GAME 5

hmm won't be seeing or listening to this one  -- dammit --  keep me apprised of how it all went, details people I need details -- I'm looking at you OTH

I'll bring a note pad. But don't forget this one is on Shaw, so set the VCR or PVR if you want to watch tomorrow.

I sometimes get too steamed up over something that happened in the 3rd to remember something I wanted to talk about that happened in the first.

The Giants just have to keep on keeping on. Just continue the wave after wave of pressure and just keep shelling Archibald. I think he might be ready to crack tonight. He has faced too many shots. He has got to be bagged.

Giants win series 4 games to 1

The Giants followed up on what they did in games 3 and 4 and held the territorial play for the whole gave save for 4 good sustained pressure moments through out the whole game.

In tthe first period the Giants open the scoring. (My recap of this goal is a little opposite of the score sheet as far as 1st and 2nd assist but this is the way I saw it since it happened right in front of me) Wookie has it at the blue line, dishes to Watt at the left half board who spots Kraus sneaking in behind the Bruins D and Kraus makes no mistake into the open side of the cage. The Bruins captain Apenlind on the PK catches Mikkelson flat footed and motors past him to have a break on Sexsmith with Franson in pursuit. Aspenlind puts a forehand, backhand, forehand move on Sexsmith and scores a short handed goal to draw the Bruins even. But before the period ends, the Giants take the lead again when Bliznak heads to the net with the puck but is hauled down and that would create a delayed penalty situation for the Giants. Mario gets the shot on, Archie makes the save as Sexsmith races to the bench for the extra man, but Kenndal McArdle is following up on the play, he is hauled down too, but from his knees he snaps the goal home to give the Giants a 2-1 lead.

Only one goal in the 2nd and it is a bit of a scammbled play. There is a shot on net that Archie saves, Bliznak gets the puck and goes behind the net, then dishes to McArdle who is sort of off to the stick side of Archie, who I think was waiting for a wrap around and over committed and is now swimming in the crease, passes to Spencer who rips it into the open top part of the net for the insurance goal, but a highlight reel hit by Hobbs of the Bruins. He catches Lance Bouma with his head down by the penalty box with a huge open ice hit that knocks his helmet off. Kraus comes into the mix to stick up for Lance who looks like he had his bell rung, but returned later in the game. Kraus for his efforts got a roughing double minor. Good for Kraus. It was a clean hit, but he came in to show the Giants wouldn't stand for it. Especially since Kraus isn't noted for gettng into the physical play.

No scoring in the 3rd. With a little over 3 minutes to go Archie was standing at the hash marks banging his stick wanting the coach to call him to the bench. Fnally with around 1:15 left Archibald is called to the bench. the Bruins would get into the Giants end, but as has been the norm in this series, the Giants won the battles along the boards and would clear the zone. This period saw Sexsmith at his best in the opening round. This period saw the Bruins FINALLY outshoot the Giants 15 shots to 5. But Sexy made not 1, not 2, not even 3 but 4 point blank saves to keep the Giants in a 2 goal lead.

As I try my best to get a Warm up the Tractor chant going, the clock ticks to 0. As Lucic is picking up the puck, a bru-ha-ha happens in front of the Giants bench. Watt must of said something, because the only real punches thrown were between Watt and Bhungal. Which I don't know why Bhungal is so upset because of anyone on the ice in this series, he has done the most yapping of anyone. Watt at one point got the jersey half way over Bhungal's head and landed a couple of good shots. Don Hay and Cory Cameron were doing their best to keep player out of the mix, as was captain Festerling and Mitch Czibere, worried about suspensions that may come out of this that would carry over to the second round. A ref (didn't catch who) was holding Lucic back which gave the Bruins an extra body in the fight that didn't matter anyway. But the game wouldn't end with a handshake as the refs order both teams to head to the bench and go to their dressing rooms. Festerling and Apenlind while cleaning up gear, stop and talk for a bit and sort of give each other a nod and a tap of the gloves cause for Apenlind, this is his last game as a junior and it is a total shame that this is how it had to end for him. I don't know who really you could pin the blame on for this. But it just stinks of real bad sportsmanship on both the part of Bhungal and Watt.

Scoring Summary
1. VAN Kraus, (1) (Wuchterl, Watt), 12:07    
1. CWK Aspenlind, (3) (Holden), 13:15 (SH)  
1. VAN McArdle, (3) (Bliznak, Machacek), 18:12    
2. VAN Machacek, (3) (Bliznak, McArdle), 16:29    

Shots on Goal
SHOTS 1 2 3 Total  
Chilliwack Bruins 5 5 13 23
Vancouver Giants 16 13 5 34

Penalties
1 - VAN Lucic, 4:46 - Holding Opp. Stick , 2 min (PP)  
1 - CWK Glennie, 6:10 - Holding , 2 min (PP)  
1 - CWK Holden, 8:38 - Delay of Game , 2 min (PP)  
1 - CWK Lineker, 10:06 - Interference , 2 min (PP)  
1 - CWK Hobbs, 12:57 - Holding , 2 min (PP)  
2 - VAN Repik, 0:28 - Interference , 2 min (PP)  
2 - CWK Lineker, 3:33 - Checking from Behind , 2 min (PP)  
2 - CWK Chapman, 6:25 - Roughing , 2 min  
2 - VAN Lucic, 6:25 - Roughing , 2 min  
2 - CWK Aspenlind, 8:11 - Kneeing , 2 min (PP)  
2 - CWK Hobbs, 10:36 - Roughing , 2 min  
2 - VAN Kraus, 10:36 - Roughing , 2 min (PP)  
2 - VAN Kraus, 10:36 - Roughing , 2 min  
2 - CWK Chapman, 14:03 - Holding , 2 min (PP)  
2 - VAN McArdle, 16:54 - Holding , 2 min (PP)  
2 - CWK Moller, 18:09 - Tripping , 2 min (PP)  
2 - VAN Bouma, 19:57 - Slashing , 2 min (PP)  
3 - VAN Watt, 3:13 - Boarding , 2 min (PP)  
3 - CWK Santorelli, 3:51 - Hooking , 2 min (PP)  
3 - VAN Lucic, 5:41 - Kneeing , 2 min (PP)  
3 - CWK Served By Santorelli, 9:45 - Too Many Men , 2 min (PP)  
3 - CWK Bhungal, 20:00 - Major-Fighting , 5 min  
3 - CWK Glennie, 20:00 - 10-Minute Misconduct , 10 min  
3 - CWK McCue, 20:00 - Major-Fighting , 5 min  
3 - CWK McCue, 20:00 - Game Misconduct , 10 min  
3 - VAN Lucic, 20:00 - 10-Minute Misconduct , 10 min  
3 - VAN Watt, 20:00 - Instigator , 2 min  
3 - VAN Watt, 20:00 - Major-Fighting , 5 min  
3 - VAN Watt, 20:00 - Game Misconduct , 10 min  
3 - VAN Wuchterl, 20:00 - Major-Fighting , 5 min  
3 - VAN Wuchterl, 20:00 - 10-Minute Misconduct , 10 min  

3 Stars
1. VAN - 22 Kenndal McArdle - I would have to call this his best game as a Giant. He was all over the ice. Battled hard and that goal from his knees was amazing.
2. VAN - 20 Mario Bliznak - 2 assists, a threat to score all night. Very good play all series long. Other than Spencer, probably the most consistant player for the Giants in this series IMHO.
3. CWK - 18 Josh Aspenlind - Good leader, scored the only goal tonight for the Bruins. I am so upset for him that he didn get to have a final handshake at the end to round out his junior career. I hope some pro team even at the ECHL level takes a chance and calls him for a walk on tryout after what he has shown in this series

Interesting Notes
- A Shaw Camera man hit in the jaw with a puck that went over the boards. He did well to not drop the camera and then the Giants trainer attended to him
-Archibald lost his trapper for a bit and did well to stay square to the play and make a save without it
-Yours truly came within 6 feet of catching a puck that was cleared over the glass. If I had of got up out of my seat, I probably would have caught it. Damn! I should have!

This post was last modified: 03-31-2007 10:41 AM by old_time_hockey.

just finished watching game 5 (as I taped it -- thank you Shaw for showing that one) -- and I'm glad I did -- not a bad tilt all in all.. good to get the win, but I am disappointed in the PP -- we have got to get that thing clicking sooner rather than later.

except --there were no third period goals the goal was in the second and Bliznak dished it to Machacek aftre McArdle got it to Mario.  Bliznak dished the puck to McArdle who was hooked the whole way to the net.  the Aspenlind goal was a gaffe by Mikks as the Bruins blue-line putting the puck right on Holden's stick.  Holden feeds a nice up ice pass to Aspenlind who dekes forehand and then flips the backhand over Sexsmith.  You have the first goal right though Wookie to Watt to Kraus -- beauty play I must say.

thanks OTH for the above -- you covered some territory I didn't and some that didn't exist

Giants Eliminate Bruins 3-1 Mar 30th

Yes, my post could do with some editing.

I was having some techinical issues at home after the game with my computer. I couldn't overwrite stuff and tried to fix that by remote desktop to my work computer but that connection for some reason was slower than the second coming. So at 1am, and after a few adult beverages, I decided to pack it in.

The part about the 2nd saw no scoring should have said 3rd and then the 3rd period part should have been for the second was going to something else but then I could cut and paste for some stupid reason so it had to stay as it was.

A big boo to dyslexia and then to Microsoft for crappy products that mess up at the worst times

This post was last modified: 03-31-2007 10:44 AM by old_time_hockey.

btw make use of the quick edit it rocks

Great summary. I was at my team's wind-up party so I missed the game and I forgot to set the VCR to record it so it was nice to read up on it. It's a shame that the game had to end the way it did, really bites for the Bruins who were playing in their last game, it's always nice to see the respect for the other team after a hard-fought series.

It was very cool to see Festerling and Aspenlind have a talk and shake hands while cleaning up the gloves and everything.

Another cool moment was when the Bruin that took the highstick was on the ice, Archibald and Sexsmith were standing in their creases playing pass along the whole length of the ice.

^ I completely missed Sexsmith and Archibald passing like that, I must have been paying attention to something else. That would have been cool to see.