Langley’s Western Hockey League team is off to a stumbling start to their season.
The Vancouver Giants lost their first road game of the campaign on Saturday, falling 3-1 to the Everett Silvertips at the XFINITY Arena.
Jack Flaman was Vancouver’s lone goal scorer.
Graham Miller opened the scoring for Everett just 3:30 into the opening frame, beating Giants’ goalie Ryan Kubic while the teams were playing four-on-four.
Johnny Wesley had a good chance to tie the game later in the first period when Brendan Semchuk found him in front, but he was denied by Everett goalie Lasse Petersen.
Vancouver notched the equalizer late in the second period when Flaman hammered a rebound past Petersen at the left post, scoring his second goal in as many nights.
The Silvertips went ahead again less than two minutes later after Matt Fonteyne got in behind the Vancouver defence and slid the puck between Kubic’s legs.
Brett Kemp added an insurance marker for Everett when he scored his first WHL goal on a five-on-three power play at 4:15 of the 3rd period.
Vancouver was out shot 31-13 and went 0-for-4 on the power play.
Defenceman Alex Kannok-Leipert played his first WHL game while forward Taden Rattie made his Giants debut after being acquired from Red Deer yesterday.
Vancouver returns home on Tuesday, Sept. 27, to host the Prince George Cougars on Las Vegas Trip Giveaway night at the Langley Events Centre.
For ticket information, visit vancouvergiants.com or call 604-444-2687.
Sell-out crowd
Small consolation was the sold out crowd of 4,875 taking in the Giants’ home opener at the LEC.
But that doesn’t take any the sting away from the Giants’ 7-3 loss to the visiting Silvertips Friday night.
Giants head coach Jason McKee said his team didn’t play with enough detail in their game.
He said many players were just “skating around in space and not with a purpose.”
“You’re not going to win at this level if you don’t have a purpose where you’re moving, and we didn’t move well as a five-man group tonight in all three zones,” he added.
Dawson Holt scored twice for Vancouver while Flaman also found the net in the loss.
The visitors jumped out to an early lead, getting four unanswered goals in the first period from Bryce Kindopp, Graham Miller, and a pair from Devon Skoleski.
Holt cut into the Everett lead when he picked up his own rebound and beat Mario Petit on the backhand in the late stages of the frame, but Jake Christiansen added another goal for the Silvertips less than a minute later.
Holt scored again in the second stanza, ripping a wrist shot past Petit from off the rush. Sean Richards had a second period marker for Everett.
Miller added his second of the evening for the ‘Tips in the third period while Flaman tallied his goal on a breakaway in the final minute of the game.
The Silvertips outshot the Giants 33-23. Vancouver was 0-for-3 on the power play while Everett went 2-for-4.
