RECAP: Giants Drop 4-2 Decision to Hawks

Category: ArticleMarch 16, 2025

Portland, OR – The Vancouver Giants pushed hard in the third period of Sunday’s contest against the Portland Winterhawks, but couldn’t find the equalizer and eventually lost 4-2 after an empty-net goal.

The Giants fall to 32-26-8-0 on the season and remain in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with two games remaining. Vancouver can no longer finish in fifth – they are now guaranteed to finish in either sixth or seventh place.

Ty Halaburda scored his 28th goal of the season, while Jaden Lipinski delivered the other Giants tally – his 16th of the year that made it a one-goal game in the third period. Brady Smith made 23 saves on 26 shots. Both of Vancouver’s goals came on the power play – which went 2-for-6.

Diego Buttazzoni, Alex Weiermair and Kyle Chyzowski each scored for Portland, while Carter Sotheran hit the empty-net to seal the deal with 18.4 seconds left.

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GAME SUMMARY

Portland led 1-0 after one period thanks to Buttazzoni’s 36th goal of the season 8:53 into the first on a clean shot from the left circle.

Early in the second, the Giants got the equalizer on the power play from Halaburda, as he beat goaltender Ondrej Štěbeták off the rush from the slot after a good pass from the right wing from Lipinski.

And Ty Halaburda ties it for the Giants on a power play!

Burd's 28th of the season!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/8HI8RTIvsz

— X – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 17, 2025

Not long after, the Giants drew another penalty, but this time, they surrendered a shorthanded goal to Portland – their league-leading 18th shorthanded goal of the season, which came off the stick of Weiermair.

With 5:23 left in the second period, Chyzowski increased Portland’s lead from 2-1 to 3-1 after Weiermair fed him a pass off a 3-on-2 rush, which he put home for his 41st goal of the season.

Lipinski scored with the man advantage on a one-timer from the left circle off a pass from Ethan Mittelsteadt early in the third period to cut the Winterhawk’s lead to one.

We are within one, thanks to the Giants power play goal!

Jaden Lipinski makes it a 3-2 game with an one-timer!@TheWHL | @NHLFlames | #Flames pic.twitter.com/m3Y1MnE3Ej

— X – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) March 17, 2025

Although Vancouver fired 12 shots on goal in the third period, they could only beat Štěbeták once, as Sotheran hit the empty net for the home side in the final minute to make the final score 4-2.

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN —10/6/12 = 28 | POR – 12/9/6 = 27
PP: VAN—2/6 | POR — 0/4
Face-Offs: VAN — 31 | POR — 25

3 STARS

1st: POR – Alex Weiermair – 1G, 1A, 2 SOG, +3
2nd: POR – Kyle Chyzowski – 1G, 2A, 5 SOG, +3
3rd: VAN – Jaden Lipinski – 1G, 1A, 4 SOG

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: LOSS – Brady Smith (23 saves / 28 shots)
Portland: WIN – Ondrej Štěbeták (26 saves / 28 shots)

THEY SAID IT

“I thought we battled hard tonight. We had a lot of chances at the end. Unfortunately it didn’t go in to tie it up. I thought we stuck with it though down a couple. I just thought we kept battling hard tonight…There was some real good urgency and desperation [in the third]. We know how important these games are right now. Our players do; I give them credit. We never backed down once tonight. I thought we just kept playing, kept doing what we do. It was a fine line at the end from scoring the tying goal or not, and we came up short tonight. Got to move on to next weekend here.” – Adam Maglio Associate Coach on the game overall

“How you respond to a loss – I think that’s so important in the playoffs. You lose one, how are you going to respond? Are you going to go on your own page or are you going to stick with it as a team? And I thought we did tonight: we stuck with it, just fell a little short.” – Adam Maglio Associate Coach

THIS AND THAT

Leslie recorded an assist on Sunday – his 72nd point of the season, officially tying Kevin Connauton (2009-10) for the most points in a single season by a Giants defenceman in franchise history. Leslie has 10 points in his last seven games (5G-5A).
Halaburda scored his 28th goal of the season, but it was also his 60th point of the season. It’s the second straight season he has recorded at least 60 points, after putting up 66 last year. He has five goals in his last seven games.

UPCOMING

The Giants wrap up the 2024-25 regular season next weekend with a road game on Friday and a home game on Sunday.

Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Friday, March 21	Kamloops	7:00 PM PST	Sandman Centre
Sunday, March 23	Kelowna	4:00 PM PST	Langley Events Centre