G-Men Defeat Cougars 5-2

The Vancouver Giants got three goals in the second period en route to a 5-2 win over the Prince George Cougars at the Pacific Coliseum on Monday evening. The G-Men got goals from Joel Hamilton, Thomas Foster, Carter Popoff, Tim Traber and Jackson Houck while Jared Rathjen made 27 saves for his eighth win of the season.

Hamilton opened the scoring for Vancouver late in the opening frame on the power play when he beat Ty Edmonds in the Prince George net with a shot from the slot that snuck in on the stick side. The Cougars answered back to tie the game less than a minute later when Tyler Mrkonjic deflected a Raymond Grewal point shot past Rathjen to put the Cougars on the board.

The Giants took control of the game in the second period. Foster tallied his third of the year off the rush with a wrist shot from the right circle, and Popoff made it 3-1 just 12 seconds later when he scored on a backhander that beat Edmonds on the short side. Traber would add his name to the score sheet later in the stanza when he was sprung in all alone after a nice stretch pass from Brett Kulak and wired a hard shot past Edmonds. Zach Pochiro pulled the Cougars back to within two goals late in the period, scoring on the man advantage with just over a minute left in the frame.

The Prince George club pressured the Giants in the third period, heavily out shooting Vancouver in the first 10 minutes of the stanza, but the G-Men held strong, and Rathjen stopped all 12 shots he faced in the final 20 minutes while Houck added an empty netter.

Vancouver returns to action on Friday with the first of back-to-back meetings with the Kelowna Rockets at the Pacific Coliseum. The face-off is set for 7:30pm. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
2. Dalton Thrower - Vancouver
3. Thomas Foster - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Cougars

The Vancouver Giants will play their third game in as many nights on Monday when they host the Prince George Cougars at the Pacific Coliseum. The G-Men have won four of six meetings in the season series but lost their last game against PG 3-1 on December 15th.

The Giants bumped a two-game losing skid with a 4-3 win over the Kamloops Blazers on Sunday. Cain Franson had two goals in the win. The 20-year-old has posted 13 points in 10 games in the month of December. Monday's game marks only the third time this season that the Giants have played three games in as many days. Vancouver is 1-1-0-0 when playing for a third consecutive night. Dalton Thrower will return to the Giants' line-up on Monday after his two-game suspension.

The Cougars had the day off on Sunday after losing 5-2 to the Victoria Royals on Vancouver Island. The Prince George club sits five points behind the Tri-City Americans for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Forward Jordan Tkatch has been on fire for the Cougars of late. The 18-year-old Saskatchewan native is on an eight game point streak, tallying six goals and five assists over that span.

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.)

Franson Fires Giants Past Blazers

Cain Franson scored twice, including the game winner with less than two minutes remaining in the third period, as the Vancouver Giants beat the Kamloops Blazers 4-3 on Sunday night at Interior Savings Centre. Alec Baer and Blake Orban also had goals for Vancouver while Payton Lee made 20 saves for the victory.

The Giants got the first goal when Baer wired a hard wrister past Blazers goalie Taran Kozun from the slot, moments after Franson hit a goal post. Orban would add to the Vancouver lead on the power play when he found the top left corner with a shot from the right point. It looked like the G-Men would head to the intermission with a two-goal lead, but Sam Grist scored for Kamloops with less than a second remaining in the frame when his long shot bounced off Brett Kulak and past Lee.

The Blazers carried the momentum of their late period goal and came out flying in the second. Aspen Sterzer tied the game for Kamloops on the power play, knocking the puck into the back of the net after a nice centring feed from Tyson Ness. Sterzer would ripple the mesh again less than three minutes later when he tipped a Josh Connolly shot into the Vancouver goal to give Kamloops the lead, but the Giants responded quickly when Franson scored his first of the night, hammering a quick one-timer past Kozun after a nice pass from Jackson Houck behind the net.

Both teams had chances in the third, but the game remained tied until the late stages when Franson scored on a shot from the high slot with 1:41 remaining to lift the Giants to the win, ending Vancouver's two-game losing skid.

The Giants will play their third game in as many nights on Monday when they host the Prince George Cougars at the Coliseum. The face-off is set for 7:00pm. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:

1. Cain Franson - Vancouver

2. Tim Traber - Vancouver

3. Josh Connolly - Kamloops

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Blazers

The Vancouver Giants will head up the Coquihalla on Sunday for a visit to Kamloops to face the Blazers. The game will mark the fourth meeting in the season series between the teams. The G-Men are 3-0.

Vancouver is coming off a 4-2 loss to the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum. The G-Men outscored the Rockets 2-0 at even strength but conceded three power play goals and one shorthanded goal. Saturday's game marked the second straight loss for Vancouver. The Giants haven't lost three games in a row since their East Division road trip in early October. Carter Popoff, who leads the team in points with 42, is currently on a four-game point streak.

The Blazers were idle on Saturday but enter Sunday's action on a three-game losing skid. Most recently, Kamloops lost to Kelowna by a score of 7-1 on Friday night. With nine wins on the season, the Blazers sit in last in the Western Conference, 19 points behind the seventh place Giants. Cole Ully leads the Kamloops team in scoring with 15 goals and 23 assists in 38 games.

Where: Interior Savings Centre; Kamloops, BC

When: 6:00pm (The Pre-Game Show starts at 5:30pm.)

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Rockets Double Giants at Coliseum

In their first game back after the holidays, the Vancouver Giants lost 4-2 to the WHL leading Kelowna Rockets at the Pacific Coliseum on Saturday night. Anthony Ast and Jackson Houck scored for the G-Men in the loss while the the Rockets picked up their 14th consecutive victory.

The first period was a hard fought one with both teams generating opportunities, but neither side found the net. Justin Kirkland had Kelowna's best chance when he missed a tap-in at the left post on a shorthanded three-on-one while Luca Leone came close to breaking the deadlock for the Giants when he was stopped from close range by Rockets net minder Jordon Cooke.

Ast gave the Giants the lead 41 seconds into the second period when he found a rebound at the left post and shovelled the puck past Cooke for his fourth of the season. The Rockets responded on the power play just after the five minute mark as Colton Heffley knocked a loose puck between the legs of Jared Rathjen to tie the game. Cooke was called into action later in the stanza when the Giants went to the man advantage, making a pair of big stops on Houck and Carter Popoff to keep the game tied. The Rockets went ahead on a power play goal off the stick of Tyson Baillie late in the frame, and Tyrell Goulbourne would have given the Kelowna club a 3-1 lead before the intermission if not for a fantastic glove save from Rathjen to take away a goal and send the Giants to the dressing room down by one.

Cole Linaker would extend the lead for the Rockets early in the third, scoring while the Kelowna club was down a man. Houck pulled the G-Men to within one again when he rippled the mesh after a pretty move off an odd-man rush, but Madison Bowey restored the Rockets' two-goal lead with a long slap shot from the point on the power play. There was a skirmish later in the stanza after Shaun Dosanjh laid an open ice hit on Kris Schmidli of the Rockets. Dosanjh was given five and a game for a head check. The Giants killed off the ensuing five-minute power play but couldn't stage a comeback.

The Giants will get right back at it on Sunday evening when they visit the Kamloops Blazers. Catch the call on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 5:30pm, followed by the opening face-off at 6 o'clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:

1. Tyson Baillie - Kelowna

2. Anthony Ast - Vancouver

3. Justin Kirkland - Kelowna

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Rockets

The Vancouver Giants will return from the Christmas break to host the Kelowna Rockets on Saturday night at the Pacific Coliseum. It's the second of eight meetings between the two BC Division rivals this season. The Rockets took the first game 4-3 in overtime in the Okanagan back on December 3rd.

The G-Men lost their last game before the holiday break, falling 3-1 to the Prince George Cougars at the Rink on Renfrew. However, Vancouver has been playing great hockey of late. The Giants have picked up points in 15 of their last 17 games and are 5-2-1-0 in the month of December. The Vancouver club will be without the services of captain Dalton Thrower as he sits out the first game of a two-game suspension.

The Rockets are coming off a big 7-1 Friday night win over Kamloops at home. The victory marked Kelowna's 13th win in a row as the Rockets haven't lost since November 20th including a sweep of their six-game East Division road trip before the Christmas break. Goaltender Jordon Cooke has been a big part of Kelowna's success. The 20-year-old is third in the WHL in both goals-against average (2.21) and save percentage (.924).

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 7:00pm

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

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 6:30pm.)

Elson Leaves Giants

Trace Elson will not be back with the Giants when they return to action on Saturday as the 19-year-old forward has elected to remain at home in Alberta.

Here's the release from the Giants:

The Vancouver Giants announced today that 19-year old Trace Elson has elected to stay home after the Christmas break.

The St. Albert native was added to the Giants' active roster in November and had 2 goals and 1 assist in 15 games with Vancouver.

"Trace decided he was more comfortable in Alberta," said Giants' Executive Vice President and General Manager Scott Bonner. "He and his agent let me know he would not be returning on Christmas Day."

Vancouver Giants This Week: December 19, 2013

Click here to listen to this week's podcast.

Cougars Edge Giants 3-1

The Vancouver Giants lost their final game before the Christmas break on Sunday night, falling to the Prince George Cougars by a score of 3-1 at the Pacific Coliseum. Carter Popoff had the only goal for Vancouver in the game.

The Giants scored the only goal of the opening frame with less than three minutes remaining in the stanza when Popoff forced a turnover at the Prince George blue line before beating Cougars goalie Ty Edmonds with a nice deke to give Vancouver the lead. Prince George out shot Vancouver 11-7 in the first period.

Prince George had a strong start to the second, scoring twice in the first five minutes to take the lead. Jordan Tkatch netted his ninth of the year after a nice play by Todd Fiddler, and Zach Pochiro scored on a rebound to put PG ahead. 15-year-old Tyler Benson nearly tied the game for the G-Men when he had a pair of golden opportunities on the same shift late in the period. Benson was stopped by Edmonds after a chance in the slot, then nearly scored after throwing it on net from behind the goal.

The G-Men had to kill off a five-minute Prince George power play early in the third period after captain Dalton Thrower was thrown out of the game after an open ice hit on Klarc Wilson, but the Vancouver penalty kill was incredibly effective as the Cougars didn't even register a shot on goal. The Giants had to pull the goalie late and had a number of chances to tie the game, but Edmonds kept the puck out. Wilson added an empty netter in the dying seconds to complete the scoring for Prince George.

The G-Men will now have some time off for the holiday break. They'll be back in action on December 28th against the Kelowna Rockets at the Pacific Coliseum. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Ty Edmonds - Prince George
2. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
3. Tyler Benson - Vancouver

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Cougars

The Vancouver Giants (17-12-5-2) will host the Prince George Cougars (13-18-2-3) at the Pacific Coliseum on Sunday in their final game before the December break. The G-Men are 4-0-0-1 in the season series with the Cougars.

Vancouver comes into Sunday's action on a four game winning streak after a pair of victories over the Everett Silvertips on Friday and Saturday. Jackson Houck had two goals in Vancouver's 6-3 win on Saturday night. The 18-year-old has three goals in the last two games since returning from a three-game suspension. Trent Lofthouse also found the net on Saturday, extending his goal scoring streak to four games.

The Cougars sit in ninth in the Western Conference, six points back of the eighth place Tri-City Americans. Prince George is coming off a 6-3 loss at the hands of the Spokane Chiefs on Saturday. Despite the loss, 20-year-old forward Todd Fiddler had three points against Spokane. The Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan native now has 13 goals and 13 assists in 16 games with the Cougars since being acquired from the Moose Jaw Warriors on November 4th.

Where: Pacific Coliseum

When: 5:00pm

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

Listen: TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca (The Pre-Game Show starts at 4:30pm.)

Giants Double Silvertips 6-3

The Vancouver Giants won their fourth game in a row on Saturday night, downing the Everett Silvertips 6-3 at Comcast Arena. Jackson Houck had two goals for Vancouver while Brett Kulak, Carter Popoff, Trent Lofthouse and Tim Traber also found the net. Jared Rathjen made 21 saves in the win.

The Giants came out right off the opening face-off and scored 19 seconds into the game when Kulak beat Silvertips goalie Austin Lotz with a shot from the left point. Everett responded less than 30 seconds later as Joshua Winquist drove around Blake Orban down the right wing and made a nice move to the forehand before tucking the puck past Rathjen and into the net to tie the game. The 'Tips took the lead before the three-minute mark when Jujhar Khaira scored on a deflection after a long shot from Ben Betker.

Houck tied the game at 2-2 for Vancouver in the middle frame when he hammered a one-timer past Lotz after a nice feed from Travis McEvoy behind the net. Dalton Sward had a great opportunity to give the Giants the lead late in the period when he forced a turnover and skated in on a shorthanded breakaway, but Lotz stopped Sward's first attempt and kept the rebound out as well.

The G-Men took the lead in the first minute of the third when Popoff scored right off a face-off on the power play. Houck netted his second of the game before the midway mark, redirecting a centring pass from Cain Franson into the Everett net. Kohl Bauml pulled the 'Tips back to within one when he scored on the man advantage, but Lofthouse restored the two-goal lead for Vancouver with his fourth goal in the last four games, and Traber added an empty netter in the final minute.

The Giants now return home to host the Prince George Cougars on Sunday in their final game before the holiday break. The face-off is set for 5:00pm. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Jackson Houck - Vancouver
2. Carter Popoff - Vancouver
3. Jujhar Khaira - Everett

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.

Royals Come Back to Beat Giants

The Vancouver Giants conceded three goals in the third period to fall to the Victoria Royals by a score of 4-2 on Friday evening at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. Trace Elson and Cain Franson scored for Vancouver while Jared Rathjen made 22 saves in the loss.

Elson opened the scoring for Vancouver less than three minutes into the first when he deflected a Brett Kulak point shot past Patrik Polivka in the Victoria net to put the G-Men ahead. However, the Royals would equalize later in the period after Tim Traber was given a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct for a hit on Brandon Magee, and Magee came back to score on the ensuing power play. Rathjen came up big for the Giants late in the period when he stopped Magee on a breakaway to keep the game tied.

The Royals turned up the pressure in the first half of the second period and had a couple of opportunities to take the lead on the power play, but the Giants hung around and took the lead on a man advantage of their own when Kulak carried the puck down the left wing and feathered a pretty behind-the-back pass into the slot to Franson who buried his 12th goal of the year, extending his goal scoring streak to four games.

Prior to Friday's game, the Giants had not lost in regulation when leading after two periods, but the Royals would stage a comeback in the final frame. Ben Walker tied the game when he scored on a backhander, beating Rathjen on the blocker side. Taylor Crunk netted the eventual winner later in the period, and Magee would add an empty net goal in the final minute of the third to clinch the win for Victoria.

The two teams will get right back at it against each other on Saturday night in Victoria. Catch the play-by-play on TEAM 1040 and teamradio.ca. The Pre-Game Show begins at 6:30pm, followed by the opening face-off at 7 o'clock.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Brandon Magee - Victoria
2. Brett Kulak - Vancouver
3. Taylor Crunk - Victoria

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Royals

The Vancouver Giants (13-11-5-2) will visit the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Friday night for the first of three consecutive games against the Victoria Royals (19-11-0-1). The game will mark the third meeting between the teams this season. Each club has one victory thus far.

The G-Men continued their point streak on Wednesday with a 3-2 win over the Kootenay Ice at the Rink on Renfrew. The Vancouver club has now picked up points in 11 consecutive games, and the Giants sit seven points clear of the ninth place Prince George Cougars in the Western Conference standings. Cain Franson rippled the mesh on Wednesday, extending his goal-scoring streak to three games.

Entering Friday's game, the Royals have won nine of their last 11 games and sit in fourth in the Western Conference, six points up on the Giants. Victoria has been getting strong goaltending of late as 19-year-old Patrik Polivka has won five of his last six starts while 18-year-old Coleman Vollrath boasts both the best goals-against average (1.88) and save percentage (.942) in the WHL. Logan Nelson leads the Royals in scoring with 12 goals and 19 assists in 31 games.

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

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

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.

Vancouver Giants This Week: December 5, 2013

Click here to listen to this week's show.

Giants Ice Kootenay 3-2

Cain Franson had a goal and an assist to lead the Vancouver Giants to a 3-2 win over the Kootenay Ice at the Pacific Coliseum on Wednesday night. Jared Rathjen made 33 saves for Vancouver while the G-Men also got goals from Travis McEvoy and Jackson Houck. With the victory, the Giants are now 6-0-5 in their last 11 games.

The first period ended scoreless and didn't have much flow as there were a lot of whistles in the opening 20 minutes. Carter Popoff had the best chance for Vancouver in the early going when he was stopped from point-blank range by Ice goalie Mackenzie Skapski. Rathjen, who started between the pipes for Vancouver for the second night in a row, made his biggest save of the frame in the final minute as he robbed Levi Cable on a partial break.

Franson put the Giants ahead at 7:27 of the second period when he beat Skapski with a short-side backhander at the left post. With the goal, Franson extended his goal scoring streak to three games. The Ice would equalize later in the stanza when Jon Martin netted his seventh of the season on the power play after Austin Vetterl found him in the slot with a pass from below the goal line. McEvoy gave Vancouver the lead again with 0.1 of a second left on the clock in the middle frame when he hammered a puck across the line from the top of the crease, and after a video review, it was ruled that the puck entered the net before the end of the period.

The Ice came out hard to start the third and had a few early opportunities. Sam Reinhart was sprung in on a shorthanded breakaway but mishandled the puck and fell into the net, knocking it off its moorings, and Jaedon Descheneau was stopped by Rathjen on a point blank chance at the edge of the crease. Kootenay eventually tied the game when Austin Vetterl beat Rathjen on the man advantage, but the Giants responded when Houck tipped a Kulak point shot into the Kootenay net on the power play, and it stood up as the winner as the G-Men closed out the victory.

The Giants will now face the Victoria Royals for three games in a row. The first tilt between the BC Division rivals goes Friday night on the island. Catch the action on TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca at 7pm.

Game Summary

Highlights

3 Stars:
1. Cain Franson - Vancouver
2. Jared Rathjen - Vancouver
3. Jon Martin - Kootenay

Pre-Game Report: Giants vs. Ice

The Vancouver Giants (12-11-5-2) will host the Kootenay Ice (15-13-2-0) on Wednesday night at the Pacific Coliseum in the lone meeting of the regular season between the two teams. In their only meeting of the 2012-2013 season, the G-Men doubled the Ice 6-3.

Vancouver is coming off a disappointing loss in Kelowna on Tuesday night. The Giants led 3-2 in the final minute of the third period but went on to lose 4-3 in overtime. Vancouver has now gone 5-0-5 in its last 10 games and sits in eighth in the Western Conference, four points back of the Tri-City Americans. Cain Franson had a good outing for the Giants in the losing cause on Tuesday, finishing the night with two goals.

The Ice have lost back-to-back games heading into Wednesday's contest. Kootenay was beaten 5-1 by the Edmonton Oil Kings on Saturday and 3-0 by the Victoria Royals on Tuesday. Sam Reinhart, who was one of four BC natives invited to Team Canada's World Junior selection camp, leads the Ice in scoring with 16 goals and 30 assists in 30 games. Former Kamloops Blazer Tim Bozon has posted 15 points in 17 games since being traded to Kootenay.

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.)

G-Men Fall in OT to Rockets

The Kelowna Rockets tied the game in the final minute of the third period, just seconds after the Vancouver Giants had taken the lead, and won 4-3 in overtime on Tuesday night at Prospera Place. Damon Severson had the winner for the Rockets while Vancouver got two goals from Cain Franson and one marker from Alec Baer. With the OT loss, the G-Men extended their point streak to 10 games.

Neither team was able to score in the first, but both sides had golden opportunities to take the lead. Kelowna's best chance came early in the game when Tyson Baillie was sprung in on a breakaway, but Jared Rathjen made a confident save to keep the game scoreless. Ty Ronning nearly put the Giants ahead in the late stages of the period when he hammered a puck off the cross-bar from the slot, but it stayed out.

Baillie put the Rockets ahead in the second when he beat Rathjen with a hard one-timer from the slot after a nice pass from below the goal line from Cole Linaker. However, the Giants tied the game less than two minutes later when Franson netted his first of the evening, scoring on a long shot off the right wing that found its way through Kelowna goalie Jordon Cooke. Franson would give Vancouver the lead later in the stanza when he wired a hard wrister into the top left corner from the bottom of the left circle, popping the water bottle off Cooke's net in the process.

Kelowna tied the game just before the 12 minute mark of the third period when Colton Heffley found a puck in traffic in front of the net and scored with a backhander that got past Rathjen on the blocker side. Following the equalizer, the Rockets pushed hard for a go-ahead goal, generating a number of good chances, but Rathjen was equal to the task. Vancouver took a late lead with 37 seconds remaining when Baer calmly walked into the slot after faking out a Kelowna defender and fired the puck past Cooke. The Rockets had another comeback in them though as they pulled the goalie, and after a scramble in front of the goal, Ryan Olsen shovelled a rebound past Rathjen with 17 seconds left on the clock to send the game to overtime.

Severson scored the winning goal 2:36 into overtime when he forced a turnover in the Vancouver zone and walked into the slot before beating Rathjen with a deke to the back hand to end the game.

The Vancouver club now has a quick turnaround as the Giants will be back at the Coliseum on Wednesday night to host Sam Reinhart and the Kootenay Ice. The face-off is set for 7:00pm. Call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com for ticket information.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Jordon Cooke - Kelowna
2. Cain Franson - Vancouver
3. Tyson Baillie - Kelowna

Pre-Game Report: Giants at Rockets

The Vancouver Giants (12-11-4-2) will head to the Okanagan on Tuesday for their first meeting of the regular season with the Kelowna Rockets (19-3-0-2). The Rockets won seven of the eight meetings in the season series last year.

The Giants have been on a roll of late, going 5-0-3-1 in their last nine games. The line of Tim Traber, Thomas Foster and Dalton Sward has been lighting the lamp with frequency as well. Both Sward and Foster are on three game point streaks while Traber has points in his last two games including the game winning goal in Saturday's victory over the Prince George Cougars. Vancouver is 8-1-0-1 against BC Division teams this season.

Kelowna sits in first in the BC Division heading into Tuesday's action. The Rockets are on a three game winning streak and have picked up victories in 12 of their last 13 games. Despite their winning record, defenceman Madison Bowey is the only point-per-game player on the Kelowna club with 24 points in 24 games. However, the Rockets have six players with over 20 points on the season. Blue liner Damon Severson was one of nine WHL players named to the roster for Team Canada's World Junior camp on Monday.

Where: Prospera Place; Kelowna, BC

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

Listen: TEAM 1410 and teamradio.ca.