PREVIEW: Giants Begin 4-Game Week at Home vs. Tri-City Tonight
PHOTO BY: JOHN KELLER
Langley, B.C. – Tonight the Vancouver Giants (29-29-4-0) look to keep their home winning ways going against the Tri-City Americans (22-37-2-1) when they host them at the Langley Events Centre at 7 p.m.
With only six games left in the regular season, tonight has big implications for the Giants, who clinched a playoff spot this past weekend, but now sit in seventh-place in the Western Conference standings. To catch Victoria for sixth (three points ahead) or Kelowna for fifth (four points ahead), a win tonight is pretty much necessary.
Vancouver lost both games over the weekend in Prince George, falling 5-3 and 6-3 to the Cougars. The Giants are, however, 10-0-1 in their last 11 home games.
The Americans have lost five straight and are 2-8 in their last 10. They sit 10th in the West and have officially been eliminated from playoff contention. Tri-City has only seven road wins all season, but they lead the season series 2-1.
HOW TO TUNE IN
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LAST TIME OUT
The Prince George Cougars came flying out of the gate on Saturday night with four goals in less than eight minutes, ultimately leading to a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Giants at the CN Centre.
Goaltender Matthew Hutchison was the storyline for the Giants on Saturday, as he stopped 30 of 32 shots in relief of Brett Mirwald.
Providing the Giants goals on Saturday was Ty Halaburda (20th) – who reached the 20-goal plateau for the second straight year – rookie Jakob Oreskovic (3rd) and Adam Titlbach (8th).
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
Tonight is the fourth and final head-to-head meeting this season. Vancouver is 1-2 so far in the season series.
Vancouver’s lone win came on Dec. 2 on the road (6-3). The Americans’ wins came on Nov. 1 at home (4-1) and Nov. 25 at the LEC (5-2).
The Giants went 8-2 in February but are just 1-3-1 so far in March, where they’ve struggled with their starts, being outscored 9-3 in the first period of their five games this month.
The Ams, meanwhile, are 1-8 in their last nine games and have struggled to keep the puck out of their net. During those nine games, they have allowed an average of 5.67 goals per game.
The Giants Player to Watch this evening is Ty Halaburda, who scored his 20th goal of the season on Saturday, reaching the 20-goal plateau for the second consecutive year. The right-shot forward co-leads the Giants in points this season with 57 (20G-37A) and has chipped in with seven power play goals, three shorthanded goals and two game-winning-goals. Most impressively as of late, Halaburda is riding an 11-game home point streak, during which he has recorded 18 points (4G-14A). He also leads the Giants in H2H scoring versus Tri-City this season, with six points in three games (3G-3A), including his first WHL hat-trick on Dec. 2.
The Player to Watch for the Americans is forward Parker Bell, who is coming off a two-goal performance on Sunday, helping him reach the 30-goal plateau for the first time in his WHL career. Last season, the Calgary Flames fifth-round draft pick from 2022 had 25 goals and 64 points in 55 games. Of Bell’s 30 goals this season, seven have come on the power play and two have come shorthanded. The left-shot power forward has 14 points, including nine goals, in his last 11 games.
TALE OF THE TAPE
| VANCOUVER | STAT | TRI-CITY |
| 29-29-4-0 (62 Pts) | RECORD | 22-37-2-1 (47 Pts) |
| 4th | DIV. RANK | 6th |
| 7th | CONF. RANK | 10th |
| 4-5-1-0 | PAST 10 | 2-8-0-0 |
| 2L | STREAK | 5L |
| 17-10-3-0 | HOME | 15-15-1-1 |
| 12-19-1-0 | AWAY | 7-22-1-0 |
| 198 (3.19 – 15th) | GF (/G) | 189 (3.05 – 20th) |
| 228 (3.68 – 12th) | GA (/G) | 270 (4.35 – 21st) |
| 44-for-212 (20.8%) | PP% | 40-for-222 (18.0%) |
| 210-for-267 (78.7%) | PK% | 142-for-202 (70.3%) |
| Lipinski (18-39-57)
Halaburda (20-37-57) Levis (20-29-49) |
LEADERS | Sloan (29-35-64)
Gavin (21-40-59) Bell (30-26-56) |
| 103 Points (20th) | POINTS BY D | 113 Points (17th) |
WHAT ARE WE WEARING
The Giants will be wearing their primary red jerseys for tonight’s game.
SEASON SERIES VS. TRI-CITY (1-2-0-0; 4 H2H)
| DATE | LOCATION | RESULT/TIME |
| Nov. 1, 2023 | Toyota Center | 4-1 L |
| Nov. 25, 2023 | LEC | 5-2 L |
| Dec. 2, 2023 | Toyota Center | 6-3 W |
| March 12, 2023 | LEC | 7:00 pm PT |
NEXT 5 GAMES
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | TIME |
| March 12, 2024 | vs. Tri-City | LEC | 7:00 pm PST |
| March 15, 2024 | vs. Kamloops | LEC | 7:00 pm PST |
| March 16, 2024 | at Kamloops | Sandman Centre | 6:00 pm PST |
| March 17, 2024 | vs. Prince George | LEC | 4:00 pm PST |
| March 22, 2024 | vs. Kamloops | LEC | 7:00 pm PST |
