Vancouver Giants dropped a 3-1 decision to the Kamloops Blazers in Game 1 of their Round 2 playoff series on Friday night, May 6 at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops.
Caedan Bankier paced the Blazers with a goal and an assist while Reese Belton and Ethan Rowland provided the other goals for Kamloops.
The Giants lone tally came from Adam Hall in the third period.
Hall gets the G-Men on the board! pic.twitter.com/YEPIrSn2zE
— x – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 7, 2022
Both goaltenders were sharp as Dylan Garand made 30 saves for Kamloops and Jesper Vikman stopped 35 pucks for Vancouver.
Vikman was named third star of the game.
Bankier notched his first goal of the series and his second goal of the playoffs on a backhand rebound that came on a Kamloops power play at 18:28 of the first. Luke Toporowski and Quinn Schmiemann both assisted.
Early in the second at 2:43, Kamloops extended their lead to 2-0 when Reese Belton finished off a two-on-one rush with Caedan Bankier. Belton’s first goal of the playoffs was also set up by Dylan Sydor.
Ethan Rowland bagged the final goal of the night for Kamloops at 16:29 when he finished off a Logan Stankoven rebound. Mats Lindgren earned the second assist.
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Giants lone goal of the night came at 7:04 of the third from Hall on a redirect from Damian Palmieri’s point shot. Zack Ostapchuk secured the second assist.
With eight goals so far in the playoffs, Hall leads all WHL skaters in goals.
Zack Ostapchuk has earned points in each of his past four games. In that span, Ostapchuk has supplied three goals and 10 assists for 13 points.
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Blazers did not register a goal in the third period Friday, marking the first period of their playoffs so far that they haven’t scored a goal.
Friday’s loss ended the Giants playoff winning streak that had spanned their previous three games.
Game 2 goes Saturday night at 7 p.m. in Kamloops.
Giants will return to home ice for the next two games on Tuesday, May 10 and Thursday, May 12 at the Langley Events Centre.
Puck drops at 7 p.m.
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