Giants can’t overcome early turnover woes
WESTERN HOCKEY LEAGUE: Vancouver doesn’t take advantage of a tired Tri-City squad as rally falls short in 5-4 home loss
The Vancouver Giants couldn’t make up for the messiness.
The Giants, who turned the puck over repeatedly in the first two periods against the Tri-City Americans Sunday, stormed back in the third but still fell 5-4 before a crowd of 3,720 at the Langley Events Centre.
The Americans did seem to run of gas, too, which wasn’t unexpected for a team playing its third game in a third city in as many days.
The Giants trailed 5-2 after two periods but received a power-play marker from James Malm at 11:19 of the third and then an even-strength tally from Johnny Wesley at 14:12 to bring an energy to the building.
Vancouver’s Alec Baer drove hard out of the left corner and drew a hooking penalty on Tri-City’s Nolan Yaremko with 3:58 remaining. Americans goalie Beck Warm foiled the Giants on the man advantage, though, highlighted by kicking out his left pad on a Thomas Foster point shot with 2:55 to go and standing his ground on a Wesley effort from the slot with 1:59 to play.
Tri-City (7-5-1-0) got 36 saves from Warm, while Dylan Coghlan, Kyle Olson and Parker AuCoin each had a goal and an assist. Three of Tri-City’s goals came directly off Vancouver turnovers. The other two were on power plays that were from penalties that came after the Giants turned the puck over.
The Americans were coming in off a 4-2 loss in Kelowna on Friday and a 4-3 overtime loss in Kamloops on Saturday.
Americans star centre Michael Rasmussen, who was the WHL’s leader in goals (11) going into the game, was held without a point. Surrey native Rasmussen, who is listed at 6-foot-5 3/4 and 215 pounds and is touted as a possible first rounder in the 2017 NHL Draft, showed off strong skating skills. Although he’s yet to be lauded often for his passing, he also displayed vision. He made a nifty feed from the right boards at the Vancouver blue line to Tri-City defenceman Juuso Valimaki along the left wing wall that gave Tri-City an easy entry on a second-period man advantage.
The Giants (6-9-0-0) were looking for their sixth win in seven starts, and were coming off an emotional 2-1 overtime triumph over the Swift Current Broncos at home on Saturday.
Radovan Bondra had one goal and two assists for Vancouver. Tyler Benson had the other Giants marker. Foster and Baer both had two assists.
Ryan Kubic was pulled in the second period after giving up five goals on 19 shots. David Tendeck stopped all nine shots he faced in relief.
The Giants return to action Friday when they visit Kamloops. They’re home to Kamloops on Saturday.