Bring On The Weekend
The Vancouver Giants wrap up the month of January with a couple of big games this weekend. Playing their best hockey of the season, the Giants head into the weekend having won 4 straight and 9 of their last 11 games. With only 23 games left in the regular season, the Giants currently sit in first place in the B.C. division, just 2 points up Kelowna. The Rockets though have two games in hand and two more wins. Of their remaining 23 games, 12 are against B.C. division opponents.
It all gets started 7:30pm Friday night at the Pacific Coliseum when Vancouver welcomes the Kamloops Blazers to town. The Giants are 3-2-1-0 vs. the Blazers this season, including a 6-1 victory last Saturday in Kamloops. The Blazers sit in 5th in the B.C. division, 10 points behind Vancouver. They have struggled in the month of January losing 7 of their last 8 games. The Blazers have given up a league worst 204 goals against this season. In fact, during this current eight game stretch they have given 41 goals, while scoring just 14 themselves. Brendan Ranford, who at one point led the league in goals and scoring, has gone 10 games without finding the back of the net.
Friday the organization will also continue with its 10th anniversary celebrations with the 4th Giant Alumni Night of the season. Gilbert Brule will be honoured. The North Vancouver native was the first overall pick in the 2002 WHL bantam draft and would go on to become the 2004 WHL Rookie of the Year, 2005 WHL/CHL Scholastic Player of the Year, 2005 CHL Top Prospects Game MVP, a 1st Round NHL draft pick, a WHL champion in 2006, and a member of the 2006 Memorial Cup all-star team. Currently playing for the Edmonton Oilers, Brule has 6 goals and 8 points in 34 games this year. He will be added to the Giants ‘Ring of Honour’, joining Brett Festerling, Andrej Meszaros, and Mark Fistric. As well the first 500 fans on hand to Friday’s game will receive a limited edition Gilbert Brule bobblehead doll.
On Saturday the Giants head to Kelowna for the first of six straight games on the road. It will be a battle for top spot in the B.C. division. The Rockets are coming off an impressive weekend in which they won 3 games in 3 nights on the road vs. Seattle, Spokane, and Tri-City. Kelowna is currently 2nd in the division, 2 points back of Vancouver and have won 4 straight games and 6 of their last 7. Leading the way offensively is rookie forward Zach Franko, who is the midst of a 11 game point streak in which he has scored 7 goals and 15 points. Saturday marks just the 4th meeting of the year between Vancouver and Kelowna, meaning they will play 5 times in the Giants final 22 games of the season. The Giants are 2-1-0-0 vs. the Rockets this season. Their last meeting was back on November 5th at the Pacific Coliseum in which Kelowna prevailed 4-3.
A big reason for the Giants recent success is the fact they are getting contributions from everybody. Mark Segal, who was nominated for the CHL goaltender of the week after going 3-0 with 1.06 goals against average and .953 save percentage this weekend, has won 9 of his last 10 starts. Newcomer Andrej Stastny is starting to feel more comfortable with every game. In his last two contests he has scored 5 goals and 8 points. Meanwhile the top line of Brendan Gallagher, Brendan Rowinski, and Spencer Bennett continues to roll along. In the Giants current 4 game winning streak, the trio has combined for 10 goals and 19 points.
