Game day thread: Vancouver at Wheat Kings, 7 PM
2/23/2010 at 10:45 AM
Vancouver Giants (37-20-2-3, 2nd in Western Conference)
Top scorers: Craig Cunningham (36+53=89), Brendan Gallagher (36+36=72), Kevin Connauton (23+40=63), Neil Manning (14+38=52)
Top scoring defenceman: Connauton (23+40=63)
Full team scoring: http://whl.ca/stats/statdisplay.php?type=skaters&subType=21&season_id=234&leagueId=26&lastActive=&singleSeason=&confId=0
Probable starting goaltender: Mark Segal (15-7-1-1, 2.73 goals against average, 0.909 save percentage)
Manitobans: James Henry (Winnipeg)
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Brandon Wheat Kings (42-17-1-3, 3rd in Eastern Conference)
Top scorers: Matt Calvert (39+42=81), Brayden Schenn (26+55=81), Aaron Lewadniuk (31+43=74, Injured), Scott Glennie (26+45=71)
Top scoring defenceman: Colby Robak (14+45=59)
Full team scoring: http://whl.ca/stats/statdisplay.php?type=skaters&season_id=234
Probable starting goaltender: Jacob De Serres (20-7-1-1, 2.99 goals against average, 0.896 save percentage)
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Two of perhaps the most successful WHL franchises of the past half dozen years collide tonight at Westman Place in what could be a preview of the WHL (and perhaps even Memorial Cup) final. (Co-incidence that the Memorial Cup final will be exactly three months from today?)
While the Giants have lost many key players from the team that finished last season with a near-record 119 points, several other players have stepped up and filled the void.. helping power them to the fourth-highest goals-for total in the league this season (237. Wheat Kings are #1 with 275) . Vancouver's past successes have been as much because of playing responsible defensively as anything else. That tradition looks to be carrying forward this year, with them having allowed the fifth-least goals in the league (179. Wheat Kings are sixth with 184).
Like the Wheat Kings, the Giants are probably playing their best hockey of the season as of late. They are 6-0-1-1 over their past eight games, outscoring their opponents 41-18 in the process.
I'm guessing Brandon will be reduced to a three-line team tonight, with injuries to forwards Michael Ferland, Paul Ciarelli, Mark Stone and likely Aaron Lewadniuk (day-to-day).
Tonight will mark the home debut for Wheat King defenceman Travis Hamonic, who made his Wheat King debut on the weekend in Saskatoon.
For the local hockey fan that might be torn between this game and the Canada-Germany Olympic game tonight, I'm told that they will be frequent updates on what's happening in Vancouver throughout tonight's game.
Scratches and lineups will be posted between 6 and 6:30.
It would be great to hear everyone's thoughts on the matchup and how the lines will end up looking considering injuries.