Kristin Ostrowski
B.C. Division, WHL Playoffs

History in the making for underestimated Giants

Written by Giancarlo Nadeau on

 

Six games are all it took for the 2019-2020 Vancouver Giants team to advance to the second round over the Seattle Thunderbirds and Vancouver has the chance to move on tonight too, but against the Everett Silvertips who finished first in the Western Conference with 100 points.

Giants’ players were quick to note that the regular season and the playoffs are very different from one another and one reason why is the fact that all teams begin the playoffs with the same record (0-0).

Vancouver took the first game in a 5-4 overtime victory. Adam Hall recorded a hat trick and it was also the first game back from a long-lasting injury for Vancouver’s star goaltender, Jesper Vikman. Vikman’s appearance was the first since March 4 and the highly praised Goaltender did not disappoint making 34 stops on the night.

After losing Games 2 and 3 to Everett by 7-3 and 6-2 scores there were thoughts that the Silvertips were not going to lose the series as many had already believed.

However, a Giant 11-6 victory over Everett on home ice tied the series at two. Ostapchuk, a prospect of the Ottawa Senators and Vancouver’s Captain, had two goals and four assists on the night. The victory was the highest-scoring game in team playoff history and history would continue in Game 5.

Looking to regain the lead in the series that Vancouver took with a Game 1 victory the Giants came out prepared and ready to get to work. The G-men topped the Silvertips 3-0 on Saturday in Everett to grab a 3-2 lead in their best-of-seven first-round matchup. Jesper Vikman finished the night with 50 saves for Vancouver and earned a shutout for his efforts. Vikman’s 50-save shutout is a new single-game franchise record for Vancouver.

The G-men are starting to turn some heads and some Giants players are a huge reason why. Vancouver doubled their lead in Game 5 to go up 2-0 with just over 12 minutes remaining in the third period. A wrap-around goal by Lysell was claimed as the WHL’s Highlight of the Night.

The Game 5 victory also saw Vancouver’s goaltender, Jesper Vikman, make two marvelous saves on a Silvertips forward which was titled the Save of the Night.

Two Giants players, Jesper Vikman and Adam Hall landed on the WHL’s 3 Stars of the Night list in their team’s victory to push the U.S. Division champions to the brink of elimination. Vikman was the first star of the night and rightfully so as the Giants goaltender stopped all 50 shots that were fired his way. According to the WHL, his previous career-high for saves came back on February 19, when he turned aside 49 of 52 shots sent his way in a 4-3 overtime victory in Kamloops. Adam Hall opened the scoring for Vancouver which would ultimately stand as the game-winning goal and would allow him to be crowned the league’s second star of the night.

Game 6 is set for tonight at the Langley Events Centre, while Game 7, if necessary, is scheduled for Wednesday night at the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett. Both games are expected to begin just after 7:00 p.m.