Vancouver Giants @ Saskatoon Blades
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Credit Union Center
7:05PM

Radio: Internet Feed: http://www.vancouvergiants.com/listen_live.html
TV: None
Web: http://livestream.whl.ca/

Vancouver: 31-9-1-4
Saskatoon: 15-27-2-1

Giants
Giants are on a 2 game winning streak, 7-2-0-1 in the past 10, and are 2-1 in their 6 game Eastern Conf. swing. The CPZ line is locked and loaded these days. Kane and Nunn seem to have hit it off in a big way and Casey can compliment their style. I would expect that Kryamer Barnstable will get the call between the pipes in this game to give Sexy a night off in this 4 in 5 stretch.

The Blades are having an off season. This storied franchise is only 2 point in front of the Rebels for last place in the East. Blades leading scorer is Derek Hulak (103rd over all) with 9G 17A for 26pts. Although their starting goalie Braden Holtby has a very nice save % of 0.907.

Players to Watch
More than just a player, I think the CPZ line will have a multiple point performance for each player. I'm going out there, but I have a good gut feeling here.

For the Blades, if they are going to gut out a win puck stopper Holtby is going to have to stand on his head especially against the league leading PP of the Giants while the Blades are ranked 8th on the PK.

This post was last modified: 01-16-2008 12:25 AM by old_time_hockey.

Giants have to bring the same kind of game they brought in Prince Albert except they need to g=keep the pressure on, make the safe plays when they have the lead and play the kind of intense hockey they played versus the Wheat Kings.  This is another one of those "gimme" games *knock on wood* that should not be a problem for them to win.

A couple of wild cards in the mix.  The Blades barely lost last night to Moose Jaw going down 1-0 so expect to see them up their game considerably and go for the goals.  Barnstable should get the start and although he has the ability to put together some solid minutes, he also has the ability to allow a few easy ones.  Could actually be a closer game than these two team's records indicate and I said in the PA preview, a top team playing a team at the bottom of the standings has to be aware of taking the game too lightly (which to a lesser degree they did in PA last night).  The Blades have some scorers on their squads and in this league any team can win on a given night.

To me, this looks like an instant win. The Giants leading scorer has almost twice as many points as the Blades leader, and 1st in the league vs. 2nd last in the East... I can't see the Giants losing. I do see Barnstable getting a shutout tonight, though.

Prediction: VAN 4-0 SAS

it may look like an instant win, but that's why we play the games, because any team in the league is capable of beating another one on any given night.

I might have to kill you MrB .. never say anything is a lock -- that's why we play the game.. never know when you are going to come up against a hot goalie and Holtby was hot tonight

Well this is a team that the Giants should probably have shredded, but that's why we play the game.  Listened to the game and it sounded as if all the officiating was a tad suspect and pretty damn poor at times.  Holtby sounds like the real deal, but I would have loved to see the quality of our scoring chances or theirs for that matter.  As much as I can get from how Joey calls the game, there's no substitute for seeing it yourself and even then its tough.

Blades Cut Giants 2-1 SO - VGHQ

Well, I was wrong, but, you know, 1st place vs. 22nd place, I didn't think the Blades had a chance.

no me neither but that's why you never utter the words sure win (notice how I knocked on wood ) -- in my many years I have seen bottom teams beat top teams and average teams claw their way back by beating teams they should have no chance against.  Looking down the Blades roster their record does not reflect the talent they actually have on their team.  Canadian Junior players like Colton Gillies and young up and comers like Niemi can turn games and if their goalie (who is the real deal no doubt, a few rookie mistakes here and there, but mostly keeping his team in there,) can get hot - a good but an under performing team can right the ship and go on a tear.  I think we were actually lucky to get a point out of last night.  Also one other thing to take in account is that the East is very tough this year and with so many games within your own division (man they have got to address that -- I do not want to watch the Bruins or Rockets 10 times a season ever again) you can slide or climb pretty quickly on a good run.

In the end that's what makes this league exciting as there tends to be solid average parity and even the top teams have counterparts capable of sending them on a spiral down.  By comparison I do not see that parity in the Q or the O.  I see a few teams in each league who are always at the top and lots of teams dwelling in the cellar serving only to pad the top team's stats.  

The teams which came from the O and the Q last season to the Mem Cup were an embarrassment in my mind and really I have a very hard time believing that either of them won their leagues.  Want an example of a very average team riding a hot goalie?  look at the Lewiston maineiacs, one sniper and a very hot Bernier and they win the Q -- wtf?

Yeah, you're right. I will never do it again.

But Lewiston MAINEiacs? They shouldn't have won the Q. They also have a dumb team name.

^ that they do .. but they're Amuricans so what do ya expect?