The first place Vancouver Giants (16-6-2-0) faced off against the ever so sharp Saskatoon Blades (15-8-2-0) in a mid-week inter-conference match up. The game had a quick start but saw improving defense as the game went on.
It wasn’t the start that the Giants’ hoped to have going down 2-0 less than ten minutes into the first period. The Giants’ came out with some sloppy defense and left David Tendeck helpless for the better part of the first. Saskatoon’s leading scorer Kirby Dach showed just how dangerous he is when he put the Blades up 1-0 from the bottom of the face off circle sniping the puck over Tendeck’s shoulder at a near impossible angle.
The Blades just kept coming as Josh Patterson made the best of a failed wrap around play to shovel the puck in for his seventh of the season, and to put the Blades up by two.
It was then that we went to play 4-on-4, and the flood gates seemed to open for both clubs.
Vancouver finally managed to get some offensive chances, and some bounces. Jared Dmytriw collected the puck after a Dylan Plouffe shot that never made it on net and then threw the puck in front for Owen Hardy. Hardy wasn’t able to get any of his stick on the puck, instead managing to direct it in off of his skate blade. The goal went under review for a long time, and left everyone in the building wondering if they were going to disallow it because of a potential kicking motion, but in the end the goal was allowed and the hometown fans had something cheer about.
Not for long though, as 59 seconds later Max Gerlach was left unattended in front of the net, and made no mistake to light the lamp when a Dawson Davidson pass found his stick. The Blades continued to lead for the rest of the frame, 3-1 with both teams clamping down a little bit after a wild stretch of trading goals.
The second period definitely showed a change of pace for Vancouver who seemed to lack that little bit of offensive jump they normally have. Luckily, the G-men were awarded a powerplay a minute and a half into the second stanza. The Giants’ took full advantage of the extra man as Milos Roman and Davis Koch made a bang bang play to close the Stoon lead down to one.
Saskatoon then started some bad transition play of their own, seemingly trying to top the Giants’ bad play in the first. Just an innocent breakout play gone wrong after a neutral zone turnover was gobbled up by Vancouver. Evan Patrician took off the training wheels and went flying down the wing burning past Brandon Schuldhaus and taking the puck to the net, where Aidan Barfoot found the loose puck in a scramble play, and set off the goal horn in the LEC for his first of the season.
This was indeed the Richmond native’s first game since September after suffering an early season injury. Barfoot played 47 games last season mustering up five goals, and two assists in his rookie season in the WHL.
Just like that, we were all square at three goals a piece
Some late Black Friday gifts perhaps then came for the Blades, as Vancouver took some undisciplined penalties. First Bowen Byram tried to throw a nasty hip check at centre ice which found him leaving the ice for interference. Secondly, Kirby Dach was tripped at the point to send another defenseman off the ice for Vancouver in Dylan Plouffe.
After some good penalty killing by the home squad, the Giants found themselves tied after 40.
The Giants must’ve shared some extra special Gatorade because the boys came back out for the third flying. It was almost like the Giants fans were used to seeing had come back!
Just over three minutes into the 3rd frame, the Giants found themselves on another powerplay, and also found themselves not needing the full powerplay to put the fans to their feet in Langley. After a set-up that almost looked easy by Bowen Byram, his fellow teammate Milos Roman managed to avoid the sweeping pad of Stoon goaltender Nolan Maier to put the big guys up 4-3.
Saskatoon came right back with a push back effort of their own, but to no avail as the Giants’ PK came up large once again, and David Tendeck shut the door for the remainder of regulation. To leave the Blades at 1-1 on their BC Division road swing.
The Giants powerplay went 2-for-3 on the night, making them a combined 5-for-14 (35.7%) in their last three games.
Giant’s defenseman Dylan Plouffe commented on the team’s first period by saying “we know the way we can play, and the way we should be playing and that wasn’t the first 20 for us”
Giants’ Head Coach Michael Dyck added Post-Game “the first period we were individual and slow, the second and third we were fast and played like a team”
When asked about the recent success of the power play, Dyck added “they’re working together, they’re playing faster, they’re letting the puck do the work for em, and they’re keeping it simple”
As for how the Giants look to keep things falling their way, Coach Dyck made it clear that when his team plays fast and plays together, they can beat anybody. Adding
“it’s just rhythm, we finished strong and we need to continue to work hard and play fast”
Vancouver plays tonight in the Okanagan against the Kelowna Rockets.
