There is no giving up in the 2022 playoff version of the Vancouver Giants.
Friday night at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops, the Vancouver Giants erased a 2-1 third period deficit with four unanswered goals and kept their season alive in the process. Zack Ostapchuk had a goal and three assists for the Giants in a 5-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers in Game 5.
Adam Hall added three points and Jesper Vikman turned aside 35 Kamloops shots to earn the victory. Matthew Seminoff and Luke Toporowski responded with goals for Kamloops.
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Just 4:27 into the opening period, Luke Toporowski scored off a two-on-one rush with Logan Stanovenfor giving Blazers a lead start. The Giants responded at 9:09 when Adam Hall finished off a wrap around that was set up by Zack Ostapchuk.
The Blazers took their second lead of the game at 10:43 of the middle frame when Matthew Seminoff pounced on a centering feed and snuck a low shot past Jesper Vikman’s left pad. Fraser Minten and Viktor Persson both helped set up the play.
Just 1:33 into the third period the Vancouver Giants tied the score once again when Ty Thorpe swatted home a Tom Cadieux rebound off a point shot. Cole Shepard collected the second assist on Thorpe’s third of the playoffs.
In next 59 seconds the Giants made it 3-2 when Zack Ostapchuk finished off a centering feed from Evan Toth off the left wing. Fabian Lysell drew the second assist on Ostapchuk’s sixth of the playoffs.
READ MORE: VIDEO: Giants suffer second loss in hard-fought road game against Kamloops
With 18:22 gone in the third, Adam Hall extended the lead to 4-2 when he scored into an empty net on a power play. For the Giants it was only their second power play of the game and it came off a too-many-men penalty for Kamloops that came late in regulation.
Zack Ostapchuk ended all hopes of a Kamloops comeback at 18:38 when he also scored into an empty net off a shot from center. Fabian Lysell and Adam Hall both assisted.
Ostapchuk was named the first star of the game. After his four point effort Friday in Kamloops, Ostapchuk is once again the scoring leader in the 2022 playoffs. With seven goals and 16 assists, his 23 points are two clear of teammate Fabian Lysell.
Next, the teams face each other on Sunday, May 15 in Langley for game 6.
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Jesper Vikman leads all WHL goaltenders with 326 playoff saves. The next closest goaltender is Red Deer’s Chase Coward with 233. (Special to Langley Advance Times)
