Late Third Period Comeback Lifts the Giants 5-4 over Victoria
March 31, 2021 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release
Vancouver Giants centre Adam Hall and goaltender Drew Sim vs. the Victoria Royals
(Vancouver Giants, Credit: Allen Douglas)
Kamloops, B.C. - Some late-game heroics have the Vancouver Giants sitting at 2-1 on their young season. Tuesday night at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops the Giants earned a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over the Victoria Royals. Tristen Nielsen and Eric Florchuk both scored in a one minute, 12 second span late in the third period to erase a 4-3 deficit. Florchuk (1G, 2A), Nielsen (1G, 1A), Justin Sourdif (3A) and Adam Hall (2G) all had multi-point games for Vancouver while goaltender Drew Sim stopped 23 shots to earn his first career WHL victory. Brayden Tracey and Tarun Fizer each had a goal and an assist in response for Victoria who fell to 0-3.
1st Period:
VAN - Zack Ostapchuk gave the Giants a 1-0 lead at 14:49 when he finished off a two-on-one rush with Eric Florchuk.
VAN - One minute and 20 seconds later, Vancouver took a 2-0 lead shorthanded when Adam Hall wired home a high shot over the left shoulder of Connor Martin. Justin Sourdif earned the lone assist.
VIC - Brandon Cutler put the Royals on the board at 18:57 on a breakaway. Kalem Parker drew the lone helper.
Shots: 12-12
2nd Period:
VIC - Royals captain Tarun Fizer knotted the game at 2-2 on a wrap-around off his own rebound
at 14:49.
VIC - Less than three minutes later, Victoria took their first lead of the night when Anaheim Ducks prospect Brayden Tracey tucked home his first of the season on a deke from the right-wing on a power play.
Shots: 12-10 Victoria
3rd Period:
VAN - Adam Hall buried his second goal of the evening on a power play at 10:03 of the final period. Hall's third goal of the season came from the left-wing circle off a feed from Connor Horning.
VIC - Keanu Derungs gave the Royals a 4-3 lead on a power play when he parked himself in front of the Giants net and deflected home a feed from Tarun Fizer.
VAN - A few moments later the Giants answered with a power play strike of their own. Off a faceoff victory, Tristen Nielsen pounced on a loose puck and wired a shot by Connor Martin to tie the score.
VAN - One minute and 12 seconds later, Eric Florchuk completed the Giants comeback off the rush when he skated hard to the net and deflected home a feed from Tristen Nielsen past the blocker of Connor Martin. Justin Sourdif drew the second assist on what would end up as the winning goal.
Shots: 11-3 Vancouver
--
GAME SUMMARY:
Final Score: Vancouver 5 - Victoria 4
Final Shots: 33-27 Vancouver
Vancouver Power Play: 2/3
Victoria Power Play: 2/6
3 Stars:
1) Justin Sourdif (VAN - 3A)
2) Tristen Nielsen (VAN - 1G, 1A)
3) Brayden Tracey (VIC - 1G, 1A)
Next Giants Game: Tomorrow night at 7:00 PM against the Prince George Cougars
NOTES:
- With two points on the night, Tristen Nielsen now has nine points (5G, 4A) through three games. He's recorded two-or-more points in each of the first three games.
- Justin Sourdif has now recorded seven assists in his past two games.
- Adam Hall (3G, 1A) has recorded points in each of the first three games of the season.
QUOTES:
"It's been three games now. The rust is off for most guys. Tomorrow we need to play our way, the right way and we'll have success." - Eric Florchuk on tomorrow's tilt with Prince George.
"It was a hard-fought battle, but it feels nice to have my first win in the WHL," - Drew Sim after his first WHL victory.
Images from this story
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- Late Third Period Comeback Lifts the Giants 5-4 over Victoria - Vancouver Giants
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