Being the Giants third game in three days you’d think they would be a susceptible team, but even though they didn’t play their usual up-beat, high-tempo hard forechecking game they managed to get the win by working their special teams to a tee. Three of the Giants four goals were on the PP and their PK continued its strong form by picking up where it left off in Seattle, egging the Prince George power play all 11 times. It’s a tad disconcerting seeing the Giants not playing their best game but coming out with the win anyway and I am hoping that bad habits are not being forged this early in the season. I was hoping that they had learned something from the Seattle game, but their game tonight lacked the intensity we are used to expecting from our Vancouver Giants, much like the game in Seattle.

The Giants opened the scoring just 15 secs into the opening period. Winning the initial face-off they got the puck deep into the Prince George end of the ice. Spencer Machacek forechecked hard and got the puck out to Cody Franson. Franson snapped a seeing eye shot through traffic and Bliznak pounced on the short rebound slipping it past rookie PG ‘tender Jordan White. About five minutes later on the PP Dustin Slade feeds Tim Kraus with a long stretch pass to the opposing blue-line. Kraus rushed down the boards and saucered a gorgeous tape to tape feed onto the stick of Michal Repik who was streaking down the slot and had to merely keep his stick on the ice to slide it into the open side of the net, no chance for White whatsoever. Oddly the official site has credited Milan Lucic with the second assist but all the fans in that game watched Slade make that beauty up ice pass to Kraus – that said - it could be that Lucic touched it going through to Kraus and then Repik scored but I thought it was Slade Kraus Repik (discuss). The Giants went up by three, again on the PP, mid-way through the first. Some nice puck work around the horn resulted in a Franson feeding the puck down low to Kraus at the side of the net who fed a wide-open Reese on the other side of the crease. Reese made no mistake snapping the puck into the open cage. The Cougars would get one back when the fourth line for the G-Men had a breakdown in their own zone and allowed a tumble of Cougar players to storm the net. The first shot was stopped by Slade but the ensuing avalanche managed to chip the second shot past the ‘tender. It was PG’s third shot of the game, and Prab Rai was credited with the goal.

Vancouver seemed to go into protect the lead mode which had carried over from the first period as once again they took their foot off the gas after gaining a substantial lead. The fans were in danger of being lulled to sleep except for a few really good body checks. Lucic made he own kind of statement when he rocked a few bodies early on in the game. One of those he tagged was Evan Fuller who finally challenged Lucic about seven minutes into the second frame, and got a sound beating for his trouble before getting in a few shots himself as they tumbled to the ice. Nice overhand rights by Milan – ouch. The G-Men continued to play less than exhilarating hockey for most of the third period and seemed content to take some lazy penalties and sit back and defend the lead, not really the type of the hockey the fans paid to see. Vancouver started to take dumb and lazy penalties - the dumbest of which of the period was a late shot by JD Watt, who almost wound up after the whistle had gone and followed through with the shot, was deservedly tagged with unsportsmanlike conduct mid-way through the second. The PP clicked yet again late in the second period as the Giants passing a puck possession garnered them another goal. Cody Franson once again threaded his shot through traffic. White made the save but JD Watt whacked at it until the puck bounced out to Reese who was waiting in the slot. Reese swiped at the puck, got a piece and trickled it past White. There was delay between the hands going up on the Giants squad and the red-light going on, but it was clean goal at 18:09 of the middle stanza. The Vancouver team ended the third taking even more lazy penalties as Hunt was fingered for charging with 30secs left.

The Giants began the third period continuing to take lazy penalties, giving the Prince George team life in the form of two 5 on 3 advantages early in the frame. They took five consecutive penalties and spent the better part of the third playing on the PK, which fortunately was clicking well and clearing their end and not allowing second shots on Slade. This continued until Elias Grossman got frustrated enough drop the gloves with Lucic for the Giant player’s second tilt of the night and Grossman should have left the gloves on. Several rapid over-hand rights from Lucic broke the skin of Grossman’s forehead and then the hulking winger followed up with a few jabs and a couple of upper-cuts. Like the previous fight Grossman got in a few late hits before being handily wrestled to the ice by Lucic. The Giants had a pathetic three shots on net in third and spent most of the time trying to keep the puck out of their net. Slade made some timely saves in solid backstopping effort, and although the team relied upon their special teams heavily for the win the 5 on 5 play was mediocre at best.

Shots Giants 25 PG 23 (Giants allowed PG 11 shots in the third period), Giants were 3 for 7 on the PP and PG turned in the big goose egg going 0 for 11 versus the formidable PK of the G-Men. The Giants next game will be in Prince George as they head up North for game on Wednesday and a game on Friday, puck drops 7 pm both nights. I am seriously hoping that the Giants do not bring this kind of game into PG’s barn as they could find themselves on the other side of the score sheet should their special teams not be so special.

Three Stars
1 – Jason Reese
2 – Cody Franson
3 – Tim Kraus