Defensemen Mason Geertsen (#44) and Brett Kulak (#2) stand in front of goaltender Jared Rathjen during the final weekend of WHL action. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
For the first time since their inaugural season in 2001-02, the Vancouver Giants find themselves on the outside looking in. While it’s tough for these young men to swallow right now, the Giants and their fans have enjoyed a remarkable run the past 12 years. They earned five consecutive BC Division banners from 2005-06 to 2009-10, and had at least 75 points every season between 2003-04 and 2011-12, including two Memorial Cup appearances (and one win). Numerous Giants alumni now pepper NHL rosters, including Milan Lucic, Cody Franson, Gilbert Brule, Jonathan Blum and now Brendan Gallagher.
On a star-studded night at the Pacific Coliseum, it was the Vancouver Giants second line that wrote the final script. Carter Popoff scored twice, including the overtime winner on a beautiful cross-body wrist shot, and the home side took a 5-4 decision over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes.
The shot you see below was the last shot of the game, as Popoff put the puck over the pad and below the blocker on Ty Rimmer. The Giants have now won three straight games for the first time this season.
In attendance for the game (besides Pucked in the Head loudmouth Jason Kurylo, who took this awesome photo if he does say so himself) were Hockey Hall of Fame players Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Dennis Hull, Marcel Dionne, Johnny Bower and broadcaster Jim Robson. Also in the building were a few guys with names like Orland Kurtenbach and Charlie Hodge. Oh, and Michael Bublé. You know, whoever that is supposed to be. Some famous cake delivery dude or something.
Vancouver Giants forward Carter Popoff continued his strong play of late, picking up two goals and an assist on Gordie Howe night at the Pacific Coliseum. This wrist shot provided the walk-off winner for the Giants, who have now won three games in a row for the first time this season. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Vancouver Giants goaltender Jared Rathjen stopped 34 of 37 shots en route to a 5-3 win over the mighty Kamloops Blazers, and was named the game’s first star. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The Vancouver Giants went into Kamloops with humble hopes Wednesday. Sure, they’d beaten the Seattle Thunderbirds 4-1 in their most complete game of the year just a few nights earlier, but the last time they met the Blazers — less than a week ago at the Pacific Coliseum — the visitors spanked the G-men 6-0. Kamloops dominated that game from whistle to whistle, often times without appearing to even try.
The Giants surprised everyone, then, with a hard-fought 5-3 win at the Interior Saving Centre. Perhaps even themselves. The victory marks the second time this season that the Giants have won consecutive games, and gave them their first points against Kamloops in seven tries. These two teams are separated by 51 points in the standings, making this a huge late-season confidence boost for the Giants.
Vancouver Giants forward Dalton Sward scored the first goal for the Giants in a 5-3 road win over the Kamloops Blazers. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Brendan Rouse scored twice in the win. Travis McEvoy, Cain Franson and Dalton Sward scored the other goals, while Carter Popoff added two assists for Vancouver. Blazer goals were scored by Joel Edmondson, Chase Souto and JC Lipon.
The next Giants game is on Friday, March 1 at the Pacific Coliseum at 7:30 versus the Lethbridge Hurricanes. The game will celebrate Gordie Howe’s 85th birthday, and in attendance will be former Vancouver Canucks captain Orland Kurtenbach as well as Hall of Famers Marcel Dionne, Bobby Hull, Dennis Hull, Johnny Bower and Mr Hockey himself, Gordie Howe. For more information, hit up www.vancouvergiants.com
Vancouver Giants defenseman Arvin Atwal lines up a point shot while sporting a commemorative #9 Gordie Howe Mr Hockey jersey. Atwal had an assist in the Giants 4-1 win over the Seattle Thunderbirds on February 25, 2013. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.The Vancouver Giants scored three times on the power play and but for one exception kept opposition pucks out of their own net on Sunday on their way to a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was a rare treat for more than 8,500 Sunday afternoon fans at the Pacific Coliseum, as the Giants have had little success this season in either of those areas.
Brett Kulak, Brendan Rouse and Cain Franson each had a goal and an assist, while goaltender Payton Lee stopped 23 of 24 shots to collect his 10th win of the year. Carter Popoff had the other goal for the Giants. Left winger Alexander Delnov scored the lone goal for the Thunderbirds, taking advantage of a two-man advantage in the second period.
More (including highlights) after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Vancouver defenseman Mason Geertsen was one of the few Giants to play with measurable spirit on Friday night, as the home side dropped a 6-0 decision to the Kamloops Blazer on a national Sportsnet broadcast. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
It was not the best of nights for Vancouver-area hockey fans. The Vancouver Giants, fresh off their most successful four-game stretch of the season — it speaks volumes that this step forward resulted in exactly one overtime win, two overtime losses and a regulation loss — put in a dismal performance at the Pacific Coliseum against a vastly superior Kamloops Blazers team.
The Abbotsford Heat returned to the AESC after a road trip that got them just one of a possible 10 points, and put up just one goal en route to a 5-1 loss to the Charlotte Checkers. And the Vancouver Canucks, full of healthy, award-winning forwards, relied on Roberto Luongo and Dale Weise to lull the Nashville Predators to sleep in a 1-0 snoozefest.
Prior to the game, many people in the Coliseum concourse could be heard discussing the Giants problems keeping the puck out of their own net to start games. Some quoted Don Hay’s post-game presser from a few weeks back, that the team aims to get through the first five minutes without allowing teams to open a lead. Then the puck dropped, and 10 seconds later it was 1-0 Kamloops Blazers.
More after the jump. Oh, and scroll to the very bottom of this post for a 2-for-1 coupon for the SFU Clan’s final two home games on February 23 and March 2. It’s top-notch college hockey, and you get two adults into Bill Copeland Arena for just five bucks a head.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Vancouver forward Riley Kieser encapsulates the Giants season as he picks himself up off the ice after being cross-checked in the face during the third period of a 5-1 loss to the Kelowna Rockets on February 1, 2013. He drew a penalty on the play, but the Giants were unable to capitalize with the man advantage. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The Vancouver Giants kicked off February much the same way they’ve spent every other month this season, with back-to-back losses to the Kelowna Rockets. Outscored by a combined score of 10-1 in the home-and-home series, the G-men continue to mess with a troublesome combination: they can’t score, and have trouble keeping pucks out of their own net.
In fact, no other team has given up as many goals as the Giants in 2012-13. They’ve allowed 229 goals in 53 outings, or 4.32 goals per game. Combine that with the fifth-worst offense — 142 goals, or 2.68 per game — and it’s a recipe for just 13 wins all season. Sitting squarely at the bottom of the Western Hockey League table, the Giants have been all but mathematically eliminated from the playoff race. With 19 games remaining, they sit 17 points out of a playoff spot in the WHL Western Conference. Keep in mind that this is a system that admits eight of ten teams into the post-season dance. This will be the first time the Giants don’t make the playoffs since their inaugural season in 2001-02.
One of the biggest problems for this year’s team is a lack of skill. It’s a roster full of pluggers — hey, that can be entertaining, if everyone works hard for 60 minutes, but the team has a predilection for mental lapses and facepalm-worthy errors on a nightly basis. Case in point, Kelowna’s first goal in the 5-1 loss on Friday night: just seconds into the game, first-pairing defenseman Mason Geertsen whiffed the puck inside the Giants blueline, right onto the stick of Rockets forward Cody Fowlie. In the blink of an eye, a pass went cross-crease to Tyrell Goulbourne, and BAM! Kelowna had an easy tap-in past a hapless Jared Rathjen in the Vancouver net. It’s a goal that would break a team’s back at the best of times, but in the opening two minutes of a home game? Killer.
Yes, this is a young team, but it’s the Western Hockey League. They’re all young teams.
More after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Vancouver Giants defenseman Brett Kulak had an assist in a losing cause as his team dropped a 5-3 decision to the visiting Kelowna Rockets on December 28, 2012. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The Vancouver Giants played an inspired second period against the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night, even managing to score twice on the power play, but it wasn’t enough. It’s becoming a familiar storyline this season, as the Giants were tied against the high-flying visitors after forty minutes, but surrendered two unanswered goals midway through the third for yet another loss. The Giants sit squarely in the Western Hockey League basement with 18 points in 35 games played.
More after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
After a rough start to the season, Liam Liston spent much of 2012 on the Vancouver Giants bench. Reports indicate that Liston has retired from competitive hockey on Boxing Day 2012. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Reports out of the Vancouver Giants camp today indicate that Liam Liston, a 19-year-old goaltender from St Albert, Alberta, has elected to retired from competitive hockey after a rough start to the 2012-13 season.
Liston was brought in from the Lethbridge Hurricanes during the off-season to be the number one goalie in Vancouver, but never found his footing. He gave up five goals on 17 shots in the season opener against the Victoria Royals, and put up similarly weak numbers in following games.
Details are few at this juncture, but in true Pucked in the Head fashion, there will be more after the jump anyway.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Irish (and Aussie) eyes were smiling — and wearing glorious Christmas sweaters — at the Pacific Coliseum on Friday night despite the Vancouver Giants dropping a 3-1 decision to the Swift Current Broncos. From left to right are Brian, Breanna, Claire, Emilia and Donal. (In case you’re wondering, the boys are from Ireland and the gals are from Australia. No, we don’t know if that’s legal. Extra props to Donal for that serious ginger beard.) Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
The Vancouver Giants suffered their eighth loss in nine games on Friday night, a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the visiting Swift Current Broncos. Despite some early chances for the home side, the Broncos were up 2-0 before the first period was half over.
Goal number one came on a bad bounce off of captain Wes Vannieuwenhuizen’s skate past Payton Lee. It was reminiscent of an early goal the Giants scored in Victoria just a few nights ago on the way to a 7-2 romp over the Royals.
Sadly for the 8,115 fans who stuffed the Pacific Coliseum on Friday, the Giants weren’t able to make it two in a row. In fact, the G-men’s only win since Remembrance Day came on the road, something that makes it hard to take full advantage of the NHL’s ridiculous, ongoing lockout. Thankfully, the crowd on Friday included not only the best-dressed fivesome in Pacific Coliseum history, which you see above, but also busloads of energetic students from a handful of schools across the Lower Mainland.
More after the jump.
Pucked in the Head is taking part in the 2013 Ride to Conquer Cancer. You can help us reach our fundraising goal by throwing a few bucks at our campaign, at http://www.conquercancer.ca/goto/jasonkurylo2013.
Anthony Ast is one of the Giants featured in the Teddy Bear Toss promo video, which the organization hopes will go viral before their December 14 game versus the Prince George Cougars. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Like a lot of organizations, the Vancouver Giants make important gestures to the charitable community throughout the year, and especially so at Christmas time. A great Xmas event is the Teddy Bear Toss, which takes place this year on December 14. Fans are invited to bring an unwrapped, new teddy bear (or other stuffed animal), and throw it onto the ice when the Giants score their first goal of the night. The toys are collected and donated to the Province Empty Stocking Fund for underprivileged children and the CKNW Orphans’ Fund — it’s a treat to be a part of, and an impressive display of generosity to see all those airborne bears.
