Rob Wilton
B.C. Division

Two games remaining in WHL’s Vancouver Giants regular season

Written by Giancarlo Nadeau on

 

Despite a losing record, a playoff spot is still up for grabs for the Giants.

The Vancouver Giants are in a tight race, in the WHL standings for a spot in the playoffs, with four other teams still in contention. Vancouver is in sixth place with 52 points in 66 games, Spokane is in seventh place with 51 points in 66 games, the Cougars sit in eighth with 51 points in 66 games, while Victoria takes up the ninth spot with 50 points in 66 games.

This season, teams were split into two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, and the top eight teams from each conference would advance to the playoffs. Five of the eight potential playoff spots have already been claimed in the Western Conference and Vancouver, despite losing its last six games, is still in a good spot to grab one of the final three spots.

Take a look at Vancouver’s final two remaining meetings and how the Giants have already done against their remaining opponents this season.

The final home game of the regular season for the Giants is on April 15 and will have the Kelowna Rockets in the building for a tilt set for 7:00 p.m.

The Giants are 5-5-1-0 over the Rockets this season, but the G-men did win their last meeting over Kelowna in a tight 3-2 victory on Sunday. The victory put the Vancouver Giants back in sixth place in the Western Conference playoff standings and that is where they stand now. Giants’ goaltender, 15-year-old, Matthew Hutchison made 27 saves to earn his first career WHL victory for the Giants who snagged their first victory in a span of nine games. The win remains the most recent victory for the G-men. 

 

Under-ager Matthew Hutchison stopped 27 Kelowna shots in a 3-2 victory on Sunday. Photo: Steve Dunsmoor

The 68th and final game for the Giants is on Saturday, April 16th and it will be a meeting hosted by the second-best team in the Western Conference, the Kamloops Blazers. This duel is set to take place at 7:00 p.m.

Vancouver will need to be ready from the start of puck drop when they take on the Blazers on Saturday. Photo: Rob WiltonVancouver’s record against Kamloops is nothing to brag about as the team currently has a 2-8-1-0 record over the orange and blue. Vancouver’s two victories took place on December 3, 2021, when the team tripled Kamloops 3-1 and Vancouver picked up another two points in an overtime game back on February 19 that the Giants took by a 4-3 score.

The final two remaining regular-season games are against teams who have already punched their tickets to the playoffs in the Western Conference. Kamloops sits in second in the West (66 GP: 47-16-3-0, 97 PTS), and Kelowna is in fifth (66 GP: 40-20-1-5, 86 PTS). Both teams have done well this season and will be looking to finish their seasons on a winning note.

The G-men have been inconsistent this season in regards to the team’s ability to win games and consistency is one thing that this Giants team will need to have as they come to the end of the regular season. Although the team hasn’t looked good in the standings, the G-men have looked sharp on the ice thanks to their black and white alternate uniforms that they wore this season.

A win and the G-men are in.