B.C. Division, Game Recap

Giants Complete Sweep of US Road Trip with Matching 3-1 Victories

Written by Adam Kierszenblat on

The Vancouver return home, picking up six of a possible six points on their three-game US road trip. After beating Portland 3-2 on Wednesday, Vancouver pulled off matching 3-1 victories versus Tri-City and Spokane thanks to some big games by the team’s stars. Here is a breakdown of the games versus Tri-City and Spokane.

Vancouver- 3 versus Tri-City- 1

The Giants skated into Kennewick, Washington and left with a 3-1 victory over Tri-City on Friday night. After falling behind 1-0 in the first, thanks to a goal by Sasha Mutala, the Giants scored one in the second and two in the third to capture the victory. Ty Thorpe got the scoring started with a power-play goal in the second, while Justin Sourdif and Fabian Lysell scored in the third for the Giants.

Overall, the team played well, but the quartet of Alex Cotton, Thorpe, Sourdif and Lysell led the charge. All four had two points each in the win and finished with 16 shots total. During the four-game losing streak, these four had trouble putting the puck into the net, so it is a welcomed sight to see them back to scoring goals and making a difference on the scoresheet.

In net, Jesper Vikman was solid again, only allowing one goal on 22 shots. He looked settled in the net and was not giving up too many rebound opportunities. More importantly, his defence blocked shots and took away shooting lanes, which made his job a lot easier.

Three Giants Stars of the Game

Justin Sourdif- 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 5 shots, 3 for 3 on faceoffs

Fabian Lysell- 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 2 shots

Ty Thorpe- 1 goal, 1 assist, +1, 4 shots, 8 for 15 on faceoffs

Vancouver- 3 versus Spokane- 1

The Giants finished off their road trip with a 3-1 versus the Chiefs. Unlike versus Tri-City, the Giants jumped out to an early lead, striking twice in the first period. Goals by Lysell and Thorpe helped the Giants take a 2-0 lead into the first intermission. Spokane would get one back early in the second as Graham Sward scored on the power play, but Cotton answered back late in the third with a power play goal of his own as the Giants skated away with the 3-1 victory.

Will Gurski made 22 saves for his second win in a Giants sweater. Just like Vikman versus Tri-City, Gurski was calm in the net and did not give up second-chance opportunities. With the World Juniors approaching, Vancouver is going to need him to step up with Vikman expected to play for Sweden. If the past few games are any indication, he should be ready to hold down the crease for a few weeks in December and January.

Overall, Vancouver played well in this game. Once again, they limited chances and were able to capitalize on mistakes from Spokane. The team should be happy with their performance as they enjoy a seven-hour bus ride back home.

Three Giants Stars of the Game

Ty Thorpe- 1 goal, 2 assists, +2, 4 shots, 6 for 14 on faceoffs

Fabian Lysell- 1 goal, 1 assist, +2, 4 shots

Justin Sourdif- 1 assist, +2, 5 shots, 1 for 2 on faceoffs

Next Giants Game

The Giants head to Kelowna on Wednesday to face the Rockets. Game time is set for 7:05 pm PST.