PLAYOFF GAME DAY: Game 1 Friday, March 28 vs. Spokane

Langley, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants begin their first round playoff series against the Spokane Chiefs tonight at 7 p.m. at the Langley Events Centre.

While the Giants finished in sixth in the Western Conference with 76 points and the Chiefs were third with 93 points, Vancouver starts at home because Spokane has no building availability this weekend.

The G-Men went 0-3-1 vs. the Chiefs in the season series, but three of the four games were tight, especially the most recent one: a 4-3 road loss on Feb. 26.

Vancouver had a 6-2-0 record in their final eight games of the season with a +12 goal differential (25GF; 13GA), while the Chiefs went 4-3-0-1 during their final eight.

The Giants were also strong at home in the back half: they went 11-3-2 in their last 16 home games with a +26 goal differential (67 GF; 41 GA). Overall, Vancouver scored the fifth-most goals on home ice in the WHL this season (142).

Spokane went 19-7-1-2 after acquiring Andrew Cristall at the trade deadline from Kelowna.

FIRST ROUND PLAYOFF SCHEDULE

*If Necessary

RECENT PLAYOFF HISTORY

In 2019, the Giants eliminated the Chiefs in five games in the Western Conference Final, en route to their third WHL Championship Finals appearance.

They outscored Spokane 17-11 in the five game series, getting superb goaltending from David Tendeck, who recorded a .929 save percentage and 2.09 G.A.A. Four of the five games were decided by two goals or less, with two contests going to overtime.

Prior to that, the teams hadn’t met in post-season action since 2012.

LAST MEETING: FEB. 26/25: VAN 3 AT SPO 4 

The Vancouver Giants were literally inches away from getting a point out of a hard-fought road game on Feb. 26 against the Spokane Chiefs, but lost 4-3 in regulation after Ty Halaburda’s shot in the final minute with the extra attacker hit the post.

That game was knotted 2-2 after 40 minutes, before the Chiefs took a 4-2 lead that was eventually cut to 4-3.

Burke Hood was fabulous in net for Vancouver, finishing the night with 44 saves, which tied a career-high at the time. Tyler Thorpe and Connor Levis scored goals 26 seconds apart in the second period, while Adam Titlbach (26th) scored with 5:15 left in the third period to make it a one-goal game.

Vancouver held the line of Berkly Catton, Andrew Cristall and Shea Van Olm to a single point combined, with Van Olm scoring his league-leading 48th goal of the season. Mathis Preston, Chase Harrington and Coco Armstrong had the other Chiefs goals.

VAN LAST 5 REG. SEASON GAMES (3-2-0) | 14 GF, 10 GA

2024-25 TEAM H2H

SEASON SERIES VS. SPOKANE (0-3-1; 4 H2H)