With two games remaining in their 2018-19 regular season, the Vancouver Giants now sit alone atop the Western Conference standings.
Tuesday night in Kent, WA the Vancouver Giants defeated the Seattle Thunderbirds by a 5-1 score.
Lukas Svejkovsky scored twice while Davis Koch registered three assists.
Goals also came courtesy of Justin Sourdif, Alex Kannok Leipert and Dylan Plouffe.
Between the pipes David Tendeck made 38 saves for Vancouver.
Henrik Rybinski had Seattle’s lone tally while the tandem of Roddy Ross and Cole Schwebius combined for 19 saves.
The win for the Giants coupled with Everett’s 4-1 loss in Portland gives the Giants sole possession of first place with two games remaining.
With 5:15 remaining in the first period, Justin Sourdif (22) put the Giants up 1-0 when he powered past a Seattle defender, cut in front of the Seattle net and beat Roddy Ross with a forehand deke. Davis Koch’s first of three assists came on Sourdif’s marker.
During the second period, 2:29 into the middle frame, Lukas Svejkovsky potted his first of two goals on the night on a power play. Svejkovsky’s eighth of the season came courtesy of Bowen Byram and Dallas Hines.
Alex Kannok Leipert extended Vancouver’s lead to 3-0 at 7:12 when he knocked home his own rebound off a point-blank chance. Brayden Watts and Davis Koch earned assists on Kannok Leipert’s fourth goal of the campaign.
Off a faceoff win, Henrik Rybinski (8) supplied Seattle with their lone goal as he spun and fired home a feed from Matthew Wedman.
Just 23 seconds later the Giants restored their three-goal lead when Lukas Svejkovsky tucked a backhand deke past Ross. Yannik Valenti drew the lone assist after he checked the Seattle defender of the puck as he was trying to vacate his zone.
At 43 seconds into the final period Dylan Plouffe wired home a shot from the top of the right-wing circle to make it a 5-1 game. Plouffe’s seventh goal of the season came on the power play and marked the 100th career point of his WHL career. Brayden Watts and Davis Koch assisted.
Final Score: Vancouver 5 – Seattle 1
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Tuesday’s game marked the first multi-goal game of Lukas Svejkovsky’s WHL career.
Now with 100 career points, Dylan Plouffe is sixth all-time in scoring among Giants defencemen.
Giants finished their season series with Seattle with an even 2-2 record. The road team won all four of the regular season matchups.
Next Giants Game: Friday night at home against the Kelowna Rockets at 7:30 p.m.
Photos by: Brian Liesse
