After 588 days away from home ice, the Vancouver Giants triumphantly returned to the Langley Events Center (LEC).
On Friday, October 8, the Giants were back on LEC ice for the first time since February 28, 2020, defeating Prince George Cougars 6-4.
The game was a three-way tie in the second period before Vancouver defender Mazden Leslie crashed onto the ice, and while Prince George goalkeeper Taylor Gauthier made the first save, Ethan Semeniuk showed good hand-eye coordination to hit the puck home. Ty Halaburda had the second assist on goal.
Ethan Semeniuk with a small hand-eye how-do-ya-do!@WHLGiants | #WHLOpeningWeek pic.twitter.com/252NQkVrm8
– WHL (@TheWHL) October 9, 2021
The goal gave Vancouver a 4-3 lead after 40 minutes before Adam Hall (who also opened the scoring) and Justin Lies added goals in the third period.
Adam Hall led the Vancouver Giants by a few goals as the team played their first home game in 588 days on Friday, October 8, defeating Prince George 6-4. (Rob Wilton / Vancouver Giants / Special to Langley Advance Times)
Johnny Hooker got the Cougars within two goals, but his count came with 40 seconds to play.
“Good third period, good response, good win,” summed up Giants head coach Michael Dyck.
He also called the trio Halaburda, Semeniuk and Julian Cull the team’s most effective line, especially in the second period where the Cougars seemed to have taken control.
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“(They) were consistently our most effective line in the second period. Keep it simple and play fast and put a lot of pressure on Prince George, ”Dyck explained.
The Giants completed the game early in the game and outsource the Cougars 6-1, with Gauthier making three excellent saves to keep the game without points. Vancouver ran into penalties with minor backs, and while the Cougars failed to make money, they had seven of the next eight shots on goal, and shortly after the Giants returned to full strength, Prince George stole the puck behind the net. and Fischer O’Brien put home the first goal of the match.
Ethan Semeniuk got his first WHL goal in his career tonight! pic.twitter.com/qF5ik7dqvS
– Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) October 9, 2021
The rest of the period, however, was all over Vancouver as the Giants peppered the Prince George goal with the next seven shots and scored three times in a 5:06 span, with Justin Sourdif setting up Adam Hall to equalize and then Sourdif thundered on a loose puck during a power-play scramble.
THE HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT ?@FlaPanthers the prospect Justin Sourdif’s sorcery leads to one @WHLGiants goal Friday night. #WHLOpeningWeek | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/mDlo2pVlPn
– WHL (@TheWHL) October 9, 2021
Ty Thorpe made it 3-1 after winning an offensive zone face-off and redirecting Leslie’s points shot.
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The second period we were a bit on our heels and I did not think we had the same pre-control as we had in the first, but we got it back in the third, ”said Dyck.
“When we kept it simple, we were fine. When we tried to complicate things, that was where we fell into our own zone. ”
Vancouver is now off until October 16, when they welcome the Kamloops Blazers to the Langley Events Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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LangleyLangley Events CenterVancouver GiantsWHL