This coming Saturday, the Vancouver Giants take on the Edmonton Oil Kings on home ice at the Langley Events Centre, and they’ll be looking to erase Wednesday’s loss against Portland from their memories.
According to Giants play-by-play broadcaster Dan O’Connor, the G-Men put forth a strong effort, but utlimately fell to the Winterhawks in Portland by the score of 3-1 while State-side for a mid-week game.
The Giants went 1-2-0-1 against Portland this season, dropping the game to the Winterhawks thanks in part to Jake Gricius’s two Portland goals, and also in part due to the Winterhawks’ strong netminding efforts by Joel Hofer – who made 27 saves and earned himself bragging rights as top player of the game.
That’s not to say there wasn’t some strong efforts noted from the Giants’ bench, O’Connor noted. Bowen Byram supplied the Giants with their lone goal in the second period.
And in net for Vancouver, David Tendeck stopped 18 of Portland’s 21 shots.
The Giants road record now sits at 6-6-0-1. During their past three games, the G-Men have had 42 total seconds of power- play time. They have now gone two full games without a power-play opportunity.
1st Period:
POR – Kishaun Gervais opened the scoring for the Winterhawks at 14:31 off a shot from the high slot. Mason Mannek had the lone assist.
POR – 41 seconds later, the Winterhawks struck again off a miscue near the Giants goal. Cross Hanas picked off the puck, and slid a pass across to Jake Gricius who converted into the open net. For Gricius it was his eighth.
Shots: 9-5 Vancouver
2nd Period:
VAN – Bowen Byram moved the Giants back within a goal at 6:29 on a forehand deke. Byram took a pass from Cole Shepard, beat the Portland defender wide down the right-wing before tucking home his third goal of the season.
Shots: 12 – 9 Vancouver
3rd Period:
POR – Jake Gricius ended the Giants comeback bid with his second goal of the game at 19:39 on a power play. Jaydon Dureau had the lone assist on the play.
Shots: 7-7
RECENT COVERAGE: Giants toppled by visiting Hurricanes
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BY THE NUMBERS
Final score: Portland 3 – Vancouver 1
Final shots: 28 – 21 Vancouver
David Tendeck: 18/21 saves for Vancouver (6-5)
Joel Hofer: 27/28 saves for Portland (13-3-1-1)
Portland power play: 1/3
Vancouver power play: 0/0
3 Stars: Joel Hofer (POR – 27 saves); Jake Gricius (POR – 2 goals); and Bowen Byram (VAN – 1 goal)
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MORE RECENT COVERAGE: Vancouver Giants Tendeck named goaltender of the week
