Rob Wilton
B.C. Division, WHL Playoffs

Giants are coming in hot over beaming Blazers

Written by Giancarlo Nadeau on

 

Round 2 is here, and the Vancouver Giants will get a taste of it tonight! Friday, May 6 marks the first game of a best of seven series against the B.C. Division leaders in the Kamloops Blazers (48-17-3-0, 99PTS). It will also be the first time Vancouver will have played a post-season game against Kamloops since the 2010 WHL Playoffs when the Giants swept the Blazers in the first round. 

Vancouver’s Justin Lies (white) and Kamloops Blazer Daylan Kueffler (blue) line up for a faceoff. Photo: Rob Wilton

The Giants have the Blazers to thank for their first-ever franchise playoff victory and ultimate first-ever franchise round victory dating back to the 2004 WHL Playoffs when the G-men put out the Blazers in five games before being tipped by Everett the following round in six contests. Vancouver has prevailed in both playoff rounds that they have played in over Kamloops including another first-round victory and sweep in the 2010 playoffs. That 2010 Giants team went all the way to the third round of the playoffs before losing in six games to Tri-City. Vancouver’s 2010 playoff team included players, such as Brendan Gallagher (F), Craig Cunningham (F), Dalton Sward (F), Matt Bellerive (F), Kevin Connauton (D), and Mark Segal (G).

Vancouver broke and set many franchise and league records in their six-game triumph over the Silvertips and beating the top team in the Western Conference as the last-placed team in the WHL Playoffs was one of those records. NHL prospects Zack Ostapchuk (3G-13A-16PTS), Fabian Lysell (4G-11A-15PTS), and Alex Cotton (4G-9A-13PTS) led the Giants in points helping Vancouver outscore Everett 30-26 in the first round. Zack Ostapchuk, the leader on the stats sheet and Captain of the team, also led the WHL in points through the first round of playoffs. Ostapchuk had four multi-point nights in the first round including a six-point night, 2 goals, and four assists, in Game 4 becoming the first Giants player to score 6 points in a playoff game since Gilbert Brule in 2006 against the Moose Jaw Warriors. Ostapchuk will be looked upon once again in the upcoming round.

At the other end, Kamloops turned up the heat and defeated the Spokane Chiefs in four games to move to the second round for the first time since the 2013 playoffs. Kamloops was on fire as they clocked 23 goals and only allowed three against Spokane. Logan Stankoven had points on 13 of his team’s 23 goals throughout the first round picking up seven goals and 6 assists. Luke Toporowski (5G-5A-10PTS), and Caedan Bankier (1G-5A-6PTS) rounded up the top three scores for Kamloops during their first-round victory. Logan Stankoven and Giants forward Adam Hall are tied for 1st in playoff goals with seven. 

The Blazers and Giants get set to battle for the third time in the post-season on Friday, May 6 followed by a contest the following night on Saturday, May 7 with the Blazers hosting the first two games. Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10 with Game 4 set for Thursday, May 12.

Vancouver is hoping to build on their first-round success which included their top players firing on all cylinders and their star goaltender, Jesper Vikman, standing tall between the crease in the second round.