RECAP: Giants Top Royals in a Shootout

Category: ArticleOctober 28, 2023

PHOTO BY: KEVIN LIGHT

Victoria, B.C. – For the second consecutive night, the Vancouver Giants took a 2-1 lead on the Victoria Royals into the third period.

But on Saturday, unlike Friday, Vancouver came away with the win, topping their B.C. division rivals 3-2 in a shootout.

The Giants are now 4-6-1 this season.

Two defencemen provided the goals in regulation, as Colton Roberts scored at even strength and Mazden Leslie scored on the power play. Three Giants scored in the shootout: Tyler Thorpe, Ty Halaburda and Jaden Lipinski, who had the game-clinching shootout goal. Giants goaltender Brett Mirwald was fantastic again, finishing with 31 saves on 33 shots.

Cole Reschny and Teydon Tremecky scored in regulation for Victoria, while Reschny and Dawson Pasternak each scored in the shootout.

CLICK FOR THE OFFICIAL WHL BOXSCORE

GAME SUMMARY:

Vancouver played a very strong first period, getting goals from Roberts and Leslie roughly six minutes apart.

First, Roberts smacked home a loose puck in the slot area, after Halaburda’s initial shot from the high slot was blocked.

Midway through the period, the Giants converted on a power play, when Cameron Schmidt fed a cross-ice pass to Leslie, who one-timed it past Kraus before the goaltender could even get set.

The Royals pushed back in the second, making for a more even period, and with just over two minutes left in the middle frame, Reschny scored a shorthanded goal to cut the Giants lead in half.

The ice tilted more in the home team’s favour in the third and Trembecky would tie the game at the 7:51 mark, which ended up sending the game to overtime.

In the extra frame, the teams exchanged a couple chances early, but things remained tied, much in part thanks to a fabulous sequence from Mirwald, where he robbed Robin Sapousek and Nate Misskey back to back.

🎥 SAVE OF THE NIGHT 🎥

Mirwald's Magic. @RealCdnSS | @WHLGiants | #SaveoftheNight pic.twitter.com/9C8fIJwFyb

— The WHL (@TheWHL) October 29, 2023

Then with 1:59 remaining in overtime, the Giants were whistled for a high sticking penalty. However, they were able to kill it off, sending them to their first shootout of the season.

Adam Titlbach went for Vancovuer first, but could not score. Reschny was the first Royals shooter and he delivered, giving Victoria the early 1-0 lead in the shootout.

Tyler Thorpe was up next for the Giants and he tied the game with a quick shot past the blocker of Kraus.

After Mirwald got some help from the post to turn away Sapousek, Halaburda had a chance to give the Giants a 2-1 advantage and he did just that, scoring in his hometown by going to the backhand and lifting it easily past Kraus.

The next shooter was Dawson Pasternak, and with the game on the line, he came through, tying the shootout 2-2, pushing things to sudden death shooters.

Lipinski was the next man shooter, and he was up for the task, as he came down on his off wing and beat Kraus on the glove with a quick shot to once again give Vancouver a lead in the shootout.

It was then up to Mirwald to shut the door, and he too delivered, making a save on Trembecky to end the game 4-3 in the Giants favour.

THEY SAID IT

“I liked our game tonight for the most part. In the past three or four games, we’ve paid a little more attention to awareness away from the puck. I think we’re doing a better job of getting five guys connected, so it was nice to see the guys get rewarded…I thought our first was really, really good and then we ran into a bit of penalty trouble and that I think hurts your momentum [when] guys start sitting on the bench a little bit longer that aren’t on the kill. But we got it back and at the end of the day we got a much needed win.” – Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN — 13/10/3/2 = 29 | VIC – 8/10/10/5 = 33
PP: VAN — 1/3 | VIC — 0/6
Face-Offs: VAN — 37 | VIC — 31

3 STARS

1st: VIC – Cole Reschny – 1G, 4 SOG
2nd: VAN – Colton Roberts – 1G, 1A, 2 SOG
3rd: VIC – Jayden Kraus – 26 Saves on 28 Shots

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: Win – Brett Mirwald (31 saves / 33 shots)
Victoria: Loss – Jayden Kraus (26 saves / 28 shots)

NOTEWORTHY:

This was the Giants first road win of the season (1-4)
The Giants PK went a perfect 6-for-6 on Saturday
Goaltender Brett Mirwald has a .920 SV% over his last five starts (2-2-1)
With 1G, 1A, Colton Roberts now has five points in his last four games (2G-3A)
It was the first time this season that either team had gone to a shootout