Rob Wilton
B.C. Division, WHL Playoffs

Giants set to battle Everett in the post-season for the third time in franchise history

Written by Giancarlo Nadeau on

 

Playoff hockey is here, and the Vancouver Giants will get a taste of it on Friday! Friday, April 22 marks the first game of a best of seven series against the Western Conference leaders in the Everet Silvertips (45-13-5-5, 100PTS). It will also be the first time Vancouver will have played a post-season game since the 2018-19 WHL Championship series against the Prince Albert Raiders.

After a difficult season, Vancouver remains hopeful that they can carry on with the playoff success of the 2018-19 Giants team. Photo: Chris Relke

The G-men had many chances to punch their ticket to the playoffs on their own terms during the final stretch of the regular season, and a win in their final regular-season game of the season would have secured a spot. Vancouver would lose that game 5-2 to the hands of the Kamloops Blazers, but a Spokane Chiefs triumph over the Victoria Royals did the trick. Spokane (24-39-4-1) clinched the sixth spot in the Western Conference with 53 points, Vancouver (24-39-4-1) finished seventh with 53 points, and Prince George (24-39-4-1) grabbed the eighth and final spot with 53 points. Victoria (23-39-5-1) missed the playoffs by a single point with 52 total points on the season. The tight race to this year’s post-season is something that drove many people crazy as the regular season was coming to an end!

The G-men have playoff experience with Everett dating back to the 2004 WHL Playoffs when the two clubs met in the second round. Vancouver beat Kamloops in five games to get to the second round but would end up losing in six games to Everett. That Giants’ team featured players like Mark Fistric (D), J.D Watt (F), Mitch Bartley (F), Gilbert Brule (F), Triston Grant (F), and Adam Courchaine (F). The two cross-border teams would go on to meet once more in the post-season in the third round of the 2006 WHL playoffs. Vancouver would advance to the fourth round with players like Milan Lucic (F), Tyson Sexsmith (G), and Brett Festerling (D) after a four-game sweep of the Silvertips. Vancouver’s 2007 Memorial Cup-winning roster included 13 players from the 2006 Giants’ team that would eventually lose in four games to the Moose Jaw Warriors in the fourth round.

The Silvertips and Giants get set to battle for the third time in the post-season on Friday, April 22 followed by a contest the following night on Saturday, April 23 with the Silvertips hosting the first two games. Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday, April 27 with Game 4 set for Friday, April 29.

Vancouver is hoping to find consistency in the first round and should be ready to go when the puck drops later today.