PREVIEW: Giants Host Chiefs at 2 PM for Country Day
PHOTO BY: LARRY BRUNT
Langley, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants (26-25-3-0) look to sweep the season series this afternoon against the Spokane Chiefs (22-25-4-1) in a 2 p.m. matchup at the Langley Events Centre.
There is plenty of fun going on for this Family Day matinee, including multiple live music performances that will start at 12:45 p.m. in the Banquet Hall and will continue in each intermission and post-game, plus player autographs by select Giants after the game in the banquet hall too.
Family Day just got even more exciting! 🤩
Join us on February 19th for a perfect mix of hockey and country music. Gather your loved ones and cheer on the Giants as we face off against the Spokane Chiefs.
🎟️: https://t.co/vY5GfFy4Vn pic.twitter.com/Dgup8YB4HZ
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) February 12, 2024
The Giants saw their six-game winning streak snapped in Portland on Saturday after an 8-3 loss, but that shouldn’t take away from what has been a formidable stretch in 2024, one in which they have gone 13-4-1, including 7-0 at home.
Vancouver is now in sixth place in the West with 55 points, five points back of fifth and seven points back of fourth. The Chiefs, meanwhile, currently occupy the eighth and final playoff spot, currently six points behind Vancouver with 49.
Spokane won their most recent contest, 6-4 over Tri-City on Saturday night.
The Giants are 3-0 so far head-to-head against Spokane this season.
HOW TO TUNE IN
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LAST TIME OUT
The Portland Winterhawks took down the Vancouver Giants 8-3 at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Saturday night in a game that saw the two clubs combine for 116 minutes in penalties and nearly 20 power plays.
Scoring for Vancouver on Saturday was Cameron Schmidt (18th), Ty Halaburda (17th) and Tyson Zimmer (18th).
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP
This is the fourth and final head-to-head meeting this season.
The Giants picked up wins on Oct. 22 (5-3), Nov. 22 (3-0) and Dec. 3 (4-3). Brett Mirwald has been in net for Vancouver for all three head-to-heads wins and carries a .946 SV%.
The Giants are 8-1-1 in their last 10, and 7-0 at home since Jan. 1, with a goal differential in those seven home games of +14 (31 GF, 17 GA).
Spokane is 4-1-0-1 in their last six games, with a +8 goal differential (32 GF, 24 GA). They have the league’s seventh-best power play and are lead up front by the trio of Berkly Catton, Conner Roulette and Chase Bertholet, who have combined for 224 points this season.
The player to watch from the Giants is goaltender Brett Mirwald, who leads the entire WHL in total saves (1389) and is 2nd in minutes played (2524), while also ranking T-3rd in Wins (23) and 5th in SV% (.915). After Friday’s win over the Western Conference leading Portland Winterhawks, Mirwald improved to 9-0-1 in his last 10 games with a .942 SV%. In the second half of the season (since Christmas), only one goaltender has more wins than Mirwald’s 12 (Jackson Unger has 13 for Moose Jaw).
The player to watch from the Chiefs is Conner Roulette, whose 77 points this season (35G-42A) are tied for 9th in the WHL. His 35 goals and 77 points are a new career-high. The left-shot winger enters action riding a six-game point streak, with 10 points during that span (4G-6A). He also had an eight-game point streak not long ago, meaning he has points in 14 of his last 15 games (24 points in those 15 games).
TALE OF THE TAPE
VANCOUVER | STAT | SPOKANE |
26-25-3-0 (55 Pts) | RECORD | 22-25-4-1 (49 Pts) |
3rd | DIV. RANK | 4th |
6th | CONF. RANK | 8th |
8-1-1-0 | PAST 10 | 5-4-0-1 |
1L | STREAK | 1W |
14-10-2-0 | HOME | 12-14-1-0 |
12-15-1-0 | AWAY | 10-11-3-1 |
168 (3.11 – 16th) | GF (/G) | 202 (3.88 -7th) |
200 (3.70 – 13th) | GA (/G) | 217 (4.17 – T-18th) |
40-for-184 (21.7%) | PP% | 46-for-187 (24.6%) |
187-for-235 (79.6%) | PK% | 150-for-216 (74.1%) |
Halaburda (17-31-48)
Lipinski (15-31-46) Thorpe (23-21-44) |
LEADERS | Catton (39-47-86)
Roulette (35-42-77) Bertholet (19-43-61) |
WHAT ARE WE WEARING
The Giants will be wearing their black alternate jerseys tonight. They are 6-0 when wearing them this season.
SEASON SERIES VS. SPOKANE (3-0-0-0; 4 H2H)
DATE | LOCATION | RESULT/TIME |
Oct. 22, 2023 | LEC | 5-2 W |
Nov. 22, 2023 | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena | 3-0 W |
Dec. 3, 2024 | Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena | 4-3 W |
Feb. 19, 2024 | LEC | 2:00 pm PST |
NEXT 5 GAMES
DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION | TIME |
Feb. 19, 2024 | vs. Spokane | LEC | 2:00 pm PST |
Feb. 23, 2024 | at Kelowna | Prospera Place | 7:05 pm PST |
Feb. 24, 2024 | vs. Kamloops | LEC | 7:00 pm PST |
March 1, 2024 | vs. Kelowna | LEC | 7:00 pm PST |
March 2, 2024 | at Kamloops | Sandman Centre | 6:00 pm PST |