WHL recap: Benson plays hero as Giants take down Thunderbirds in OT

Vancouver 4 Seattle 3 (OT)

Tyler Benson’s WHL career has not had as many highlights as it should have at this point. A cyst on his tailbone and other assorted ailments have caused him to miss most of two seasons and the highlights that would have surely been there for him and his team.

He made up for that a little bit Tuesday night at the Langley Event Centre. He scored the overtime winner for the Vancouver Giants (11-12-2-2) as they capped off coming back from a 3-2 deficit, to beat the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds (11-12-1-1) 4-3 in overtime.

Benson led the way for the Giants with two points, while the Giants got 22 stops on 36 shots from Todd Scott.

A poor clearance attempt in the first period, led to the game’s opening goal. Jarret Tyszka swiftly got the puck down low to Zack Andrusiak and the Yorkton, Saskatchewan native made a couple quick moves before beating Vancouver goalie Todd Scott. This was Andrusiak’s 11th goal of the year.

Seattle got their response going later in the first off an incredible effort from 17-year-old rookie forward Cyle McNabb. He forced a loose puck near Matt Berlin and the Seattle net, then got the puck in on Berlin twice. Aidan Barfoot then charged the second rebound and powered a shot past Berlin for his second goal of the year.

Tyszka, after setting up the first Seattle goal, would score the second. He rushed into the zone with two teammates charging the net and he found the puck on his backhand, slipping the puck past Scott.

Again the Giants crawled back to tie the game. This time in the following period. Milos Roman drove the left wing and one-touched a cross-ice pass from Brad Morrison on the power play for his seventh of the year.

Just a few minutes later, Noah Philp restated Seattle’s one-goal lead with his fifth of the year.

Then with just 1:26 left in regulation a power play and with Scott pulled for an extra attacker, Ty Ronning tied the game with his 25th already this year.

Then, Benson provided the heroics by driving into the zone and weaving through traffic, before wiring a shot past Berlin. The win snapped a three-game skid for the Giants and extends their lead for third in the B.C. Division to four points over the Kamloops Blazers.

In the loss, Seattle’s third straight on their five-game road trip, Berlin turned away 22 of the 26 shots he saw.

Notes:

-The Giants recalled defenseman Parker Hendren before the game and traded a third-round pick to the Red Deer Rebels for Jared Dmytriw.