WHL Vancouver Giants

This Week In Giants Hockey

Published on November 23, 2008 under Western Hockey League (WHL)
Vancouver Giants News Release


VANCOUVER BC - What a week of hockey and what a week of fun it has been for the Vancouver Giants and their fans over the past seven days. The Giants post three more wins this past week and are now a franchise best 20-1-0-3 this season. Add to the fantastic start an unbelievable week of fun with the STANLEY CUP LEGENDS, and it is a great time to be a fan of the VANCOUVER GIANTS.

The Giants came into the week 17-1-0-3. On Wednesday night, they had a chance to open the week up right and avenge their only regulation loss of the week against their Fraser Valley Rivals, the Chilliwack Bruins.

The Giants would open well against the Bruins. Jonathon Blum would open the scoring on the power play midway through period one, as his wrist shot deflected past Bruins goalie Mark Friesen off the glove of Bruins d-man Scott Ramsay and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead at 9:12. After that, the Bruins put on the pressure for the balance of the period and would have been tied or better if not for the stellar play in the Vancouver goal of Tyson Sexsmith. The period would end 1-0 with the Bruins outshooting Vancouver 13-8, one of only a handful of times this season, home or away, where the Giants have been outshot in the first period.

The Giants would return to their hardworking brand of hockey in the second period, but it would take until late in the period before the hard work would bear results. Jonathon Blum would follow his own shot and flutter a rebound up and over the surprised Friesen to double the lead to 2-0. It would be Blum's first multi goal game of the season. The Giants would stifle the Bruins in the period, surrendering just three shots in the second and heading to the third with a two goal lead.

In the final period, the Giants would put things away; thanks in large part to the Bruins inability to keep the Giants fore-check at bay, leading to costly penalties. With Matt Meropoulis off for interference, Casey Pierro-Zabotel would make the Bruins pay, snapping a shot inside the right post on Friesen to make it a 3-0 game early in the third. Midway through the period, again on the power play, Jonathon Blum would get his first ever hat trick. Never having scored a hat trick at any level, Blum would crush a Brent Regner pass, a one timer from the point, which twinkled the twine and would give the Captain his tri-fecta. A Kevin Sundher goal late in the period would break up the shutout for Sexsmith, but the Giants would skate away with a 4-1 victory and a measure of redemption after the loss the week before to the Bruins out in the Valley.

On Thursday night, the Giants welcomed the STANLEY CUP LEGENDS to town to take part in the big program on Friday night at the Coliseum. Dave Schultz, Johnny Bower, Steve Shutt, Gerry Cheevers and Yvon Cournoyer would join invited guests at the WHITE SPOT restaurant at Georgia and Cardero for a meet and greet and also took time out to speak with the Giants Director of Broadcast, Dave Sheldon, on the GIANT HOCKEY HOUR. Dave was able to get some great stories out of all five guests...and each guest brought a wealth of knowledge and their own stories to the table to share with Dave and the radio listeners...later this week, the Giants will post all of the interviews from the LEGENDS visit on their website for download. Please listen to AM650 every week for the Giants Hockey hour from 7 pm to 8 p for all of the latest Giants news.

Friday night brought the big show to the Coliseum. The Kamloops Blazers provided the opposition on the ice, while the Stanley Cup, our esteemed guests, and some sharp new 'old' uniforms would keep the season high crowd of 12, 262 in great spirits throughout the evening.

The Giants would take to the ice wearing the vintage uniform of the only team to ever win the Stanley Cup for the City of Vancouver, the 1915 Millionaires. The uniforms were stunning, a maroon and cream coloured jersey, cream coloured pants and matching socks could arguably go down as one of the best alternative jerseys by any team at any level of hockey. The Stanley Cup would make an appearance at centre-ice and would also be a 'small' part of the pregame ceremonies marking the arrival of the LEGENDS. As each LEGEND was introduced, they would walk out to take their place near centre ice. As they were walking, they would be followed by young players of the North Vancouver Minor Hockey Association, with each player carrying a Stanley Cup one third sized replica for each cup that the player had won in his NHL career. In total, 23 Stanley Cups were represented by our accomplished guests, and after a ceremonial puck drop, the game would get underway.

After a quick goal by Mikhail Fisenko would open the scoring for the Giants, the Blazers would roar back with three unanswered goals by Cole Grbavac, Giffen Nyren and Tyler Shattock would stake the visitors to a well deserved 3-1 lead after one, with the Blazers outshooting the Giants by a 17-7 margin.

But once again, the Giants made adjustments and came out flying. Casey Pierro-Zabotel would score a shorthanded marker in the first minute to cut the lead to 3-2. James Wright would stuff home a Craig Cunningham rebound to tie the game at three by the midway mark of the period, before James Henry and Lance Bouma would score goals to turn a two goal deficit into a two goal lead by the end of the period. After allowing three goals in the first period, the Giants would only allow just two shots in the second, stifling the Blazers at every turn. It was 5-3 after two periods for the G-Men.

Just like Wednesday's game, the Giants put this one away early in the third, as Craig Cunningham would bury a wrist shot over the glove of Kamloops goalie Justin Leclerc six minutes in to the period to put the Giants up by three, 6-3. A late goal by Tyler Shattock would make the final 6-4 and the twelve thousand fans in attendance would leave happy with a full night of entertainment. Post game, the Giants players and coaching staff would be treated to a post game visit by Gerry Cheevers and Dave Schultz as well as a visit by the Holy Grail of Hockey, as the Stanley Cup was brought into the dressing room for the players to marvel at...

The next day brought the final game of the week and had the Giants travel up to Kamloops to complete the two game home and home series. Vancouver's plan was to come out quick in this one, and after killing off an early penalty with some key saves by Giants rookie Jamie Tucker, the Lads once again cranked it up.

Jonathon Blum would continue his hot week, scoring twice as the Giants would hammer the Blazers 6-1 in their own building, the Interior Savings Centre. Brent Regner, James Wright, Garry Nunn and Brendan Gallagher would also light the lamp for Vancouver, who peppered 42 shots on rookie Kamloops keeper Jon Groenheyde. The Giants would never trial in this one, with leads of 2-0 after one and 5-0 after two. Jamie Tucker would run his record to 7-0-0-1 on the season and see his WHL leading goals against average fall to a stingy 1.46.

Vancouver finished the week 3-0 and now has an impressive record of 20-1-0-3 on the season; the best ever start by a Vancouver franchise through their first 24 games. Vancouver previously held a 24 game record of 20-2-0-2 in 2006-07, the year that the team would go on to win the Memorial Cup.

Notes:

* Forward Evander Kane has missed the last three games due to a nagging foot injury. Kane, 17, is currently on a 21 game point streak, one shy of last year's best point streak of 22 set by Colton Yellowhorn of the Tri City Americans and two shy of the all time WHL record of points in consecutive games set by Jeremy Reich seven seasons ago. Before his injury, the Vancouver winger held the WHL points lead. Kane will be evaluated on a day to day basis, but is hoping to enter the line up on Friday @ Chilliwack.

* Jonathon Blum has had a pretty good week, and thanks his parents and a certain broadcaster for his good fortune! 'Every time my Mom and Dad come to town I play well,' stated Blum after his hat trick performance on Wednesday versus Chilliwack. On Saturday, prior to the game versus Kamloops, Blum and Dave Sheldon met for a pre game interview. The last time Dave and Jon spoke, Blum had a three point night as the Giants beat the Lethbridge Hurricanes 3-1, a game where Blum was named first star. This time, Blum had two goals and was once again named the first star in a 6-1 Giants win. Blum later met Sheldon in the parking lot and laughed about his 'pre-game good luck interview'. Truth be told, Sheldon ran short on time in the pre-game show and never used the interview!

* Jamie Tucker and Tyson Sexsmith could join the Superhero comic book 'The Defenders'! Tucker and Sexsmith are both now listed in the TOP 5 WHL goalies for goals against average and have backstopped the Giants to a league best 48 goals against through their first 24 games. Tucker is draft eligible this year and is currently ranked fifth among net minders for the upcoming NHL draft, while Sexsmith is a San Jose Sharks draft pick, just recently picking up the CHL record for most career shutouts with 22.

* Vancouver currently holds an 11 point lead over the Kelowna Rockets for the BC Division lead and an eight point lead over second place Spokane Chiefs for the Western Conference lead. The Calgary Hitmen has two more points than Vancouver's 43, but has played three more games. Calgary currently has a 22-4-0-1 record through twenty eight games. After Calgary, no other team has less than seven losses in the WHL to this point in the season...the Giants are the only team in the CHL, all three leagues, with just one regulation loss...

What the score sheet isn't telling you...

The Giants are currently at 43 points through 24 games...if they were to fall to play .500 hockey the rest of the way, they would finish with 44 wins and 92 points. Last year, 91 points was what it took to finish 4th in the Western Conference. Prince George managed just 44 points all of last year, finishing ninth and missing the playoffs...

This week...

The Giants are on the road for a pair of games. First up on Friday, Vancouver will travel up the Valley for their third meeting of the month versus Chilliwack. The last time the Giants ventured in to the 'Wack, Vancouver lost 3-2 for their only loss in regulation this season. The next night, the G-Men make their first visit to Kennewick WA., where they will take on WHL regular season, Western Conference and US Division Champions, the Tri City Americans. Earlier this season, Vancouver fought back for a 4-3 win over Tri City on a pair of beautiful goals by Andrej Kudrna and Garry Nunn.

Check out the Vancouver Giants Statistics

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Western Hockey League Stories from November 23, 2008


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