PREVIEW: Vancouver Giants vs. Seattle Thunderbirds (Game #66)

Category: ArticleApril 13, 2022

Tonight at the Langley Events Centre the Vancouver Giants can officially punch their ticket to the playoffs with a victory against the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Giants are coming off a spirited 3-2 road victory Sunday in Kelowna while the Seattle Thunderbirds are looking to extend their winning streak to three in a row. This marks the final week of the regular season for the Giants, and tonight’s game is their final ‘game in hand’ on the other three teams (Spokane, Prince George, Victoria) that they are surrounded by in the Western Conference standings.

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SEATTLE THUNDERBIRDS

OVERVIEW

Record: 42-18-4-2

Road Record: 21-10-1-0

Last Game: A 4-1 win at home over Everett on Sunday.

Last 10: 7-3-0-0

Record vs. VAN: 3-0

Goals For/Goals Against: 259 GF/175 GA (+84)

Power Play: 23.4% (9th)

Penalty Kill: 83.4% (3rd)

Leading Scorers: Jared Davidson (36-47-83), Lukas Svejkovsky (35-41-76), Henrik Rybinski (21-44-65)

‘CHIN’ UP

2004-born defenceman Kevin Korchinski (Saskatoon, SK) is poised to hear his name called in the early rounds of the 2022 NHL Draft. The 6’2″ left-shot defenceman comes into this week ranked fourth in league scoring among defencemen with four goals and 60 assists for 64 points. His 60 assists are the second most among all WHL defencemen trailing only Olin Zellweger of the Everett Silvertips. Over the course of his current seven-game point streak, Korchinski has managed 11 assists. In three games so far this season against Vancouver, Korchinski has three assists. Korchinski recently represented Seattle in the 2022 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game and was ranked #20 on NHL Central Scouting’s Mid-Term Rankings List among North American skaters for the upcoming draft.

WHAT THE STANDINGS SAY

The Seattle Thunderbirds enter tonight’s game ranked fourth in the Western Conference standings. They can go no higher, or no lower than fourth regardless of what unfolds tonight and later this weekend. The Thunderbirds will battle the fifth placed Kelowna Rockets in Round 1 of the WHL playoffs. Seattle is 3-0 on the season so far against the Giants, and have outscored the Giants 18-6 in that span.

SEATTLE NOTES

The Thunderbirds are a perfect 5-0 on the road against the B.C. Division this season.
With their win in Kennewick April 1^st over the Tri-City Americans, the Thunderbirds established a new franchise best for road wins in a season with 21.
In his last ten games Jared Davidson has registered 19-points (10g, 8a). He is currently ninth in the league in scoring with 83 points in 62 games.
The Thunderbirds power play is 4/12 against the Giants this season.
The Thunderbirds have surrendered two goals against the Giants in each of their first three meetings.

VANCOUVER GIANTS

OVERVIEW

Record: 24-37-4-0

Home Record: 10-19-3-0

Last Game: A 3-2 road victory on Sunday against Kelowna

Last 10: 2-8-0-0

Record vs. SEA: 0-3

Goals For/Goals Against: 181 GF/240 GA (-59)

Power Play: 17.7% (18th)

Penalty Kill: 76.3% (18th)

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

GOOD LUCK ‘CHUK’

Vancouver Giants captain Zack Ostapchuk is coming off one of his best offensive weekends to date in the Western Hockey League. The 2003-born product of St. Albert, AB comes into tonight’s game riding a three-game goal scoring streak. In three game last weekend for the Giants, Ostapchuk potted five goals along with one assist for six points. It started Friday with a goal at home against Portland, and then on Saturday he secured his first career WHL hat-trick in a loss to Kelowna. Sunday in the rematch, Ostapchuk notched his team-leading 24th goal in the second period to help lift the Giants to a huge 3-2 victory. 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).

HUTCH IS SO CLUTCH

On Sunday, April 10^th in Kelowna, 15-year-old Matthew Hutchison secured his first career WHL win when he stopped 27 of the 29 shots faced in a 3-2 Giants victory against the Kelowna Rockets. It was the second start of the season for Hutchison who made his WHL debut for the Giants back on March 9^th in Spokane. Hutchison was selected by the Giants in Round 3 of the 2021 WHL Prospects Draft with the 50th overall selection. Matthew Hutchison will start tonight’s game in goal for the Giants.

GIANT NOTES

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 35 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 is the only Giant to have appeared in all 65 games that they’ve played so far this season.