Friday night in Kamloops, the Langley-based Vancouver Giants earned a 6-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets.
Perfect on the Powerplay tonight 💪 pic.twitter.com/qn4EbpOB6u
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 8, 2021
Tristen Nielsen, Justin Sourdif and Eric Florchuk combined for nine points, and Trent Miner stopped 19 shots in the victory.
Kaedan Korczak and Steel Quiring responded for Kelowna.
The Giants power play went a perfect three-for-three and their penalty killing efforts landed them two shorthanded goals.
Florchuk said scoring an early first goal got the team rolling.
“After that, everyone hopped on board and we went to work.”
Giants Associate Coach Keith McCambridge said the special teams were “real important” in the win, getting two short-handed goals and killing penalties.
McCambridge said the players did a good job of creating scoring opportunities.
“Going to the hard areas, going to the front of net, not being a perimeter team and getting to those second chance opportunities,” McCambridge summarized.
“If there’s a play to be made, make it.”
Nielsen scored at 1:52 into the game, off a shorthanded two-on-one rush.
Nielsen’s team-leading 14th of the season was set up by Florchuk, and came off the first shot of the game for the Giants.
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In the second period, Tanner Brown extended the Vancouver lead to 2-0 at 5:13. His shot from the left-wing circle made its way up and over the right shoulder of Roman Basran. Zack Ostapchuk earned an assist that came off a Rockets turnover.
Back came the Rockets at 6:34. Steel Quiring knocked home his own rebound.
A five-on-three power play goal moved the Giants back ahead by two goals. It came courtesy of Nielsen off a shot from the slot. Alex Kannok Leipert and Justin Sourdif both earned power play assists.
Giants struck again 34 seconds later on a five-on-four power play. It was Sourdif converting off a tic-tac-toe passing sequence that also involved Nielsen and Ostapchuk.
The final goal of the period came shorthanded off the stick of Sourdif.
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Giants power play continued to click in the third period. Adam Hall took a feed from Florchuk and wired home his seventh of the season. Nielsen also assisted on the third power play goal of the night for the Giants.
Final goal of the game came courtesy of Kaedan Korczak on a Kelowna power play.
3⃣Power Play Goals
2⃣Shorthanded Goals
1⃣6-2 victory Friday over the Kelowna Rockets.Nielsen, Sourdif and Florchuk combined for nine points and Trent Miner stopped 19 for win #11.
More 📎: https://t.co/Ep7yDU7Z5p
📸: Allen Douglas pic.twitter.com/LszJXRy6gy
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 8, 2021
Giants were all three stars of the game, Neilsen, Sourdif and Florchuk in order.
The Giants now have five shorthanded goals for the season, and produced multiple shorthanded goals in a game for the first time this season.
Saturday night the Giants return to action with a home game against the Kamloops Blazers. Puck drops at 7 p.m.
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Justin Sourdif celebrated with teammates after scoring a shorthanded goal en route to a Vancouver Giants 6-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets Friday night, May 7, in Kamloops (Allen Douglas/special to Langley Advance Times)
On a five-on-four power play, Justin Sourdif converted off a tic-tac-toe passing sequence that also involved Nielsen and Ostapchuk.Vancouver Giants earned a 6-2 victory over the visiting Kelowna Rockets Friday night, May 7, in Kamloops (Allen Douglas/special to Langley Advance Times)
