A defeat of 5-4 over the Rockets brought an end to the Giants losing streak this weekend on home ice – but their winning streak was shortlived.
The Langley-based WHL hockey team triumphed over the Kelowna team at Langley Events Centre Friday, only to fall against the Thunderbirds in Seattle the very next night.
Friday’s scoreboard
On Friday, the line of James Malm, Ty Ronning and Brayden Watts combined for eight points to lead the G-Men to a victory over the Kelowna. Ronning had two goals, Malm and Watts had one each, and Tristyn DeRoose scored his first career WHL goal in the win.
Ryan Kubic made 32 saves on 36 shots for Vancouver.
DeRoose opened the scoring at 9:23 of the first period, scoring from in tight after a pretty setup by 16-year-old Tyler Popowich.
Watts made it 2-0 on a power play later in the frame when he wired a slapshot past Kelowna goalie Brodan Salmond from the left circle. Calvin Thurkauf put the Rockets on the board late in the stanza.
Malm got credit for a strange goal early in the second period when the Rockets scored in their own net during a delayed Vancouver penalty.
Ronning tallied his first of the evening just after the midway mark of the game, finding the net from the left wing after Malm fed him the puck.
Cal Foote scored shorthanded for Kelowna, and Kyle Topping added an even strength marker just 1:05 later to pull the Rockets back to within one goal before the end of the period.
Rodney Southam bagged a third period power play goal on a scramble in front of Kubic’s net to tie the game, but Ronning got the eventual game winner with under four minutes to go, beating Salmond from the front of the net after Watts found him with a pretty pass from below the goal line.
Kelowna out shot Vancouver 36-25. Vancouver went 1-for-6 on the power play.
Saturday’s scoreboard
The next night, playing at the ShoWare Centre in Seattle, the G-Men lost 6-1.
Turner Ottenbreit opened the scoring for Seattle on a point shot before the midway mark of the first period. Mathew Barzal extended the lead, scoring his first of the evening at 14:43. Alexander True added a second period marker after a nice setup by Ryan Gropp, and Barzal scored again less than seven minutes into the third period.
Spencer spoiled Seattle goalie Rylan Toth’s shutout bid, scoring his first as a Giant on a backhander from the left circle at 7:45, but the T-Birds got goals from Sami Moilanen and Luke Ormsby later in the third period.
Seattle out shot Vancouver 46-16. Vancouver went 0-for-3 on the power play.
David Tendeck made 40 saves in the losing cause for the G-Men.
On ice next
The Giants return home to host the Prince George Cougars on Monday night.
Puck drops at the Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m. For tickets, people can call 604-444-2687.
