Surging Giants edge Rockets

Given the five-year history between the Kelowna Rockets and Vancouver Giants, a period dominated by Kelowna in the win column, it might be hard to fathom tonight’s tilt at the Langley Events Centre could have been promoted as a battle for first place in the B.C. Division.

Sure, the Giants entered the affair three points behind the Rockets in the standings, but the fact Vancouver has a winning percentage above .600 this season is undoubtedly “the story” among Western Conference teams this season.

The Giants recent run, 7-1-2 in its prior ten, including an unbeaten streak of 6-0-2, has made the entire WHL take pause. In fact, the Giants have lost only once in its last 17 games.

Coming off a game the night before in Seattle where the Rockets scored four times with the man advantage, the Giants managed to shut down the Kelowna power-play on the night, including three straight occasions in the first period.

Connor Bruggen-Cate

After a scoreless first frame, Kelowna pressed early in the second and took a 1-0 lead at 3:50. Kole Lind and Kyle Topping went hard on the forecheck behind the Giants net and won the puck battle. Lind sifted a quick pass out front to Connor Bruggen-Cate and the 18-year-old from Langley drilled a shot past David Tendeck from the hash marks. It was his 10th of the season and fourth in his last six games.

The Giants turned the tide midway through the period when Owen Hardy beat James Porter in the Rockets goal at 10:12 with Dawson Holt and James Malm drawing assists. For Malm, the assists extended his point-scoring streak to nine straight games.

Ty Ronning

Just 1:12 later, the Giants took a 2-1 lead when Ty Ronning brought the crowd to its feet with a nifty individual effort, lifting a backhand over Porter’s shoulder for his 40th of the season. Ronning is the second WHLer to reach the 40-goal plateau this season behind Jayden Halbgewachs (47) of the Moose Jaw Warriors.

Early in the third period, the Rockets tied the game with the aid of some good fortune. Carsen Twarynski moved the puck in front of the Vancouver goal to Cal Foote, who could not control the puck. Leif Mattson nudged the puck toward the goal and it deflected in off a Giants defender.

James Malm

Vancouver would move ahead 3-2 at 8:35 – taking a lead they would not relinquish.

Holt took a long stretch pass from Davis Koch and moved the puck to Malm who deposited his 17th of the season back-door behind Porter. It was Koch’s first game with the Giants since the Surrey-born forward came over from the Edmonton Oil Kings at the trade deadline.

Ice Chips…Announced attendance was 4,753…The Rockets outshot the Giants, 30-26…Vancouver went 1/2 on the power play while Kelowna was 0/3…Three stars were Malm, Tendeck and Twarynski…The Rockets scratched key forwards Dillon Dube (flu) and Erik Gardiner (concussion). The Giants played without defenceman Darian Skeoch and forward Milos Roman…The teams met three times prior to this evening – all games were in November with the Rockets winning twice. After tonight’s contest, the teams will meet four more time with three of the games scheduled for the final two weeks of the regular season…Next up for Kelowna is a home game against the Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday night. The Giants are off until Friday, when they host the Victoria Royals.

B.C. Division Update
Kelowna is now 27-13-2-1 on the season, good for 57 points and first place in the division.

With the win, Vancouver is now 25-14-4-2, good for 56 points. They are 13-7-1 at home.

The Victoria Royals (24-16-3-1) overcame a 3-0 first period deficit and knocked off the Kamloops Blazers (18-21-1-2), 5-4 tonight stay just two points behind the Giants.

The Prince George Cougars (17-20-4-3) defeated the Tri City Americans, 5-2.

Broadcast Note
A bold prediction by Giants veteran radio colour analyst, Bill Wilms, who suggested during the broadcast that both Bowen Byram (Vancouver) and Nolan Foote (Kelowna) would be top-15 selections at the 2019 NHL Draft. It would difficult to disagree.