PREVIEW: Giants Visit Rockets in Crucial Divisional Matchup Friday

PHOTO BY: ROB WILTON

Kelowna, B.C. – The surging Vancouver Giants (27-25-3-0) visit the Kelowna Rockets (25-28-3-0) tonight at 7 p.m. in a crucial matchup, with just four points separating the two clubs in the standings.

The Giants have gone 14-4-1 since Jan. 1 and are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games. They are coming off a 6-3 win on Monday afternoon over the Spokane Chiefs.

The Rockets, meanwhile, are coming off a 3-2 win over the Tri-City Americans on home ice on Family Day, which snapped a four-game losing streak. Kelowna is 4-6 in their last 10 games.

The Giants currently sit in sixth place in the Western Conference with 57 points, three points back of Wenatchee for fifth and five points back of Victoria for fourth. The Rockets are in seventh place with 53 points.

Tonight is the fifth of eight head-to-head meetings this season.

HOW TO TUNE IN Date | Time  Friday, February 23 | 7:00 pm PT Place Langley Events Centre Video Stream watch.chl.ca Listen Sportsnet 650 | Pre-Game begins at 6:00 p.m. Live Stats Click Here Social Media Twitter | Facebook  | Instagram | TikTok

LAST TIME OUT

A bit of a sleepy second period was overcome by a very strong third for the Vancouver Giants on Monday afternoon, as they defeated the Spokane Chiefs 6-3 at the Langley Events Centre.

The Giants were tied 2-2 after 40 minutes but pulled away in the third. In total, they got goals from six different players on Monday: Cameron Schmidt (19th), London Hoilett (6th), Connor Levis (18th), Logen Hammett (6th),  Tyson Zimmer (19th), and Jaden Lipinski (16th).

Goaltender Brett Mirwald stopped 37 of 40 for his 24th win of the season. He is now 13-2-1 in his last 16 games.

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP

Tonight is the fifth of eight head-to-head meetings this season.

The Rockets lead the season series 3-1, picking up wins on Oct. 21 (6-5), Dec. 1 (4-0) and Jan. 19 (5-2). The Giants lone head-to-head win was the most recent game, coming on Jan. 21 by a score of 4-2.

During the Giants 10-1-1 stretch, they have a goal differential of +17 (52 GF, 35 GA). The Rockets are 4-7-1 in their last 12 games and 1-4 in their last five. Kelowna has the league’s second-worst penalty kill on home ice this season, at just 68.7 per cent, but they also carry the WHL’s third-best home power play, at 30.3 per cent.

The player to watch from the Giants is goaltender Connor Levis, who had a goal and two assists in his last game and has 11 points in his last seven games (3G-8A).

The player to watch from the Rockets is Tij Iginla, who has 38 goals and 66 points in 52 games this season. His 38 goals are T-6th in the entire WHL. The left-shot winger also has five goals and eight points in just three games against Vancouver this season.

TALE OF THE TAPE

VANCOUVER	STAT	KELOWNA
27-25-3-0 (57 Pts)	RECORD	25-28-3-0 (53 Pts)
3rd	DIV. RANK	4th
6th	CONF. RANK	7th
8-1-1-0	PAST 10	4-6-0-0
1W	STREAK	1W
15-10-2-0	HOME	16-9-2-0
12-15-1-0	AWAY	9-19-1-0
174 (3.16 – T-16th)	GF (/G)	194 (3.46 -12th)
203 (3.69 – 11th)	GA (/G)	222 (3.96 – T-16th)
40-for-186 (21.5%)	PP%	45-for-211 (21.3%)
191-for-239 (79.9%)	PK%	156-for-216 (72.2%)
Halaburda (17-33-50) Lipinski (16-31-47) Levis (18-28-46)	LEADERS	Cristall (31-55-86) Iginla (38-28-66) Sztruc (27-38-65)

SEASON SERIES VS. KELOWNA (1-3-0-0; 8 H2H)