G-Men won a “thriller” in Victoria, downing the Royals 5-4 in overtime on the Vancouver Island ice.
It was Vancouver’s second victory in as many nights.
Ty Ronning scored the winning goal with 14 seconds left in overtime as the Giants emerged triumphant for the second night in as many nights.
It was a “barnburner” at the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre on Saturday night, said Giants marketing director Brendan Batchelor.
Jack Flaman, Tyler Benson, and Jeff Rayman also had goals for the Giants.
The Royals pressured the Giants early in the first period, Batchelor said. But, Flaman opened the scoring for Vancouver off the rush, beating Royals goaltender Griffen Outhouse from the top of the left circle just after the midway mark of the opening frame.
Benson extended the Giants’ lead on a power play with a hard shot from the right circle a few minutes later.
Eric Florchuk scored Victoria’s Teddy Bear Toss goal with under five minutes to go in the stanza, but Rayman re-established Vancouver’s two-goal lead when he scored on a hard shot from the point, chasing Outhouse from the Victoria crease. He was replaced by Dylan Myskiw.
Victoria got two goals in the second period to tie the game. Chaz Reddekopp scored from the slot on a power play less than a minute into the period, and Matthew Phillips netted his 24th goal of the season in the dying seconds of the frame to even the score.
Jack Walker gave the Royals a 4-3 lead in the third period, and the Giants were forced to pull goalie Ryan Kubic in the late stages of the game.
Foster scored to tie it up again with 1:18 to go in regulation time, firing the puck past Myskiw from the bottom of the right circle after a beautiful cross-ice pass from Benson.
Outhouse returned to the Victoria crease for overtime, while Kubic had to come up big on numerous occasions for the Giants in the extra stanza, Batchelor said.
“He stopped Phillips on a breakaway and denied the Royals’ leading scorer on another chance in tight.”
The Giants were awarded a late power play after Vladimir Bobylev was called for slashing Benson, and Ronning lifted the G-Men to the come-from-behind win, wiring the puck into the top corner from the bottom of the left circle.
Kubic made 38 saves for the victory. The teams finished with 42 shots apiece. The Giants went 2-for-5 on the power play.
That’s the Giants’ last game before Christmas.
The G-Men return to action on Dec. 27, when they face the Everett Silvertips again at the Langley Events Centre.
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