Pre-Game Report: Giants at Silvertips

The Vancouver Giants (16-12-5-2) will visit the Everett Silvertips (21-8-4-0) for the second game in as many nights between the two teams on Saturday evening at Comcast Arena. The G-Men have picked up three of a possible eight points against the 'Tips in the season series.

Jared Rathjen posted his first career shutout and the first shutout for a Vancouver goaltender this season on Friday in the Giants' 3-0 win over the Silvertips at the Pacific Coliseum. The G-Men have now picked up at least a point in 14 of their last 15 games and sit alone in seventh in the Western Conference, two points ahead of the Tri-City Americans. Vancouver is 3-5-3-0 against the US Division this season.

Friday's game marked just the second time this season that the Silvertips have failed to score. They lost 1-0 in overtime to the Spokane Chiefs back on October 5th. Everett, who won five games in a row to finish the month of November, has now lost four of five games in the month of December. The 'Tips have been good in the friendly confines of Comcast Arena this season, losing only four games in regulation time on home ice.

Where: Comcast Arena; Everett, WA

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Rathjen Shuts Out Silvertips

Trent Lofthouse scored the Teddy Bear Toss goal while Jared Rathjen made 22 saves for his first WHL shutout as the Vancouver Giants blanked the Everett Silvertips 3-0 at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night. The G-Men also got goals from Brett Kulak and Jackson Houck in the victory.

The Giants were the stronger team in the opening period, outshooting the 'Tips 14-6. Everett had a pair of power plays in the first but couldn't find the back of the net, and the game remained scoreless through the first 20 minutes.

Trace Elson nearly found the net for Vancouver in the early stages of the second period when a rebound came out to him in front of the net, but Elson couldn't bear down on a bouncing puck and hit the side of the net. Lofthouse opened the scoring and brought the teddy bears raining down when he tipped a Dalton Thrower point shot past Everett goalie Austin Lotz midway through the second period. The goal marked Lofthouse's seventh of the season and third in his last three games.

Kulak extended the Vancouver lead, scoring on an end-to-end rush, at 11:20 of the third period. After the goal, Rathjen made his best save of the evening when he stopped Tyler Sandhu from point blank range, flashing the left pad to keep the puck out. Houck would add an empty netter with less than two minutes remaining to ice the victory for the Giants.

The two teams will face-off again tomorrow night in Everett. Hear the call on TEAM 1410 and http://teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Trent Lofthouse - Vancouver
2. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
3. Joshua Winquist - Everett

Ryobi Hardest Working Player of the Game: Jared Rathjen - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Silvertips

The Vancouver Giants (15-12-5-2) will host the Everett Silvertips (21-7-4-0) at the Pacific Coliseum in the first of back-to-back games between the teams on Friday night. The game will mark the fourth of six meetings between the teams this season. The G-Men are 0-2-1 against the 'Tips so far.

Vancouver enters play on Friday tied for seventh in the Western Conference with the Tri-City Americans. The Giants are coming off two straight wins over the Victoria Royals and have only lost once in regulation time in their last 14 games. Mason Geertsen won't be available for the G-Men as he has been handed a three game suspension for his high hit on Victoria forward Austin Carroll in the closing seconds of Tuesday's win. Meanwhile, Jackson Houck returns to the line-up from a three game suspension of his own.

The Silvertips sit nine points up on the Giants in the standings and find themselves only two points back of the Portland Winterhawks who lead the US Division. However, the 'Tips have lost three of their last four games and are coming off a 5-3 loss against the Spokane Chiefs on Wednesday. Everett forward Joshua Winquist sits in fourth in WHL scoring with 55 points in 32 games. The St. Albert, Alberta native has two goals and four assists in the three games in the season series against Vancouver.

Friday's game is also the annual Teddy Bear Toss at the Rink on Renfrew. Bring a new stuffed animal to the game, and when the Giants score their first goal, throw them on the ice! All the bears will then be collected and distributed by the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau in time for the holidays.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:30pm

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

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 7:00pm.)

Giants Win Second Straight over Victoria

The Vancouver Giants won their second in a row over the Victoria Royals, beating their BC Division rivals 3-2 on Tuesday night at the Pacific Coliseum. Tyler Morrison, Trent Lofthouse and Travis McEvoy found the net for Vancouver while Payton Lee stopped 14 of 16 shots to picked up the victory.

The Giants completely controlled the hockey game in the first period, out shooting Victoria 22-1 through the opening 20 minutes of play. Morrison opened the scoring with a shot off the left wing on the power play that beat Royals goalie Coleman Vollrath on the glove side. Lofthouse put the G-Men ahead by two when he knocked a rebound across the goal line after a strong net drive out of the right corner.

Ben Walker responded with a power play goal for Victoria just 18 seconds into the second period when he hammered a rebound past Lee after Brandon Magee's point shot. McEvoy restored the two goal lead for Vancouver just a few minutes later when he laid a hit on the end boards to force a turnover and scored on a wrap-around. Walker answered back again for the Royals with a shorthanded goal when he scored on a hard wrist shot off the rush.

Victoria tried to tie the game in the third, but the Giants continued their strong defensive play, limiting the Royals' opportunities. In the late stages, Vollrath was called to the bench, but Thomas Foster and Carter Popoff both came up with big shot blocks for the G-Men to help preserve the win. Just before the final buzzer, Mason Geertsen laid out Royals forward Austin Carroll with a huge hit just inside the Vancouver blue line. As the horn sounded, tempers boiled over when Magee speared Geertsen in the back of the legs, knocking him to the ice and prompting a scrum deep in the Giants' zone that also resulted in a fight between Dalton Thrower and Keegan Kanzig. In the end, Geertsen was assessed a major penalty and a game misconduct for a check to the head while Magee was handed a match penalty for the spear.

The Giants return to action on Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum for Teddy Bear Toss night against the Everett Silvertips. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Thomas Foster - Vancouver
2. Ben Walker - Victoria
3. Tyler Morrison - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Royals

The Vancouver Giants (14-12-5-2) will host the Victoria Royals (20-12-0-1) at the Pacific Coliseum for the third straight game between the two teams on Tuesday night. The season series is tied with each team winning two games thus far.

The G-Men got seven goals from seven different players in their victory over the Royals on Saturday night in Victoria, marking the first time the team has scored more than six goals in a game this year. Cain Franson found the net with less than 10 seconds left in the third period to extend his goal scoring streak to five games while Mason Geertsen netted his first goal of the year and Shaun Dosanjh scored his first WHL goal.

Despite losing to Vancouver on Saturday, the Royals remain six points ahead of the Giants in the Western Conference standings. Forward Austin Carroll tallied the Teddy Bear Toss goal for Victoria in his return to the line-up. The 19-year-old has 15 goals this season and has now scored four times against the Giants. The Royals have the second best penalty kill in the WHL, although the Giants went 3-for-6 on the power play on Saturday.

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.)

Giants Put Up Seven on Royals

The Vancouver Giants scored five goals in the second period en route to a 7-4 come-from-behind win over the Victoria Royals at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday night. The G-Men got goals from seven different players while Payton Lee made 29 saves for his ninth win of the season. The victory marked the first time the Giants have won this season when trailing after the first period.

The Royals got the first goal of the hockey game on Teddy Bear Toss night in Victoria at 3:51 of the opening frame when Austin Carroll knocked the puck past Lee to put the home team ahead. The Royals would go up by two goals later in the period when Steven Hodges netted his second goal of the season. Vancouver got one back before the end of the first when Trent Lofthouse scored on the power play, chipping a rebound past Patrik Polivka in the Victoria net.

The G-Men turned the tide in the second period. Thomas Foster netted his second of the year with a backhander in front to tie the game less than two minutes into the stanza, and Mason Geertsen gave the Giants the lead with his first of the year, beating Polivka from the left point. Shaun Dosanjh tallied his first goal in the WHL with a shot from the point, and Polivka was pulled in favour of Coleman Vollrath after giving up four goals on 26 shots. The Giants weren't done there. Carter Popoff added his name to the score sheet, rippling the mesh after a nice drop pass from Arvin Atwal on an odd-man rush, and Dalton Thrower capped off the scoring in the period with a power play goal from the point, giving the Giants a 6-2 lead after 40 minutes.

Victoria tried to mount a comeback in the third. Ben Walker scored on the power play at 5:32 to pull the home team to within three goals, and Hodges picked up his second of the evening with a strong individual effort to beat Lee off a face-off in the Vancouver zone. Right after Hodges' goal, Lee had to come up big as he stopped Hodges from close range to preserve the two goal lead for Vancouver. Cain Franson also added a power play marker in the late stages to extend his goal scoring streak to five games.

The G-Men and Royals will play again on Tuesday at the Pacific Coliseum. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Carter Popoff - Vancouver
2. Steven Hodges - Victoria
3. Trent Lofthouse - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Royals

The Vancouver Giants (13-12-5-2) will visit the Victoria Royals (20-11-0-1) at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre for the second straight night on Saturday. Victoria leads the season series with two wins in three games between the two teams.

The G-Men lost in Victoria by a score of 4-2 on Friday night. Jackson Houck didn't play for Vancouver as he sits out a suspension for a hit from Wednesday's win over Kootenay while Tim Traber was given a major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding in the first period on Friday. Cain Franson scored in the loss to the Royals, extending his goal scoring streak to four games. Friday's result marked the first time the Giants had lost to a BC Division opponent in regulation time since the Royals beat them on the opening night of the season.

The Royals have now won 10 of their last 12 games after their win over the Giants on Friday. Brandon Magee had a big game for the Victoria club, scoring twice in the win. The 19-year-old now has 10 goals and 12 assists in 28 games this season. Goaltender Patrik Polivka stopped 23 of 25 Vancouver shots he faced on Friday. The native of the Czech Republic boasts a 2.38 goals-against average in 23 games played this year.

Where: Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre; Victoria, BC

When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca.