Articles, Hockey

Giants tame Tigers

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?).

So perhaps age has something to do with the fact that the Vancouver Giants haven’t really found themselves yet this young season. Friday night was the first full 60 minutes they’ve played as a team this season, and it showed on the scoresheet as they pummelled the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-1.

It was a good response to the 7-0 loss they suffered at the hands of the Kelowna Rockets just two days before — a game that saw them down 2-0 after 40 minutes despite outshooting the Rockets 19-12. A few third-period penalties coupled with goaltender Liam Liston’s fourth consecutive poor outing gave the Giants a long bus ride of shame back down to Vancouver. They had to come out hungry against the Tigers, or they’d be bag skating for weeks to come.

Luckily for the Giants, they struck early and often against Medicine Hat with three goals on eight shots, chasing starting goaltender Marek Langhamer just five minutes into the game. To his defence, Langhamer couldn’t really be blamed for any of the goals — two of them, including Riley Kieser’s first of the season just 48 seconds in, were bang-bang rebound plays, and the third was a wicked Cain Franson wrister on the power play.

Tyler Fuhr has been impressive. The 17-year-old has won his first two WHL starts, the only two games the Giants have won this season. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.

 

 

The Tigers didn’t have a chance to respond to the switch in the crease. Vancouver came at them in waves, creating with the puck and hustling without it, playing the type of game that people expect from Don Hay’s teams. Even when the Tigers managed a quality scoring chance, rookie Tyler Fuhr was solid — dare I say again that Hay can’t possibly start Liam Liston next game? Fuhr’s strong side-to-side coverage of the net and quick legpads frustrated Medicine Hat shooters all night, and he stopped 20 of 21 saves overall.

Giants leading scorer Jackson Houck potted the fourth goal for the homeside before the end of the first, while Tristan Sieben and Nathan Burns scored 14 seconds apart early in the third to salt away the Giants second win of the year.

The Giants outshot the Tigers 34-21 in a performance that should bolster a few players’ confidence moving forward in the schedule.

Attendance was announced as 5,541, but it looked like a lot fewer bums in seats to this fella.This is real, live hockey that doesn’t lock out and guarantees not a single appearance of Gary Bettman or Donald Fehr. Tickets start at 19 bucks! The players may be teens, but that doesn’t excuse you from being flaky. Get out to games, people.

The Victoria Royals look to make it three straight wins over the G-men on Sunday in a 4 pm afternoon game, then the Seattle Thunderbirds come to town on Friday, October 12 at 7:30. Whichever team you cheer for, support junior hockey!