Ice dump Giants

The Score – Kootenay 5 – Vancouver 2

What Happened – Save for Kootenay’s penalty trouble in the last half of the first and through a couple of spells in the second, the Ice dominated the Giants and though the visitors pulled within a goal in the third, there wouldn’t be any miracle comeback tonight for the Giants like the previous three games against Central Division opponents.

The Turning Point – Right from the drop of the puck to begin the second period, Cody Eakin skated through three Giants and scored on a breakaway seven seconds in. The Giants never recovered. The goal, seven seconds into the second, set a team record, breaking Steve McCarthy's 8-second record set in Red Deer over 12 years ago. (As per Holly's Blog over there, on the right)

The Goals – Kootenay came out guns a’blazin to start this one, and at one time outshot the Giants 7-0 and 10-1 to start the game. After hemming the Giants in their own zone for a shift or two Joe Antilla caught a clearing attempt off the boards and fired a wrist shot to the net that Cody Eakin got a stick on for his 24th of the season and a 1-0 Ice lead. Penalty trouble plagued the home side next as Kootenay took four of the next five infractions including a four minute double high-sticking minor to Kevin King that gave the visitors a five-on-three advantage. A shot from the point Nathan Lieuwen originally stopped but couldn’t get the pad over enough to stop Michael Burns from chipping in his 11th to tie the game… To start the second the Ice still had to kill off a goaltender interference call on Brendan Hurley. Cody Eakin had other ideas however as right off the centre ice faceoff Eakin poked it past Brendan Rowinski and then around David Musil with a burst of NHL-type speed and buried his 25th of the season, short-handed, to give the Ice a 2-1 lead seven seconds into the period… In the third rookie D Jeff Hubic, out with Brayden McNabb as a partner, got burned when Giants D Luke Fenske intercepted a clear and found import Andrej Stastny on Lieuwen’s doorstep. Stastny poked it past him to make it a one-goal game… Four minutes later Hayden Rintoul sent a wrist shot from the point that changed direction and went through Segal’s legs to make it 4-2… The Ice went up 5-2 on a two-man advantage at 15:35 when Kevin King found Matt Fraser alone in the slot. He beat Segal through the legs. Don Hay had seen enough of Segal – who was stellar on the night despite the five goals against on 36 shots – and replaced him with Brendan Jensen.

All World – You’re now starting to see what the fiery redhead brings to the table. The future NHL’er has NHL speed and a killer shot and is now instigating debate as to when the last time Ice fans seen a player of that calibre in an Ice uniform. Mike Comrie? Nigel Dawes? Or is Eakin better? Let the debate begin. Oh, and if you're asking, that's 7 goals and 7 assists in 8 games since being acquired by the Ice from the Broncos. Worth the price of admission alone.

Giants D-man – The big crowd on hand had a chance to have a look at the one that got away. 17-year-old Giant D-man David Musil – a 6’3” 200lb monster – is a sure-fire first round NHL pick in June. He wasn’t coming to Kootenay when the Ice won the ‘lottery’ for Musil’s rights 18-months ago but traded him to Vancouver when Musil balked at coming in exchange for a 5th round pick in 2010 (which came via Kamloops at 96th overall – D Jesse Wood-Schatz) and a first rounder in 2011 (which is now the guy who skated through most of the Giants to put the Ice up 2-1 tonight.) Not too bad of a deal.

The Goaltender – On this night – Family Faith Night – over 1000 patrons stayed at the Rec Plex for a concert by OWR and the story of Nathan’s Lieuwen journey (above pic) with his faith. If the 19-year-old doesn’t make the NHL there’s a future in public speaking. It’s rare to see a young adult captivate a crowd like that.

The Crowd – 3476; the largest of the season – in fact the last two seasons and the place was jumping; I dunno, Vancouver Giants for the first time in two years; Family Faith Night; With that crowd Kootenay use more of both. Question is: those 1000 or so casual fans that saw a stellar effort tonight, will they come back?

Rec Plex Three Stars

1. Cody Eakin – two goals and the second was a beauty
2. James Martin – D-man was a force
3. Andrej Stastny – Big import is a handful

What it means – Kootenay improves to 34-17-1-2; 71 pts and just treads water, staying one point up on the Medicine Hat Tigers for third in the conference and still eight points back of the Rebels. More and more this battle down the stretch could be for the right to play a team such as Swift Current or Edmonton rather than a Moose Jaw – a big difference come the first round of the playoffs.

Up Next: One of those ‘must-win’ games again as the Regina Pats visit the Plex Tuesday night. Gametime is 7PM.

Game Summary:

Giants 2 @ Ice 5

CRANBROOK, B.C. - Western Hockey League summary for regular season game between the Vancouver Giants and the Kootenay Ice. February 5, 2011

Cody Eakin had two goals while James Martin and Matt Fraser had a goal and an assist each as the Kootenay Ice defeated the Vancouver Giants 5-2 in WHL action Saturday night in front of 3476 fans, the largest crowd of the season.

The two clubs traded goals in the first period by Eakin, with his 24th, and by Micheal Burns on a Vancouver power play. The Ice jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the second when Eakin scored short-handed off a breakaway seven seconds into the period to make it 2-1 while James Martin got his ninth to make it 3-1.

The Giants made it close in the third with Andrej Stastny's sixth of the season before Hayden Rintoul and Fraser finished it off for the Ice.

Nathan Lieuwen stopped 17 of 19 shots to get the while Mark Segal turned aside 31 of 36 shots in taking the loss.

First Period
1. Kootenay, Eakin 24 (Antilla, Martin) 2:44
2. Vancouver, M. Burns 11 (Stastny, Hodder) 11:26 (pp)

Penalties -- Manning Van (tripping) 5:41, Czerwonka Ktn (roughing) 10:04, King Ktn (dbl high-sticking) 11:09, Fraser (roughing) 13:56, Musil Van (boarding) 16:19, Hurley Ktn (goaltender interference) 19:26.

Second Period
3. Kootenay, Eakin 25 0:07 (sh)
4. Kootenay, Martin 9 (Reinhart, Ismond) 17:17 (pp)

Penalties -- Manning Van (tripping) 7:52, Fenske Van (delay-of-game) 11:37, M. Burns Van (high-sticking) 16:08, Czerwonka Ktn Fenske Van (roughing) 18:02.

Third Period
5. Vancouver, Stastny 6 (Fenske, Burns) 8:04
6. Kootenay, Rintoul 2 (Fraser) 12:22
7. Kootenay, Fraser 24 (King, Reinhart) 15:25 (pp)

Penalties -- Martinook Van (tripping) 13:24, Stastny Van (delay-of-game) 14:42.

Shots on goal by
Kootenay: 15 14 8 - 37
Vancouver: 8 4 7 - 19

Goal -- Kootenay: Nathan Lieuwen (W, 24-12-1-1) Vancouver: Mark Segal (B. Jensen; 15:25 of third; 31 of 36 shots L, 22-10-1-3).

Power Plays -- (goals-chances)
Kootenay: 2-7
Vancouver: 1-5

Referee -- Tyler Adair, Chris Crich. Linesman -- Jim Maniago, Bobby Bedingfield.

Attendance -- 3476 (4264)

Scratches --
Kootenay: Luke Paulsen (concussion - day-to-day), Steele Boomer (ankle sprain - 3 weeks), Joe Leach (ankle - 3-5 weeks).
Vancouver: Joel Rogers (concussion - day-to-day), Dalton Sward (healthy), James Henry (knee - one week), Darren Bestland (indefinite suspension).

Summary courtesy Jeff Bromley of the Cranbrook Daily Townsman