Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Tigers

The Vancouver Giants (8-11-2-1) will host the Eastern Conference leading Medicine Hat Tigers (15-3-3-0) on Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum. The match-up is the first of two meetings in the season series between the teams. The Tigers will be back at the Coliseum on January 22nd.

The Giants had a good week of practice after falling to the Everett Silvertips in overtime on Monday afternoon. The G-Men sit one point back of the Prince George Cougars for eighth in the Western Conference, but Vancouver holds two games in hand. Friday's game will be an opportunity for the Giants to improve their record against Eastern Conference teams as Vancouver has gone 1-5-1-1 against teams from the East, with their lone victory coming over the Calgary Hitmen in overtime.

The Tigers enter Friday's action as the second best team in the WHL, sitting only one point back of the Portland Winterhawks. The game against the Giants will be the fourth of a five game road trip for Medicine Hat. The Tigers have won their last four in a row as well as eight of their last nine games. The Medicine Hat club is led by Canucks first rounder Hunter Shinkaruk who has five goals and eight assists in 13 games this year.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:30pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Round Table starts at 6:00pm.)

Elson Joins Giants

The Vancouver Giants announced on Thursday that forward Trace Elson has joined the team. Elson was the leading scorer on the Whitecourt Wolverines of the AJHL, prior to joining the G-Men. The 18-year-old put up two assists in four games for Team Canada West at the World Junior A Challenge en route to a bronze medal earlier this month.

Here's the full release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants have added 18-year old right-winger Trace Elson to their active roster after being placed on their Protected Player List earlier in the season.

The St. Albert native was the captain of the Whitecourt Wolverines of the Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL).

Elson had been leading the AJHL in scoring with 30 points (13 goals, 17 assists) in 20 games for the Wolverines when he left to represent Canada West in the World Junior A Challenge.

The 5'10", 181lbs forward played five games with the Red Deer Rebels in the 2011-2012 season where he registered an assist.

Vancouver Giants This Week: November 14, 2013

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G-Men Fall to Everett in OT

Ivan Nikolishin scored 1:07 into overtime as the Everett Silvertips edged the Vancouver Giants 4-3 on Monday afternoon at Comcast Arena. Vancouver got goals from Dalton Sward, Trent Lofthouse and Carter Popoff in the loss.

Neither team found the net in the first period, despite scrambles at both ends of the ice. Payton Lee made a big save on Joshua Winquist on a shorthanded breakaway while Thomas Foster and Joel Hamilton both had good chances in the Everett end as well, but the game remained scoreless through 20 minutes.

Sward gave the Giants the lead early in the second period when he forced a turnover at the Silvertips’ blue line and skated in all alone, beating Daniel Cotton cleanly. Everett responded with an equalizer 59 seconds later as Darcy DeRoose shoveled a rebound past Lee for his first WHL goal. The Silvertips took the lead late in the middle frame on Winquist’s 16th of the season as he completed a nice passing play that also involved Mirco Mueller and Manraj Hayer.

Vancouver tied the game in the first minute of the third when Lofthouse deflected a Brett Kulak point shot into the Everett goal, but Carson Stadnyk restored the Silvertips’ lead just before the six-minute mark when his centring pass off the right wing tipped off Mason Geertsen and into the Vancouver net. Popoff made it 3-3 late in the third, scoring on the backhand after a good pass from Sward off the left wing.

The Silvertips ended the game in the extra period after Lee came out of his net to handle the puck and turned it over to Jujhar Khaira, allowing the Everett forward to find Nikolishin in front for the winning goal.

The Giants will be back in action at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night when they host Hunter Shinkaruk and the Medicine Hat Tigers. The puck drop is set for 7:30pm. For ticket information, visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Manraj Hayer - Everett
2. Dalton Sward - Vancouver
3. Darcy DeRoose - Everett

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Silvertips

The Vancouver Giants (8-11-1-1) will visit the Everett Silvertips (13-3-3-0) on Monday afternoon in the third meeting in the season series between the two teams. The G-Men are 0-2 against the 'Tips after 4-1 and 6-5 losses on September 27th and October 25th respectively.

Vancouver is coming off a big 5-1 win over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday night at the Coliseum. Brett Kulak scored twice while Jackson Houck had a goal as well. Both Kulak and Houck sit tied for the team lead in goals with nine apiece while Kulak leads the team in points with 22. The G-Men have had a tough time against teams in the US Division thus far, going 0-5 against clubs from south of the border this season.

The Silvertips also played on Saturday evening, falling 4-3 to the Tri-City Americans in a shootout. Despite the loss, the Everett club has picked up seven of a possible 10 points in the month of November and has only lost twice in regulation time on home ice this year. 20-year-old Joshua Winquist has been a big offensive catalyst for the 'Tips, netting 15 goals and 18 assists in 19 games. Winquist's 33 points are good enough for fourth in league scoring.

Where: Comcast Arena; Everett, WA

When: 2:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 1:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Giants Down Cougars 5-1

Brett Kulak scored two goals while Dmitry Osipov netted his first WHL goal as the Vancouver Giants cruised to a 5-1 win over the Prince George Cougars on Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum. With the victory, the G-Men moved into eighth in the Western Conference.

Kulak opened the scoring for the Giants just over five minutes into the first period when he beat Cougars goalie Ty Edmonds cleanly with a hard slap shot from the point on the power play. Prince George equalized in the late stages of the stanza with a power play marker of their own when Troy Bourke scored with a long shot that eluded Payton Lee.

The G-Men took control of the game in the second. Osipov scored the eventual winning goal at 3:32 with a sharp angle shot from the left circle. Jackson Houck made it 3-1 with his ninth of the year, knocking a rebound past Edmonds who was pulled from the game after giving up three goals on 14 shots. Kulak added another power play marker before the end of the frame, giving the Giants a three goal lead through 40 minutes.

Vancouver controlled the third period as well, out shooting the Cougars 12-4. Tim Traber added the fifth and final goal for the Giants when he beat Brett Zarowny on the short side with a wrister off the left wing.

The Giants will travel down the I-5 on Monday for an afternoon game against the Everett Silvertips. The Pre-Game Show gets underway at 1:30pm followed by the face-off at 2:00pm on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Game Summary

Video Highlights

3 Stars:
1. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
2. Jackson Houck - Vancouver
3. Dmitry Osipov - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Cougars

The Vancouver Giants (7-11-1-1) will host the Prince George Cougars (7-10-1-3) at the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday evening. The game marks the third meeting between the teams this season. Vancouver is 2-0 in the season series after 6-5 and 3-2 victories in Prince George on October 29th and 30th respectively.

The Giants have been off since Tuesday after falling 3-0 to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Tuesday night. Vancouver sits two points ahead of the last place Kamloops Blazers in the Western Conference standings while the G-Men are also only two points back of the eighth place Cougars with a game in hand. The Giants have posted an impressive record of 6-1-0-0 against BC Division opponents but are only 2-6-0-0 on home ice this season.

The Cougars played on Friday night, falling 5-2 to the Kelowna Rockets in the Okanagan. Prince George's top two scorers, Chase Witala and Troy Bourke, were both held off the score sheet in the loss. The Cougars have added a new face to their roster since they last faced the Giants as they acquired forward Todd Fiddler from the Moose Jaw Warriors on Monday in exchange for a conditional fifth round pick. Fiddler has posted 10 points in 15 games played this season.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

Tickets: Visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-4-GIANTS

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)