RECAP: Giants Storm Back from 6-2 Deficit to Top Royals 7-6

Category: ArticleDecember 31, 2024

Victoria, B.C. – The Vancouver Giants defeated the Victoria Royals 7-6 in a shootout on Tuesday afternoon in one of the biggest comebacks in recent memory.

The Giants trailed 6-2 after 40 minutes, but rallied with four third period goals before winning 7-6 in a shootout.

The win pushes Vancouver’s winning streak to a season-high four games, while their record this season improves to 17-13-4. The Royals, who are now just three points ahead of Vancouver in the standings, fall to 17-12-3-3.

Tyler Thorpe scored twice for the G-Men, including the game-tying-goal with 1:33 left in regulation, while Brett Olson, Cameron Schmidt, Jaden Lipinski and Tyson Zimmer each found the back of the net once in regulation. Tyus Sparks was the only goal scorer in the shootout, with goaltender Burke Hood stopping all three shooters to pick up the win in relief. Mazden Leslie had three assists, including his 150th career WHL point.

Teydon Trembecky had a hat-trick and Markus Loponen scored a pair for Victoria. Logan Pickford also scored for the home side.

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GAME SUMMARY

The Giants got behind the eight ball in this one, surrendering two goals in the first 2:02 of the contest, first off a tip from Loponen and then off a shot from the slot from Trembecky.

The Royals extended their lead to 3-0 just a few minutes later when Cole Reschny’s shot on a 2-on-1 hit the post and ricocheted off Trembecky and in for his second of the game.

At the 10:26 mark of the first, Pickford made things worse when he fired one past Hood on an odd-man rush to increase Victoria’s lead to four.

Before the first period came to a close, Olson got the Giants on the board when he banged home a loose puck that came to him in the slot after it hit a Royals skate.

Brett Olson gets the Giants on the board!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/ZlQ67bfKmd

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) December 31, 2024

Loponen notched his second of the game 4:10 into period two when he cleaned up in front of the net, making the score 5-1 for the Royals.

Less than three minutes later, Connor Levis backhanded a pass from down low to Thorpe in front, who quickly lifted it past Michnik to make it 5-2.

Tyler Thorpe with his 13th of the season!@TheWHL | @CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/yZVj92o7mO

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) December 31, 2024

Not long after, Trembecky restored the home team’s four-goal advantage when he completed the hat-trick.

After 40 minutes, the Giants were trailing 6-2, though the shots on goal were just 17-14 for Victoria.

Vancouver came out with renewed energy in the third period.

Schmidt got the Giants back to within three when he one-timed a shot past the glove of Michnik from the right circle after a cross-ice feed from Leslie.

17-year-old Cameron Schmidt with his 26th goal and 40th point on the year!@TheWHL pic.twitter.com/MWv0is2ocU

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 1, 2025

Less than two minutes later, Oreskovic took a shot from the left face-off dot that went in off Lipinski to make it 6-4 with 11:43 remaining in the third.

Jaden Lipinski deflects it in! Your G-Men are within 2!@TheWHL | @NHLFlames | #Flames pic.twitter.com/uqH9jHZWsK

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 1, 2025

Leslie was at it again later in the frame, first setting up Zimmer for a one-timer from the left circle with 3:56 remaining to make it 6-5.

WHAT. A. FEED. From Mazden Leslie to Tyson Zimmer!

And that's Captain Maz's 150th career point in the @TheWHL !!! pic.twitter.com/knFhIbJozK

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 1, 2025

Then, with the Giants goaltender pulled and less than two minutes remaining, Leslie’s point shot was tipped in by Thorpe to tie the game 6-6.

NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT?!

Your G-Men erase the four goal deficit!!
Tyler Thorpe's second of the night!@TheWHL | @CanadiensMTL | #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/44BMmFgCGZ

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 1, 2025

Both sides had chances in overtime, including a post from Schmidt and a crossbar from Trembecky, but neither team could find the back of the net.

In the shootout, Hood stopped Trembecky and then Reschny, while Schmidt couldn’t score, but Sparks did, making it 1-0 Vancouver after two shooters each. Hood then proceeded to stop Loponen to end the game.

ALRIGHT EVERYONE, PACK IT UP! THAT’S FOUR STRAIGHT WINS. WE'RE HEADING HOME WITH A DUB, ENDING 2024 ON A HIGH NOTE!!!!!!!!

See you tomorrow at the LEC @victoriaroyals <3 pic.twitter.com/fbXOwG8CLK

— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) January 1, 2025

THEY SAID IT

“Great comeback. I really liked our second – I thought we were building some momentum through it. Credit to our guys. They stuck with it. Incredible third period to dig ourselves out of that hole and get ourselves the shootout win…Our guys like playing here. It’s a pretty good rivalry with Victoria. You could feel it on the bench though. I think our guys: when we got two, we got three, we got four, you could just feel the excitement and they worked extremely hard tonight to get that comeback and win the game.” – Giants Associate Coach Adam Maglio on the game overall

STATISTICS

SOG: VAN —7/7/16/2 = 33 | VIC – 8/9/1/2 = 20
PP: VAN—1/4 | VIC — 0/2
Face-Offs: VAN — 31 | VIC — 30

3 STARS

1st: VIC – Teydon Trembecky – 3G, 4 SOG, +2
2nd: VAN – Tyler Thorpe – 2G, 6 SOG
3rd: VIC – Markus Loponen – 2G, 3 SOG

GOALTENDING BATTLE

Vancouver: WIN – Burke Hood (14 saves / 17 shots)
Victoria: LOSS – Spencer Michnik (26 saves / 32 shots)

UPCOMING

Date	Opponent	Time	Location
Wednesday, January 1	Victoria	2:00 PM PST	Langley Events Centre
Friday, January 3	Wenatchee	7:00 PM PST	Langley Events Centre
Saturday, January 4	Kelowna	6:05 PM PST	Prospera Place

B.C. Division