventual game-winner.

Leslie opened the scoring just 1:44 into the contest after Cameron Schmidt pulled up on the right-side boards and spotted the captain joining the play from the left side. Schmidt threw a cross-ice pass to him, which he took and then walked into a shot that beat goaltender Kayden Kraus high.

It was Leslie's 15th goal of the season, helping him set a new career high.

Late in the second period, Halaburda would jam home a loose puck on the power play after Schmidt threw it to the net to make the score 2-0 for Vancouver.

Less than two minutes into the third period, Stewart chipped in a rebound just past the outstretched pad of Hood to cut the Giants lead in half.

Three minutes later, Isogai threw one from the right circle that went top corner to tie the game at two.

On a Royals power play at the 6:23 mark of the third, Kipkie let a slap shot go that rocketed to the top corner to stun the crowd, giving Victoria a 3-2 lead.

But the Giants wouldn't go away easily.

Halaburda was Johnny on the spot to deposit a rebound past Kraus with only 3:35 left in the regulation, after Alain got a point shot through to the net from the right side.

Victoria had a 4-on-3 power play in overtime that Vancouver was able to kill off, much in part thanks to Hood, who also somehow later stopped a 2-on-0 breakaway between Kipkie and Cole Reschny.

Hood's heroics forced a shootout, where Titlbach was the first Giants shooter and ended up being the only of six players to score. His one-handed effort made it 1-0, before Hood stopped Lisowsky, Reschny and Isogai to get the Giants the two points. STATISTICS

SOG: VAN - 11/6/12/3 = 33 | VIC - 7/6/11/6 = 30

PP: VAN- 1/4 | VIC - 1 /5

Face-Offs: VAN - 26 | VIC - 30 3 STARS

1st: VAN - Burke Hood - 27 Saves on 30 Shots, 3/3 in SO

2nd: VAN - Ty Halaburda - 2G, 4 SOG, +1

3rd: VIC - Justin Kipkie - 1G, 4 SOG, +1 GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: WIN - Burke Hood (27 saves / 30 shots, 3 saves / 3 shootout attempts)

Victoria: LOSS - Jayden Kraus (29 saves / 32 shots, 2 saves / 3 shootout attempts) THEY SAID IT

"I thought we played a really good game. We just got a little bit sleepy for a few minutes there in the third period...We knew they were going to come after us hard in the third period. A little bit lazy on the backheck there at the end of the power play... I liked the way the kids dug in. They worked, dug in and got back to work again and scored a big [third period] goal. We had some chances before that too to extend that lead, but that's going to happen sometimes. Nothing ever goes according to plan. You hope it does, but it never does. That's why hockey is such a good game." - Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros on the game overall

THIS AND THAT

Leslie's 15th goal of the season is a new career-high, after scoring 14 last season. His 15 goals are T-3rd in the WHL amongst defencemen and his 61 points are T-2nd amongst all WHL defencemen. Leslie has 27 points in his last 17 games (8G-19A)

Halaburda set a new career high in goals with his 22nd and 23rd tallies of the season. He has 12 points in his last seven games (7G-5A)

Hood is 2-0 in shootouts this season, with both wins coming against Victoria, where he has stopped all six shooters he has faced

Date Opponent Time Location

Monday, February 17 Prince George 2:00 PM PST Langley Events Centre

Friday, February 21 Kelowna 7:05 PM PST Prospera Place

Saturday, February 22 Kelowna 7:00 PM PST Langley Events Centre

The Giants are home next on Monday, February 17 at 2 PM against Prince George. Head to VancouverGiants.com/tickets for more details or call 604-4-GIANTS.

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Images from this story

Vancouver Giants on game night
Vancouver Giants on game night
(Rob Wilton)		   

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