RECAP: Giants Erase a Three-Goal Deficit TO Stun the ICE in OT
It took a three-goal comeback and some overtime heroics but the Vancouver Giants (15-13-2-2) have won three straight games. Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre the Vancouver Giants defeated the Kootenay ICE (13-7-2-0) 4-3 in overtime. Ty Ronning tied the game with 4:02 remaining in the third and then snagged the overtime winner with 18 seconds remaining in the extra period to help the Giants to their 15th win of the season. The New York Rangers prospect led all Giants with four points on the evening. Sebastian Streu responded with a goal and an assist for the visiting ICE who have now dropped three straight games.
An evening removed from a 10-3 loss in Victoria, the Kootenay Ice came out firing in the first, outscoring the Giants 2-0. Their two goals came a minute and 16 seconds apart. The first one came courtesy of Sebastian Streu at 10:05 when he one-timed home a pass from Peyton Krebs from the slot. Kaedon Taphorn then made it 2-0 Kootenay when he lifted a backhand shot over the left shoulder of Giants starter David Tendeck. Shots were 9-6 for Vancouver in the first but they went into the tunnel down 2-0.
6:50 into the middle period the ICE extended their lead to 3-0 when forward Cameron Hausinger knocked home a Sebastian Streu rebound past Tendeck from in close. The Kootenay ICE were seemingly in complete control up 3-0.
Tyler Benson kick-started the Giants comeback bid at 13:12 of the second period when he raced down the left wing and blasted a perfect shot past Kootenay starter Duncan McGovern for his 12th of the season. Benson’s 12th of the season was assisted by both Ty Ronning and Milos Roman.
40 minutes expired and the Giants trailed 3-1 despite outshooting Kootenay 18-15.
Jason McKee’s Giants came out flying in the third period and would end up shooting Kootenay by a 14-3 margin.
They also caught a break at 13:04 of the third when a failed clear out of the Kootenay zone ended up on front of their net. Brad Morrison pounced on it and roofed it over Duncan McGovern to move the Giants back within a goal. Morrison’s 10th was assisted by Ty Ronning and Milos Roman.
Just under three minutes later the Giants got back on even terms when off the rush, Ty Ronning took a pass from Alex Kannok Leipert, skated into the right circle and roofed a shot over the glove and under the bar for his team-leading 28th. The Langley Events Centre crowd came alive as the Giants had turned a 3-0 deficit into a 3-3 score.
60 minutes didn’t solve a thing, and for a seventh time the Giants would need overtime to determine their fate. The two teams traded chances in the overtime period, but with time winding down the Giants caught another major break when Kootenay was called for a too-many-men penalty.
That set the stage for the Giants sixth power play which had gone zero-for-five on their previous attempts. With 29.6 seconds left on the clock the Giants won a faceoff and went to work. Off a faceoff victory Matt Barberis fed a pass to Tyler Benson at the top of the right circle. Benson one-timed the pass on net but was denied by McGovern. Fortunately, the rebound popped right out to Ty Ronning who stuffed it home with 18 seconds left on the clock to send the Langley Events Centre crowd into a frenzy.
Ty Ronning was mobbed by his teammates in the Kootenay zone after converting his second goal of the night and 29th on the season. The Giants finished the game outshooting the ICE 37-18 and have now won three straight games this week – A streak that started Tuesday at home against Portland.
The victory ensures that the Giants head into next week five points ahead of the Kamloops Blazers and seven points up on the Prince George Cougars for third place in the B.C. Division standings.
Next up for the Giants: The Victoria Royals at home on Friday night at 7:30 PM.
NOTES:
- Ty Ronning’s overtime winner marked the sixth of his Western Hockey League career.
- David Tendeck has won three consecutive games for the Giants in goal and improved his record to 10-6-0-1 with a .905 save percentage and a 3.18 goals-against-average.
- The Giants have won three straight games at home and have won five of their last six games overall dating back to Tuesday, November 28th against Seattle.