Jordon Cooke stopped all 31 shots he faced as the Kelowna Rockets blanked the Vancouver Giants 6-0 at Prospera Place in the first of a home-and-home set between the two clubs on Friday night. Nick Merkley scored twice for the Rockets in the win while Kelowna also got goals from Myles Bell, Mitch Wheaton, Tyrell Goulbourne and Madison Bowey.
The Giants had the majority of the shots in the first period but couldn't generate any high quality scoring chances around Cooke's net. Merkley opened the scoring for the home team moments after missing a one-timer in front when he re-directed a Damon Severson point shot past the right pad of Payton Lee that snuck just inside the left post.
Vancouver nearly tied the game after a goal-mouth scramble in the middle frame that nearly saw Thomas Foster find the net, but Cooke stood tall, and the Rockets doubled their lead a few moments later when Bell netted his team-leading 41st goal of the season, banking the puck off the back of Lee's legs and into the net from below the goal-line.
Kelowna blew the doors off the game with four goals in the third period. Wheaton beat Lee with a long point shot that changed directed a couple of times before rippling the mesh. Merkley chipped in again with his second of the night before Goulbourne snuck one across the line from the left circle, and Bowey completed the Rockets' scoring party on a long shot that Lee never saw.
Vancouver went 0-for-4 on the White Spot Power Play while the Rockets were 1-for-2. Kelowna out shot Vancouver 35-31. The two teams will meet again on Saturday evening at the Pacific Coliseum. Puck drop is set for 7:00pm. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Jordon Cooke - Kelowna
2. Nick Merkley - Kelowna
3. Damon Severson - Kelowna
Friday, February 28, 2014
Pre-Game Report: Giants at Rockets
Vancouver is coming off arguably its most important win of the season after a depleted G-Men squad beat the Eastern Conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings 5-1 last weekend. The Vancouver blue line will be bolstered by the returns of Brett Kulak and Tyler Morrison. Kulak missed the last two games due to illness while Morrison was suspended for the game in Edmonton. Despite their win in Edmonton, the Giants now sit in seventh in the Western Conference after the Everett Silvertips passed them with a Prince Albert on Wednesday.
The Rockets sit atop the WHL standings with 104 points, leaving them seven points ahead of the second place Portland Winterhawks. The Kelowna club has won seven of its last eight games, and the Rockets boast the WHL's top penalty kill. Goaltender Jordon Cooke continues to post strong numbers for Kelowna. The 20-year-old net minder has a 2.43 goals-against-average and 34 wins in 44 games played. Friday's game will also mark the first time that former Giant Marek Tvrdon faces his old Vancouver teammates after being traded prior to the January deadline.
Where: Prospera Place; Kelowna, BC
When: 7:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)
Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Giants Win Big in Edmonton
Jackson Houck scored twice as the Vancouver Giants picked up a big 5-1 win over the Eastern Conference leading Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday evening at Rexall Place. Vancouver was without four regular defensemen with Brett Kulak, Dalton Thrower, Tyler Morrison and Arvin Atwal all out of the line-up. Forward Joel Hamilton played on the blue line while also chipping in with three assists in the win.
The Oil Kings had some early pressure in the Vancouver zone, and the Giants took a couple of penalties, sending Edmonton to a five-on-three power play, but the Vancouver penalty kill unit kept the Oil Kings of the board. Houck opened the scoring on the man advantage, knocking the puck past Edmonton goalie Tyler Santos. Carter Popoff added to the lead with a power play goal of his own, firing a shot between Santos' legs from the left circle. Just 43 seconds after Popoff's goal, Trent Lofthouse gave the G-Men a three goal lead when he scored from below the goal line, banking the puck off an Oil King defender and into the net.
Edmonton got on the board with a power play goal off the stick of Curtis Lazar, but Sward quickly answered back for the Giants when he forced a turnover behind the Edmonton net, walked out front, and scored on his own rebound. Houck struck again for his second of the night and 30th of the season on a power play with a nice shot underneath the cross-bar after a great pass from Hamilton that found him alone in front of the net.
The Vancouver club played a very strong defensive third period, limiting the Oil Kings to just six shots to complete a very thorough victory. The Giants will now return home after picking up four of a possible six points on their Alberta road swing. The G-Men will get back at it on Friday when they visit the Kelowna Rockets. Catch the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The face-off is set for 7:00pm.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Jackson Houck - Vancouver
2. Joel Hamilton - Vancouver
3. Payton Lee - Vancouver
The Oil Kings had some early pressure in the Vancouver zone, and the Giants took a couple of penalties, sending Edmonton to a five-on-three power play, but the Vancouver penalty kill unit kept the Oil Kings of the board. Houck opened the scoring on the man advantage, knocking the puck past Edmonton goalie Tyler Santos. Carter Popoff added to the lead with a power play goal of his own, firing a shot between Santos' legs from the left circle. Just 43 seconds after Popoff's goal, Trent Lofthouse gave the G-Men a three goal lead when he scored from below the goal line, banking the puck off an Oil King defender and into the net.
Edmonton got on the board with a power play goal off the stick of Curtis Lazar, but Sward quickly answered back for the Giants when he forced a turnover behind the Edmonton net, walked out front, and scored on his own rebound. Houck struck again for his second of the night and 30th of the season on a power play with a nice shot underneath the cross-bar after a great pass from Hamilton that found him alone in front of the net.
The Vancouver club played a very strong defensive third period, limiting the Oil Kings to just six shots to complete a very thorough victory. The Giants will now return home after picking up four of a possible six points on their Alberta road swing. The G-Men will get back at it on Friday when they visit the Kelowna Rockets. Catch the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The face-off is set for 7:00pm.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Jackson Houck - Vancouver
2. Joel Hamilton - Vancouver
3. Payton Lee - Vancouver
Pre-Game Report: Giants at Oil Kings
The Giants are coming off a 5-3 loss at the hands of the Red Deer Rebels on Friday. The Vancouver club now sits only two points ahead of the seventh place Everett Silvertips in the Western Conference standings. The 'Tips have three games-in-hand on Vancouver. The line of Cain Franson, Joel Hamilton and Jackson Houck has been contributing well offensively of late, combining for 23 points in their last three games.
The Edmonton squad has won three straight games, most recently defeating the Swift Current Broncos 4-1 on Friday evening. The Oil Kings have already clinched a playoff spot but are still battling for the Central Division crown with the Calgary Hitmen. Both teams have 88 points on the season, but Edmonton has played three less games. Edgars Kulda has been hot for the Oil Kings lately, tallying three goals and three assists in his last four games.
Where: Rexall Place; Edmonton, AB
When: 6:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 5:30pm.)
Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca
Friday, February 21, 2014
G-Men Fall in Red Deer
Cain Franson scored twice, but the Vancouver Giants dropped a 5-3 decision to the Red Deer Rebels at the Enmax Centrium on Friday evening. Joel Hamilton had the other Vancouver goal. As a result of the loss, and the fact that the Everett Silvertips defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds on Friday as well, the G-Men remain in sixth in the Western Conference but are now only two point ahead of the 'Tips who hold three games in hand.
The Giants had a strong start to the hockey game and had a number of scoring chances in the early stages of the game. Franson opened the scoring just after the midway mark of the first when he walked out from behind the net and beat Patrik Bartosak with a nice wrist shot that snuck in underneath the cross-bar. The Rebels answered back later in the period when Wyatt Johnson scored just after a Vancouver penalty had expired, tipping an Adam Musil shot past Jared Rathjen in the Vancouver net.
Vancouver retook the lead in the first few minutes of the second period on a power play when Jackson Houck took a shot off the left wing, and Hamilton dug the rebound across the goal line for his ninth of the season. However, the Red Deer squad would strike twice in the latter half of the stanza to go ahead. First, Rhyse Dieno tied the game with a nice shot from the bottom of the left circle before Conner Bleackley scored on a rebound to make it 3-2.
The Rebels shut the game down in the third period, limiting the G-Men to just eight shots. Eventually, Kayle Doetzel scored on a long wrist shot that snuck past Rathjen through traffic to give Red Deer a two-goal advantage, but Franson netted his second of the evening with just under two minutes remaining to pull Vancouver back to within one. The Giants pulled the goalie in favour of an extra attacker in an attempt to tie the game, but Dieno tallied his second of the night into an empty net to clinch the win. But the game wasn't finished there. In the final minute a brawl broke out after a whistle with a couple of large scrums involving all of the players on the ice and three fights. Arvin Atwal, Mason Geertsen, Tyler Morrison, Kolten Dixon, Aspen Sterzer and Devan Fafard were all given fighting majors while Bartosak was given a minor penalty for leaving the crease after he and Rathjen nearly fought as well.
Despite the loss, the Giants out shot the Rebels 34-25. Vancouver was 1-for-2 on the power play while Red Deer went 1-for-4.
The G-Men will continue their road swing in Edmonton on Saturday night against the Oil Kings. Catch the call on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show will start at 5:30pm, followed by the puck drop at 6 o'clock.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Conner Bleackley - Red Deer
2. Cain Franson - Vancouver
3. Haydn Fleury - Red Deer
The Giants had a strong start to the hockey game and had a number of scoring chances in the early stages of the game. Franson opened the scoring just after the midway mark of the first when he walked out from behind the net and beat Patrik Bartosak with a nice wrist shot that snuck in underneath the cross-bar. The Rebels answered back later in the period when Wyatt Johnson scored just after a Vancouver penalty had expired, tipping an Adam Musil shot past Jared Rathjen in the Vancouver net.
Vancouver retook the lead in the first few minutes of the second period on a power play when Jackson Houck took a shot off the left wing, and Hamilton dug the rebound across the goal line for his ninth of the season. However, the Red Deer squad would strike twice in the latter half of the stanza to go ahead. First, Rhyse Dieno tied the game with a nice shot from the bottom of the left circle before Conner Bleackley scored on a rebound to make it 3-2.
The Rebels shut the game down in the third period, limiting the G-Men to just eight shots. Eventually, Kayle Doetzel scored on a long wrist shot that snuck past Rathjen through traffic to give Red Deer a two-goal advantage, but Franson netted his second of the evening with just under two minutes remaining to pull Vancouver back to within one. The Giants pulled the goalie in favour of an extra attacker in an attempt to tie the game, but Dieno tallied his second of the night into an empty net to clinch the win. But the game wasn't finished there. In the final minute a brawl broke out after a whistle with a couple of large scrums involving all of the players on the ice and three fights. Arvin Atwal, Mason Geertsen, Tyler Morrison, Kolten Dixon, Aspen Sterzer and Devan Fafard were all given fighting majors while Bartosak was given a minor penalty for leaving the crease after he and Rathjen nearly fought as well.
Despite the loss, the Giants out shot the Rebels 34-25. Vancouver was 1-for-2 on the power play while Red Deer went 1-for-4.
The G-Men will continue their road swing in Edmonton on Saturday night against the Oil Kings. Catch the call on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show will start at 5:30pm, followed by the puck drop at 6 o'clock.
Game Summary
3 Stars:
1. Conner Bleackley - Red Deer
2. Cain Franson - Vancouver
3. Haydn Fleury - Red Deer
Pre-Game Report: Giants at Rebels
Friday's game will mark the return to Red Deer for a couple of former Rebels. Giants forwards Joel Hamilton and Dominik Volek both played under Brent Sutter. Hamilton was acquired by Vancouver in May for a 3rd round pick while Volek was added just before the trade deadline in January. The G-Men will be looking for their third win in a row after victories over the Kamloops Blazers and Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The Rebels come into Friday's game looking to end a three-game losing slide. Since their last meeting with the Giants, the Rebels have struggled to pick up victories. The Red Deer club is 1-7-0-0 in the eight games since facing the G-Men at the start of the month. The Rebels are in a battle for a playoff spot as they currently sit in ninth in the Eastern Conference, but they are tied with the eighth place Prince Albert Raiders.
Where: Enmax Centrium; Red Deer, AB
When: 6:00pm
Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca
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