PREVIEW: Vancouver Giants vs. Kelowna Rockets (Game #67)

Category: ArticleApril 15, 2022

The final weekend of the 2021-2022 WHL regular season is upon us, and tonight at home the Vancouver Giants can officially punch their ticket to the WHL playoffs with a victory. Standing in their way tonight are the Kelowna Rockets. The Giants and Rockets will battle for the 12th and final time tonight, and for the third time in a span of seven days.

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KELOWNA ROCKETS

OVERVIEW

Record: 40-20-1-5

Road Record: 16-14-1-2

Last Game: A 3-2 home loss against Vancouver back on Sunday afternoon.

Last 10: 6-4-0-0

Goals For/Goals Against: 244 GF/204 GA (+40)

Power Play: 24.5% (6th)

Penalty Kill: 77.4% (16th)

Leading Scorers: Colton Dach (28-46-74), Pavel Novak (29-43-72), Andrew Cristall (26-39-65)

WHAT A WEEK FOR DACH

2003-born forward Colton Dach comes into the final week of the WHL’s regular season as the reigning WHL Player of the Week. The Chicago Blackhawks prospect/signee led all WHL skaters with 10 points (3G,7A) in four outings with the Rockets last week including a career-best five-point effort Saturday, April 9 against the Giants. Dach enters the final week of the 2021-22 Regular Season leading Kelowna in assists (46) and points (74). He was originally selected by the Saskatoon Blades with the sixth-overall pick in the 2018 WHL Draft and was acquired by Kelowna via trade in September of 2021. In 141 career WHL regular season appearances with the Blades and Rockets, Dach has notched 123 points (50G, 73A).

ROCKET NOTES

The Kelowna Rockets can finish no better than fifth in the Western Conference. They begin their first-round playoff series against the Seattle Thunderbirds next weekend.
Andrew Cristall leads all Rocket skaters with 19 points (6G, 13A) in 10 games against Vancouver so far.
Andrew Cristall and Mark Liwiski each have six goals against the Giants this season to lead the team.
Kelowna’s power play is 9/37 against Vancouver in 11 games so far.
Talyn Boyko is 5-1-1-0 against Vancouver with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage and one shutout.
The Rockets are 2-3 against the Giants in games played at the LEC.

VANCOUVER GIANTS

OVERVIEW

Record: 24-38-4-0

Home Record: 10-20-3-0

Last Game: A 6-0 loss at home Wednesday against Seattle

Last 10: 1-9-0-0

Goals For/Goals Against: 181 GF/246 GA (-65)

Power Play: 17.5% (18th)

Penalty Kill: 76.5% (18th)

Leading Scorers: Fabian Lysell (21-39-60), Ty Thorpe (16-28-44), Zack Ostapchuk (24-17-41)

‘CHUK’ING KNUCKLES

Vancouver Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk continues to show leadership at every turn.The 2003-born product of St. Albert, AB comes into tonight’s game with goals in three of his previous four games. In three games last weekend, Ostapchuk potted five goals along with one assist for six points. Then despite not scoring in Wednesday’s game against Seattle, he dropped the gloves in a spirited first period tilt with Seattle tough-guy Matthew Rempe, which sent the home crowd into a frenzy. For the season the signed prospect of the Ottawa Senators now has 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points which ranks him third on the team behind only Ty Thorpe (44) and Fabian Lysell (60). Originally selected by the Giants with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 WHL Prospects Draft, Zack Ostapchuk has now appeared in 130 career games with the Giants.

GIANT NOTES

The Vancouver Giants can clinch a berth in the WHL playoffs for the 14th time in their history tonight with a win. They enter the weekend ranked sixth in the Western Conference, one point up on both Prince George and Spokane and two points up on Victoria. All four teams play twice this weekend:

VAN – vs. KEL and At KAM

PG – At KAM and At KEL

VIC – vs. SPO and vs. SPO

SPO – At VIC and At VIC

The Giants are 18-13-1-0 when Ty Thorpe records at least one point and 11-3 when he scores a goal.
On March 18^th Everett, Connor Martin secured his first WHL victory since April 6^th, 2021 – A 42 save victory as a member of the Victoria Royals against the Prince George Cougars.
Payton Mount recorded his first career WHL hat-trick on Sunday, March 27 against Prince George.
Fabian Lysell leads all Giants skaters with 19 multi-point games.
In his last 36 games (Since Nov. 26^th in Tri-City), Fabian Lysell has produced 17 goals and 29 assists for 46 points.
When leading after two periods, the Giants are 19-2-2-0.
Jaden Lipinski recorded his first career multi-point game with two goals on March 11th against Tri-City.
Jaden Lipinski is the only Giant to have appeared in all 66 games that they’ve played so far this season.