The good news: the offensively-challenged Vancouver Giants scored five times against the stingiest defense in the WHL. The bad news: the Portland Winterhawks scored nine goals themselves, catapulting Vancouver into the league’s worst goals-against position and embarrassing the G-men in front of 7,318 fans who packed the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night.
Portland Winterhawks captain Troy Rutkowski got an assist, but somehow managed to notch a -3 on the night, as his team trounced the Vancouver Giants 9-5 in WHL action November 9. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
It’s not an altogether surprising result: the Winterhawks have lost just three games in regulation this year, and sit tied for second in the W with the Eastern Conference-leading Calgary Hitmen. They came into the game riding a nine-game win streak, where the Giants were considering a 3-3 split in their last six games a moral victory. On paper, then, Portland should win this game.
After more than three years in Vancouver, David Musil has celebrated his last goal in a Giants uniform. He was traded to the Edmonton Oil Kings on Hallowe’en day. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Hallowe’en brought tricks and treats to the Vancouver Giants this year. The treat: the G-men finally got some points on the road — a dramatic 4-3 shoot-out win over the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The two points came just days after beating the Victoria Royals for the first time in four tries this season.
The trick: the week also saw them move their top defenseman, David Musil, to the Edmonton Oil Kings for Mason Geertsen and a first-round pick in next year’s bantam draft. Musil has been one of the few consistent performers so far this year, collecting 8 points in 14 games and managing a respectable zero in the +/- department on a team that has far more players in the red than in the black.
Sixteen-year-old Payton Lee collected his first win of the season in a 4-1 win over the Victoria Royals on October 26. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
After 12 games, the Vancouver Giants are off to what you might call a rough start. At 3-9, the team sits in the cellar of the Western Hockey League standings, and has the league’s second-worst goals for total. Goaltending has troubled the G-men, certainly, with third-year player Liam Liston already doing his best Dan Cloutier impression to earn a spot on the bench behind a couple of 16-year-olds. But it’s another set of stats that is probably to blame for Vancouver’s slow start: special teams.
Third-year forward Marek Tvrdon finally scored his first goal of the season the other night. With that monkey off his back, he relaxed his way to a four-point night, including a hat trick, to lead the Giants to a 4-1 win over the visiting Victoria Royals. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Coming into Friday night’s hockey game, a lot of people were talking about #17 on the Victoria Royals roster. And deservedly so. With 18 points in 14 games, Alex Gogolev is one of the top scorers in the WHL. His fluid skating style and flashy puckhandling make him a threat every time he steps on the ice.
But it was the Vancouver Giants #17 who stole the show this night. Marek Tvrdon quadrupled his goal total for the season, notching a hat trick and adding an assist to help the Giants to just their third win of the season.
I said it in our last podcast: to all of those people crying “There is no hockey”, I call you on your bullshit. Our Victoria puckheadAdrian Charlie is putting together a little rundown of some options y’all have to quench your thirst for icy fast goodness. First up, the American Hockey League.
“The dirty little secret of Canada… Canada isn’t a hockey country, it’s an NHL country.”
— Chris Withers(Jason’s note: “That Withers bastard always steals my stuff.”)
The Abbotsford Heat and Peoria Rivermen are just two AHL teams that offer top-tier puck for a fraction of the cost of NHL games. In any given year, this league features solid, fast, entertaining hockey. This year it also features loads of the NHL’s younger players, such as the Oilers Kid LIne. This image (taken by Amy Williams) was stolen gratuitously from the Rivermen website: http://www.rivermen.net/schedule/46-abbotsford-heat-peoria-rivermen/
by Adrian Charlie
Far too many fans have uttered, “I miss hockey.” I ask why? There are loads of worthy, quality hockey games. Everywhere. These posts are inspired by my own need to seek high quality hockey with a focus on Vancouver/Victoria. Of course, you’re not so limited. There are several well-represented hockey leagues underway across Canada and the USA — but even if you’re not in one of these cities, you’ve got minor hockey, college hockey, women’s hockey, hell even roller hockey someplace nearby. Most of them are either free or embarrassingly close to it.
And let’s not stop there. How about finding a community rink, strapping on some blades and going for a skate your bad self? Don’t let Gary Bettman and Donald Fehr steal your game from you.
Yeah, yeah, I know: my headline is weak. Fine. YOU write the next one.
by Jason Kurylo
When you watch the Vancouver Giants from afar — or any other junior hockey team, for that matter — it’s hard to remember that a lot of these players are still teenagers. They play a fast game, they skate relentlessly, and more often than not, WHL teams pound the bejesus out of each other out there. It’s only when you sit close to the glass and see the peach fuzz and acne up close that it hits home.
Third-year forward Marek Tvrdon (#17, right) is still looking for his first goal of the campaign, but don’t let the baby face fool you. This 19-year-old is 6’2″ and 217 pounds, and skates faster than an appropriate metaphor for quickness. He was good for 74 points in 60 games last year, and this night he collected two assists as his Giants shellacked the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-1. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head (yeah, I know it’s not perfect, but Tvrdon’s in focus — do you have any idea how hard it is to shoot action photos of hockey?).
Alex Gogolev scored the dramatic game-tying goal to send the Victoria Royals on to a 4-3 overtime win over Marek Langhamer and the Medicine Hat Tigers. Photo courtesy of Jon Howe – Victoria Royals
Our Victoria correspondent Adrian Charlie took time away from his film review schedule to hit his second Royals game of the young season. He was treated to a Royal drama in three acts: a dismal start, a furious parry from the homeside, and the excitement of overtime to top it all off.
This is the only time the Tigers visit Victoria during the regular season. Both clubs entered the game with identical records (3-1-0), the Tigers on a three-game winning streak, the Royals looking to bounce back after their first loss. The Tigers have the WHL Player of the Week on their side: Calgarian prospect Hunter Shinkaruk had two goals and five assists in his first four games of the season.
The Tigers came flying out of the gate early, Trevor Cox netting the first goal on the game’s first shot. Through much of the first period the visitors displayed a stingy forecheck, controlling the neutral zone with ease. Cox added a PPG to put the Tigers up 2-0 going into the second period. At this point the Royals were scoreless in four consecutive periods.
Early in the second, the Royals applied pressure, setting up deep in the offensive zone. Marek Langhamer (Phoenix Coyotes draftee) demonstrated great vision, making saves through heavy traffic.
At the 13:44 mark, Elgin Pearce fed a streaking Shinkaruk who placed a gorgeous snap shot high blocker side on Polivka, extending the Tigers lead 3-0. Two minutes later Jamie Crooks put the Royals on the scoreboard with a hard-working effort, tapping the puck in after a blocked pass by a sprawling Tiger defender. At the 19:34 mark the Royals went on a late power play. The Royals won the faceoff, set up traffic and Magee scored a PPG, deflecting a Stahl slapshot from the blue line. With momentum on their side the Royals entered the third period down 3-2.
Halfway through the third, Crooks attempted to dangle past Spenser Jensen. Jensen drove Crooks hard into the boards, knocking Crooks’ visor off. Crooks looked gassed as he skated to the bench, but he stayed in the game.
With six minutes left Langhamer put on a goaltending clinic under siege. In quick succession the Royals forwards forced the Medicine Hat goalie to make four impressive pad saves.
With two minutes left in the game, Royals coach Lowry pulled Polivka. Gogolev tied the game after a silky cross-crease pass from Ben Walker. A roaring crowd of 4,055 stood on their feet as the buzzer sounded, the game tied 3-3 after regulation.
Logan Nelson carried the puck from the right wing with speed, his wraparound foiled by a Tigers defender. The puck was loose in front of the net, Royals defender Brett Cote pinched up and scored the GWG, his second goal of the season. Once again the crowd stood on their feet. The Royals scored 4 unanswered goals. There’s nothing like a come from behind win!
Post-Game Notes:
“Hardest Working Player of the Game” – Austin Carroll (VIC)
Tyler Fuhr took over the third period against the woeful Everett Silvertips when Liam Liston allowed four goals on just 13 shots. Photo shamelessly stolen from The Province newspaper online.
The Vancouver Giants got their first two points of the season Sunday, a 3-2 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs, thanks in large part to rookie netminder Tyler Fuhr.He allowed two goals on 15 shots — both inside-out dekes on the PK that he can hardly be faulted for — but stopped every puck he should have. Tonight, Fuhr even made a save or two he probably shouldn’t have, including a dramatic pad stop with seconds left to preserve the win. That’s something the Giants haven’t seen early this season, as Liam Liston has posted a disappointing .774 save percentage in his three starts thus far.
As many of you know, I vowed to follow the Belfast Giants this season as my personal snub of Gary Bettman and his travelling shit show insistence upon another NHL lockout. Instead of writing substandard game recaps from afar, I’ve enlisted Giants seasons ticket holder Jim Doran to give us first hand reports from the capital of Northern Ireland. This is his second report for the 2012-13 season — the first can be read here.
This season has seen the league spilt into two conferences for the first time. The four Scottish teams along with Hull comprise the Gardiner Conference, with the Giants joining the Steelers, Blaze, Panthers and Devils in the Erhardt Conference. The new format sees each club play teams in their own conference eight times during the season (four home / four away) and play the teams in the opposing conference four times (twice home / twice away). Continue reading Belfast Giants yet to lose a regulation league game→
At the Victoria Royals home opener Adrian Charlie met a real estate agent by the name of Mark Donnelly. One can only assume he doesn’t wear the cummerbund during open houses. Anyway, this Donnelly fella apparently sings anthems for a hockey team or two in his spare time. Photo courtesy of Adrian Charlie.
Well, I was wrong. After letting in 5 goals on 17 shots in Friday’s opening night loss at the Pacific Coliseum, Giants goaltender Liam Liston did not ride the bench in the next day’s rematch. He performed better, but got the same result: a loss to the Victoria Royals. Pucked in the Head’s new friend Adrian Charlie (@Adrian_Charlie on the Twitter) was in the building, and offers this game recap:
Victoria Royals 3, Vancouver Giants 2 – September 22, 2012
by Adrian Charlie
The Victoria Royals played host to the Vancouver Giants on Saturday in the team’s home opener. The Royals carried momentum going into their second game of the season after defeating those same Giants 6-4 the night before.
