RECAP: Chiefs Eliminate Giants in Five Games

Category: ArticleApril 5, 2025

Spokane, WA – The Vancouver Giants were eliminated from the 2025 Western Hockey League playoffs on Saturday night following a 9-4 loss to the Spokane Chiefs in game five of their opening round playoff series.

The Chiefs took the best-of-seven series 4-1.

Cameron Schmidt scored twice for Vancouver, while 20-year-olds Jaden Lipinski and Maxim Muranov also found the back of the net. The draft-eligible Schmidt had nine points in the series, on four goals and five assists.

Spokane’s top line of Berkly Catton, Andrew Cristall and Shea Van Olm combined for 18 points in the series clinching game, including seven of Spokane’s goals. Van Olm had a hat-trick; Catton and Cristall had two goals each. Rasmus Ekstrom and Assanali Sarkenov also scored for the home side.

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GAME SUMMARY

For the fourth time in the series, the Giants opened the scoring – and it was thanks to a beautiful goal right off the hop.

Entering off the rush, Ty Halaburda dropped the puck to Lipinski, who zipped a cross-ice pass to Schmidt at the left circle, who fired it home just 61 seconds into the game.

Not going down without a fight!#NHLDraft eligible Cameron Schmidt opens the scoring for the @WHLGiants in a must-win Game 5.#WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/qcsn2lfZ5n

— Western Hockey League (@TheWHL) April 6, 2025

Cristall responded on a power play a few minutes later.

Less than three minutes after Spokane’s equalizer, Schmidt put the Giants back in front after he deposited a loose puck past Cowan after Marek Howell’s point shot was blocked in front.

CAMERON SCHMIDT DOING CAMERON SCHMIDT THINGS.#NHLDraft | #WHLPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/4ioVoOhXMw

— X – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) April 6, 2025

Just past the midway part of the first, Spokane scored twice in 27 seconds, first Catton and then Van Olm.

Van Olm would score his second of the game with 5:30 left in the first period, giving Sokane a 4-2 lead after a hectic opening 20 minutes.

The Chiefs added to their lead just 91 seconds into the second, when Van Olm backhanded home a loose puck to complete the hat-trick.

Ekstrom made it 6-2 Spokane with a power play marker from the left circle just a few minutes later.

Sarkenov increased his club’s lead to 7-2 just 1:12 after Ekstrom’s goal.

In the opening minute of the third period, Cristall notched his second of the night to make the score 8-2.

Muranov and Lipinski scored a few minutes apart to get Vancouver to within four at 8-4, but that was as close as the Giants would come, with Catton hitting the empty net to make the final score 9-4.

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN —10/10/8 = 28 | SPO – 14/13/8 = 35
PP: VAN—0/3 | SPO — 2/3
Face-Offs: VAN — 32 | SPO — 34

3 STARS:

1st: SPO – Berkly Catton – 2G, 5A, 2 SOG, +4
2nd: SPO – Andrew Cristall – 2G, 4A, 2 SOG, +4
3rd: SPO – Shea Van Olm – 3G, 2A, 5 SOG, +4

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: LOSS – Burke Hood (12 saves / 18 shots). Brady Smith (14 saves / 16 shots in relief)
Spokane: WIN – Dawson Cowan (24 saves / 28 shots)

THEY SAID IT

“Disappointing end to the year of course, but we left it all out there, especially in the third, where we could have kind of folded. I thought we just kept pushing. So credit to the group, that’s the character we have in there. There was no quit. They just kept playing until the end…There were a lot of really good moments in that game. Again it was one of those series that was just full of different momentum leads throughout the game and it wasn’t any different tonight. We score a couple early and they get a couple right back. Just the ebbs and flows of this series with a lot of momentum and at the end of the day, Spokane grabbed that momentum more than we did. But our players competed and worked extremely hard tonight.” – Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio

UPCOMING

The Giants season is now over.

Below are the results from the series:

Game	Date	Away	Home	Time
1	Friday, March 28	Spokane	Vancouver	4-1 L
2	Sunday, March 30	Spokane	Vancouver	7-5 L
3	Wednesday, April 2	Vancouver	Spokane	3-2 W
4	Thursday, April 3	Vancouver	Spokane	6-2 L
5*	Saturday, April 5	Vancouver	Spokane	9-4 L