PREVIEW: Vancouver Giants at Spokane Chiefs (Game #52)

Category: ArticleMarch 9, 2022

Tonight in Spokane the Vancouver Giants kick off a three-game swing through the US Division when they battle the Spokane Chiefs for the second time this season. The Giants have dropped four straight and are looking to create a little more separation from the Cougars (two points), Chiefs (four points) and Royals (five points), all of whom are within striking distance of the Giants in the Western Conference standings. The Chiefs meanwhile have won two straight and are one point up on the Victoria Royals for the eighth and final playoff spot.

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SPOKANE CHIEFS

OVERVIEW

Record: 17-31-4-1

Home Record: 10-17-2-0

Last Game: A 3-1 victory last Saturday against the Prince George Cougars on the road.

Last 10: 5-4-1-0

Record vs. VAN: 0-1

Goals For/Goals Against: 139 GF/229 GA (-90)

Power Play: 20.8% (13th)

Penalty Kill: 72.5% (2oth)

Leading Scorers: Bear Hughes (18-32-50), Nick McCarry (15-33-48), Chase Bertholet (20-26-46)

‘BEAR’ IT ALL

Offensively the Spokane Chiefs are led by over-age forward Bear Hughes. The 2020 draftee of the Washington Capitals (Round 5) comes into tonight’s game with a team-leading 50 points (18G, 32A). Hughes has collected points in each of his past five games and in that span has four goals and seven assists for 11 points. In 112 career WHL games, Hughes has 36 goals and 63 assists for 99 points. He’s one of the last remaining holdovers from the Spokane roster who faced the Giants in the 2019 Western Conference final.

NEW FACES

Since these teams last faced each other in late November, the Spokane Chiefs have added two new faces who have made a strong impact up front.

Chase Bertholet was acquired in a December trade with the Winnipeg ICE which saw Jack Finley head East. Since joining the Chiefs, Bertholet has notched 12 goals and 17 assists for 29 points in 32 games. For the season he’s managed 20 goals which is most on the team.
Nick McCarry was acquired in a trade deadline day deal with the Kamloops Blazers which saw Luke Toporowski head to Kamloops. The over-age forward has secured eight goals and 12 assists for 20 points in 21 games with Spokane. He leads all Spokane skaters this season with 33 assists.

CHIEF NOTES

Goaltender Mason Beaupit was invited to the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game later this month on March 23.
Graham Sward (Dalton Sward’s younger brother) leads all Chiefs defencemen with 38 points (8G, 30A)
When leading after one period the Chiefs are 8-3-1-1.
When leading after two periods the Chiefs are 14-2-1-0.

VANCOUVER GIANTS

OVERVIEW

Record: 20-28-3-0

Road Record: 11-14-1-0

Last Game: A 5-4 loss at home to Kelowna on Sunday

Last 10: 4-5-1-0

Record vs. SPO: 1-0

Goals For/Goals Against: 142 GF/176 GA (-34)

Power Play: 19.4% (15th)

Penalty Kill: 76.4% (18th)

Leading Scorers: Fabian Lysell (18-24-42), Ty Thorpe (14-25-39), Alex Cotton (12-19-31)

ZACK OSTAP”C”HUK

2003-born forward/Ottawa Senators prospect Zack Ostapchuk (St. Albert, AB) was named the 19^th captain of the Vancouver Giants yesterday before the team embarked on their road trip. In 45 games this season, Ostapchuk has registered 16 goals and 14 assists for 30 points along with four power play goals, a team-leading three shorthanded goals and a team-leading four game-winning goals. During the 2020-21 season, Ostapchuk added seven goals and nine assists for 16 points. The Ottawa Senators took notice, and selected Ostapchuk with the 39^th overall selection in the 2021 NHL Draft. He signed a three-year entry level contract with the Senators back in late September.

AN AMERICAN TWIST

Tonight in Spokane the Vancouver Giants kick off a stretch of eight straight games against the US Division. Following tonight’s tilt with Spokane the Giants will then face Tri-City (Friday), Portland (Saturday) and will then return home to battle Tri-City again (Wednesday). The Giants will then do home-and-home weekends with both the Everett Silvertips and the Seattle Thunderbirds to round out the eight-game stretch.

GIANT NOTES

Cole Shepard has recorded points in five straight games. During that stretch he has three goals and three assists for six points.
Jaden Lipinski has scored goals in back-to-back games for the first time in his WHL career.
Jaden Lipinski is the only Giant to have appeared in all 51 games that they’ve played so far this season.
Connor Horning is five games shy of 250 for his WHL career.
With a goal on Sunday against Kelowna, Connor Horning set a new season high for goals in a season (9).