PREVIEW: Vancouver GIants vs. Everett Silvertips (Game #6)
Tonight at the Langley Events Centre, the Vancouver Giants can officially punch their ticket to Round 2 of the WHL playoffs with a victory tonight over the Everett Silvertips. The Giants put themselves into a clinching position thanks to an 11-6 victory at home Friday, followed by a 3-0 road victory Saturday. The Everett Silvertips though can clinch a Game 7 back at home on Wednesday with a road victory tonight.
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EVERETT SILVERTIPS
OVERVIEW
Record: 2-3
Road Record: 1-1
Last Game: A 3-0 home loss on Saturday night.
Goals For/Goals Against: 23 GF/24 GA (-1)
Power Play: 6/26 (23.1%)
Penalty Kill: 18/29 (62.1%)
Leading Scorers: Niko Huuhtanen (5-5-10), Ryan Hofer (5-3-8), Jacob Wright (5-3-8)
ALL IS ‘ZWELL’
With their backs against the wall, the Everett Silvertips will no doubt be looking to 2003-born defenceman Olen Zellweger to lead the way in a “must win” Game 6. Zellweger, a 2003-born defenceman from Fort Saskatchewan, AB comes into tonight’s game with two goals and five assists for seven points which ranks him fourth in team scoring during the post season. During the regular season, the 2021 second-round draftee/signee of the Anaheim Ducks led all WHL defencemen in scoring with 78 points (14G, 64).
SWETLIKOFF RETURNS
Saturday night at home, the Everett Silvertips got a big boost with the return of their leading scorer from the regular season, Alex Swetlikoff. The 6’3″ product of Kelowna, B.C. comes into tonight’s game with one goal in three games so far in the series, but he led the charge during the regular season with 33 goals and 51 assists for 84 points. A veteran of 178 career WHL games, Swetlikoff will no doubt be primed and ready for a big night as he looks to help keep his team alive in this series.
SILVERTIP NOTES
- Forwards Niko Huuhtanen and Ryan Hofer both left Saturday’s game with injuries and did not return. Their status for Game 6 is unknown at this time.
- 2002-born forward Jacob Wright secured his first career WHL hat-trick with a three-goal effort on Friday in Game 4.
- Goaltender Braden Holt has started the previous four games of the series for Everett and has gone 2-1 with a 3.53 goals-against average and an .891 save percentage.
- Four of Olen Zellweger’s five assists in the series so far have come via the power play.
- The Everett Silvertips have outscored the Giants 12-3 in the first period so far in the series.
VANCOUVER GIANTS
OVERVIEW
Record: 3-2
Home Record: 1-1
Last Game: A 3-0 road win in Everett.
Goals For/Goals Against: 24/23 GA (+1)
Power Play: 11/29 (37.9%)
Penalty Kill: 20/26 (76.9%)
Leading Scorers: Fabian Lysell (4-7-11), Alex Cotton (3-8-11), Zack Ostapchuk (2-9-11)
OSTAPCHUK NABS PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONOURS
Vancouver Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk accomplished something on Friday night for the Giants that had only been done one other time in the entire history of the franchise. During an 11-6 Game 5 victory, Ostapchuk scored twice and added four assists for a six-point game, joining Gilbert Brulé as the only two Giants to ever score six points in a single playoff game. Ostapchuk, a 2003-born draftee/signee of the Ottawa Senators (Round 2) has now notched two goals and nine assists for the Giants through the first five games of the series, and is tied for the team lead in playoff scoring alongside Fabian Lysell and Alex Cotton. Earlier today he earned Player of the Week honours for his efforts.
JESPER ‘W’IKMAN
Not only did Jesper Vikman’s 50-save shutout in Game 5 smash the previous Giants playoff record, but it’s also a WHL record since the league started tracking playoff stats in 1996. The old franchise record came on April 25, 2006, when Dustin Slade stopped all 32 shots against the Silvertips in a 5-0 win. Two goalies previously held the league playoff record with a 45-save shutout: Chet Pickard with Tri-City in 2006 and Nick Pannoni with Seattle in 2002. For the series, Jesper Vikman is now 3-1 with a 3.85 goals-against average and an .887 save percentage.
GIANT NOTES
- Adam Hall and Fabian Lysell are the only players with points in all 5 playoff games.
- Alex Cotton’s 5-point performance in Game 4 is a franchise record for Giants defensemen in the playoffs.
- Before Jesper Vikman’s shutout in Game 5, the last Giants goalie to earn a shutout in a playoff game was Trent Miner, who made 15 saves against the Victoria Royals on April 5, 2019.
- Two of the Giants three wins so far in the series have come on the road.
- Game 4 had more goals scored (17) than the entire 4-game series between the Portland Winterhawks and Prince George Cougars (15).
- Coming into tonight, the Giants have scored the most power play goals out of any team in the WHL playoffs with 11. They also have the 3rd highest power play percentage in the playoffs at 37.9% (11 for 29).
*Notes provided by: Kyle Dalla Zanna
