Rob Wilton and Gary Ahuja

Giants keep on rolling with statement win over Kamloops

The Giants just keep on rollin’.

Vancouver’s winning streak is now at six games after an impressive 7-3 win over the division-leading Kamloops Blazers — their third win in as many meetings.

With Everett losing, Vancouver holds the longest active win streak in the WHL.

Coming into the teams’ seventh meeting of the season, there were two streaks on the line; the Giants winning streak at five and Kamloops’ losing streak at four games.

Right from the get-go, the game had no shortage of pace or energy, despite the Blazers on the tail-end of a three-in-three.

“That was a high-paced game, those are the ones you love to have.” said Giants captain Alex Kannok Leipert.

“It really didn’t feel like a 7-3 score, we were grinding that one out the whole time. It was a good, hard-fought game.” he continued.

The teams traded goals in the opening frame, with the visitors striking first off of a Logan Stankoven snapshot from the inside hash-marks.

It continues an impressive 16-year-old season for the Kamloops native, now giving him 18 goals on the season.

A fellow rookie, Cole Shepard, got the Giants on the board in the last handful of minutes of the period with a highlight goal, his tenth of the season.

Not bad for a 17-year-old.

Earlier in the opening period, projected first-rounder in the upcoming NHL Draft Connor Zary was given a shorthanded penalty shot.

Not necessarily who you want to give one up to, having 31 goals this season.

Except David Tendeck did what he does best, and calmly shut the door one of the league’s most dangerous players.

 

It did not take long into the second period for the Giants to earn a lead of their own, thanks to being given a five-on-three for 1:56 less than five minutes in.

Once Vancouver gained full zone entry, you could sense something good was going to come of it.

Not something that could have always been said about the power play units, who not long ago were the worst in the entire WHL. After this game, they sit 11th out of 22 teams.

photo – Rob Wilton and Gary Ahuja

“Converting on the five-on-three, then two goals in the third. It’s obviously making a huge difference right now.” Michael Dyck said after his team went three-for-six on the night.

Special teams continued to be in full force as the Blazers answered with a power-play marker of their own just a few short minutes later coming from Orrin Centazzo, his 36th of the year.

The fight shown by the Blazers showed why they are atop the BC Division standings, clawing their way back from two one-goal deficits in this contest.

The second deficit coming after Eric Florchuk scored the first of five Giants goals (two of his own) in the final frame of play on the power play.

Yet again, the lead was a short one as this time it overage forward Ryan Hughes potting his 19th of the season just three minutes later.

The last four minutes of regulation saw some of the more dominant hockey from this Giants team, scoring four goals, one on an empty net.

“I thought we did a really good job. Every time they got momentum, we pushed back quickly.” said Dyck.

The said push back shows the growth this team has had in the last month or two.

photo – Rob Wilton and Gary Ahuja

“Probably the team before Christmas would have buckled a little but this team did a really good job of getting momentum back and once we got it back, we protected it.” Dyck continued.

Confidence is not lacking with the group as of late and for good reason, they are closing the gap on the second place Victoria Royals who have been having struggles of their own as of late.

The Giants sit just six points back of Victoria with a game in hand.

Next up for Vancouver is a young Red Deer Rebels on February 12th, looking for win number seven.