All posts by Jason Kurylo

Articles, Hockey

Goals Goals Goals!

Vancouver forward Dalton Sward collected an assist as the Giants doubled up on the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 on Saturday night. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Vancouver forward Dalton Sward collected an assist as the Giants doubled up on the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-3 on Saturday night. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

We at Pucked in the Head encourage you to play the Mötley Crüe’s Girls Girls Girls at full volume during this post. We would have recorded a hockey version, but Harrison Mooney was busy mixing his Christmas album.

Vancouver was awash in red lights Saturday as the Giants and Canucks collectively exploded for a dozen goals in a single night. These are teams that have moved in opposite directions in the standings of late. The Canucks had lost five straight, scoring just six goals in that span. The Giants, on the other hand, had picked up points in six consecutive games. (In fact, since a disastrous 1-9 start to the season, the Giants have gone 10–4–3.) Their 6–3 win over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds, coming on the strength of a four-goal second period, was their fourth home win in a row, and brought them to a .500 record for the first time in recent memory.

Jared Rathjen earned his third win of the season, stopping 24 of 27 shots; at the other end, Danny Mumaugh allowed five goals on 31 shots and was chased after forty minutes. Trace Elson scored his first career WHL goal, and completed the Gordie Howe hat trick with a first period fight and an assist in the third.

More after the break. 

Continue reading Goals Goals Goals! →

Uncategorized

Giants deliver perfect weekend at the Coliseum

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The Vancouver Giants picked up all four points available this weekend, earning home wins in back-to-back games at the Pacific Coliseum.

First-overall pick and overall wunderkind Tyler Benson tries to stuff a puck home past Tri-City Americans goaltender Eric Comrie. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
First-overall pick and overall wunderkind Tyler Benson tries to stuff a puck home past Tri-City Americans goaltender Eric Comrie. He didn’t score on the play, but he was a major factor in Tyler Morrison scoring his third of the season, and his Giants won the game 5-2. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Canuck faithful came out on Friday night to see draft pick Hunter Shinkaruk, the captain of the Medicine Hat Tigers. But it was Saturday’s WHL debut of Tyler Benson, the top pick in last summer’s Bantam draft, that garnered the most attention.

Benson didn’t factor in the scoring, but he took a regular shift on the third line and did not look out of place skating against players four years his senior.

More to come, including pictures of four players with some serious hockey pedigree, but right now I need some shuteye before crushing the UBC Fall Classic in the morning.

Check out the WHL game summary here.

Hit up the game highlights here.

Articles, Soccer

Darren, Darren, Darren…

When Whitecaps striker Darren Mattocks plays at his best, he has some of the fastest feet in Major League Soccer. Less than 48 hours after landing in Jamaica for the off-season, he ran off his mouth on a television program called Soccer GPS, blaming Martin Rennie for both his own lacklustre play this season and the team’s failure to make the playoffs.

Forward Darren Mattocks was one of the few Whitecaps to resort to blatant simulation on the pitch this season. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Forward Darren Mattocks was one of the few Whitecaps to resort to blatant simulation on the pitch this season. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

“When Darren lead [sic] the team as a rookie, Vancouver was in the playoffs, right?” Yes, Mattocks referred to himself in the third person throughout the interview. It gets better. “In my second season, the coach have me on the bench the majority of the season. We couldn’t agree. The player who lead the MLS in scoring played for Vancouver, couldn’t put them in the playoffs. So you read between the lines.”

Let’s not forget, last Christmas Mattocks predicted it would be him, not Camilo, who would score 20 goals this season.

More after the jump.

Continue reading Darren, Darren, Darren… →

Articles, Hockey

Congrats to Reto Berra

Props to rookie goaltender Reto Berra, who picked up a win in his very first NHL start, in overtime over the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks no less. He made 42 saves on 44 shots — that’s a .955 save percentage, earned against the likes of Marian Hossa, Patrick Kane, Patrick Sharp and Jonathan Toews.

Not too shabby, Mr Berra. Keep that up, and something tells me this Abbotsford Heat paint job might need a flaming C or two thereupon.

Abbotsford Heat goaltender Reto Berra looks at his options as he plays the puck during AHL action. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Abbotsford Heat goaltender Reto Berra looks at his options as he plays the puck during AHL action. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Highlights of his win after the jump.

Continue reading Congrats to Reto Berra →

Articles, Hockey

Giants sock it to the Hitmen

The Vancouver Giants came out swinging in the first period, then held on for a gritty 4-3 overtime win over Calgary Wednesday night. In the first period, Hitmen goaltender Chris Driedger didn’t look much like the young man who stopped 38 of 39 shots to gift his team a 2-1 win over Kelowna on Tuesday night. He was beaten three times in the first period, including once on a spectacular dangle by rookie Alec Baer.

Forward Alec Baer scored a beauty midway through the first period en route to a 4-3 win for the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head
Forward Alec Baer scored a beauty midway through the first period en route to a 4-3 win for the Vancouver Giants on Wednesday. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

He wouldn’t allow another puck past him until 2:04 of overtime, however, when Tim Traber swept home a rebound to seal just the third win of the season for the Giants.

More after the jump.

Continue reading Giants sock it to the Hitmen →

Articles, Hockey

Giants bump the slump with 5-1 win

They say the first game home after a road trip is the hardest game to play. The Vancouver Giants put the spurs to that urban legend Friday night, spanking the Kamloops Blazers 5-1 at the Pacific Coliseum to end an eight-game losing streak. The majority of that stretch came during a brutal road trek that included six games in six cities in eight nights. Let’s not forget that in the Dub, all of those klicks are logged by bus — it was a two-day jaunt from Vancouver just to reach the first game in Brandon, Manitoba.

Vancouver Giants defenseman Brett Kulak delivered a dominant performance in a 5-1 win over the Kamloops Blazers, scoring once and adding two assists. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Vancouver Giants defenseman Brett Kulak delivered a dominant performance in a 5-1 win over the Kamloops Blazers, scoring once and adding two assists. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

The G-men had been outscored 36-15 since their last win on September 21. A game against the 4-7 Blazers was just what the doctor ordered, then, as the Giants desperately needed a win to put a little wind in their sails in the still-young season.

They came out gunning, jumping out to a 1-0 just 2:20 into the game. The Giants would score early in each period, and overall outshot the Blazers 38-24 in the win. Calgary Flames prospect Brett Kulak scored once and added two helpers to become the team’s top scorer this season. Kulak now has two goals and eight points in 11 games played.

More after the jump.

Continue reading Giants bump the slump with 5-1 win →

Articles, Hockey

Somebody Approved This: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Retro Jersey

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The hideous runs so wide and so deep in this maroon disaster, not even Teemu Selanne can cleanse my eye sockets. Photo stolen from ducks.nhl.com
The hideous runs so wide and so deep in this maroon disaster, not even Teemu Selanne can cleanse my eye sockets. Photo stolen from ducks.nhl.com

In an age of hyper marketing, intense competition and tightly controlled PR, it’s amazing that truly horrible ideas can still make it past the brainstorming stage. Whether it’s the nightmare of design by committee or just a conflagration of mediocre talents pulling the wool over the eyes of out of touch rich CEOs, we occasionally see awful designs rolled out in an underwhelming explosion of anticlimax. Today, we analyze the most recent NHL obscenity with the resurrection of Somebody Approved This.

One month ago today, the Anaheim Ducks warned the world that they hated us all. Instead of disconnecting our cable, building shelters and indiscriminately hooking up with old flames, it seems that hundreds of people instead lined up to purchase a retro maroon Mighty Ducks of Anaheim jersey. You say you don’t remember, but you do: it’s the one replete with angled grey stripes and Disney’s duck-faced Jason mask.

During tonight’s game against the Ottawa Senators, the Ducks will wear these abomaroonations, play early 90s music, and charge just 93 cents for popcorn, candy and soft drinks. That’s right, folks, today you can look bad, sound worse and develop type two diabetes — all for a single greenback!

More, including the always-entertaining Withers Haiku, after the break. Continue reading Somebody Approved This: Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Retro Jersey →

Articles, Hockey, Uncategorized

Three out of four ain’t bad

Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur poses with his Spawn Toys likeness during the Abbotsford Heat home opener Friday night. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur poses with his Spawn Toys likeness during the Abbotsford Heat home opener Friday night. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

The Abbotsford Heat took three of a possible four points in their home opening weekend, splitting extra time results with the Milwaukee Admirals on Friday and Saturday nights.

Six-foot four goaltender Reto Berra backed the Heat to a 3–2 decision on Friday, thanking Corban Knight for ending things 1:58 into overtime. In turn, the Admirals rode 6’5″ netminder Magnus Hellberg to a 2–1 shootout win on Saturday.

It was a familiar refrain of sorts of the Heat, who spent much of last season splitting double headers they probably should have taken outright. The Heat came out of the second intermission on a mission, breaking the zero-zero tie just 41 seconds into the third on Roman Horak’s first of the season. They carried the play for most of the period, but squandered consecutive power plays before giving up a late tying goal against the flow of play. It marked the second game in a row the Heat led going into the final six minutes of play but were unable to hold on for a regulation win.

Hockey Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur was in attendance Friday, shaking hands and signing hundreds of autographs; he is the latest in the Heat’s lineup of Hockey Legends to visit the Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Centre. The Man Who Scored The Goal That Sank Don Cherry’s Coaching Career looked great, and was great with the adoring fans who lined the stairwells for a moment with monsieur Lafleur and his blue Sharpie.

Unfortunately the Flower wasn’t enough to bring more people through the turnstyles. More than half the rink was empty for opening night, and game #2? Well, you can see for yourself:

Saturday's official attendance: 1,814. Saturday's actual attendance: judge for yourself. Weak iPhone panorama by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Saturday’s official attendance: 1,814. Saturday’s actual attendance: judge for yourself. (Hint: there were nearly as many people on the benches as there were in the stands.) Weak iPhone panorama by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

More pictures and game highlights after the jump.

Continue reading Three out of four ain’t bad →

Articles, Soccer

Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Portland Timbers 2

If it seems the Whitecaps have been playing must-win games for pretty much the entire 2013 season, it’s only because it’s true. The MLS Western Conference is, to quote Roger Waters, as tight as a funeral drum. Sadly for Vancouver soccer fans, that’s exactly what the Southsiders might as well be beating after the club has taken just six points out of a possible 24 since mid-August.

Sunday’s 2-2 draw with the Portland Timbers offered wonderful entertainment — not least of which was Camilo’s world-class scissor kick strike in the 78th minute to draw the homeside even — but leaves Vancouver six points below the playoff bar with just three games remaining in the regular season.

Camilo scored on a spectacular side scissor kick to pull Vancouver Whitecaps FC even with the Portland Timbers in MLS action October 9, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Camilo scored on a spectacular side scissor kick to pull Vancouver Whitecaps FC even with the Portland Timbers in MLS action October 9, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

Continue reading Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2, Portland Timbers 2 →

Articles, Hockey

Just saying

Three things:

1) The Vancouver Canucks have started their season with a loss. Please refer to the last three years’ opening week articles about how this team will be just fine, and that we shouldn’t judge them based on the first ten games of the season.

2) Inside info from someone in the Abbotsford Heat organization (someone who doesn’t blow smoke unnecessarily): “This team has more talent, more passion and more speed than last year’s team. It’s going to be an exciting year in Abbotsford.” Listen to Heat games live on CIVL Radio or at 101.7 when you’re out in the valley. Schedule here.

3) Just saying:

Miley the Cat