Rocket Spoil Brendan Gallagher’s Return
The Kelowna Rockets spoiled Brendan Gallagher’s return to the Vancouver Giants line up, scoring 3 power play goals en route to a 6-3 victory Saturday night at Prospera Place in Kelowna.
Neither team was able to establish much early on. In fact, it took a power play for the game’s first goal and it came off the stick of Rocket’s blueliner Damon Severson who beat Brendan Jensen on the 4-on-3 man advantage. Kelowna outshot Vancouver 10-6 in the opening frame and led 1-0.
The Giants came out gunning early in the second period, but were unable to bury any of their chances past Adam Brown. Instead after hemming the Giants in deep, Cody Chikie scored to give the home team a 2-0 lead. Jordan Martinook showed off his skill with a great individual effort shorthanded, stealing the puck from Severson and beating Brown to get the Giants back in the game as they trailed 2-1. Vancouver killed their momentum though by taking a pair of poor penalties and the Rockets would make them pay as Zach Franko beat Jensen just as the 5-on-3 expired to make it 3-1. Carter Rigby would add to the lead with his 1st of the night and then just after Brendan Gallagher was stopped on a shorthanded breakaway, Colton Sissons snapped one past Jensen to put Kelowna up 5-1 through 40 minutes.
Unlike the previous night, the Giants showed some fight in the third, generating a number of chances. Brendan Gallagher scored his first of the season and Kiefer McNaughton potted his first career WHL goal to get the Giants within two goals with just under 5 minutes remaining. However, the Rockets would add one more to ice the game. 6-3 was the final. Brendan Jensen made 25 saves in a losing cause. Adam Brown stopped 29 of 32 Giants shots he faced. The big story was special teams as Vancouver finished 0-for-4 on the man advantage, while Kelowna was 3-for-6.
The Giants have a couple of days off before getting back to work Wednesday night vs. Spokane. Game time is 7:00 pm at the Pacific Coliseum. The pregame show begins at 6:30 pm on AM 650.
