Captain Wes Vannieuwenhuizen and the Vancouver Giants offer just one alternative to the No Hockey League. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
With loads of people complaining about “NO HOCKEY”, Chris and I decided to talk about the options that abound for puck-crazed fans to scratch the itch left by Gary Bettman and his immovable shitshow. Along the way we tackle the disaster that replacement players would present, and Chris makes several points that I have no answer for. History in the making!
Give us a listen, won’tcha?
• Opening theme by the Orchid Highway
• Is second honeymoon like second breakfast?
• Are replacement players on the NHL horizon?
• Calling out supposed “hockey fans”
• Closing theme by the Orchid Highway
• Thanks for listening
Yeah, yeah, I know: my headline is weak. Fine. YOU write the next one.
by Jason Kurylo
When you watch the Vancouver Giants from afar — or any other junior hockey team, for that matter — it’s hard to remember that a lot of these players are still teenagers. They play a fast game, they skate relentlessly, and more often than not, WHL teams pound the bejesus out of each other out there. It’s only when you sit close to the glass and see the peach fuzz and acne up close that it hits home.
Third-year forward Marek Tvrdon (#17, right) is still looking for his first goal of the campaign, but don’t let the baby face fool you. This 19-year-old is 6’2″ and 217 pounds, and skates faster than an appropriate metaphor for quickness. He was good for 74 points in 60 games last year, and this night he collected two assists as his Giants shellacked the Medicine Hat Tigers 6-1. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head (yeah, I know it’s not perfect, but Tvrdon’s in focus — do you have any idea how hard it is to shoot action photos of hockey?).
Alex Gogolev scored the dramatic game-tying goal to send the Victoria Royals on to a 4-3 overtime win over Marek Langhamer and the Medicine Hat Tigers. Photo courtesy of Jon Howe – Victoria Royals
Our Victoria correspondent Adrian Charlie took time away from his film review schedule to hit his second Royals game of the young season. He was treated to a Royal drama in three acts: a dismal start, a furious parry from the homeside, and the excitement of overtime to top it all off.
This is the only time the Tigers visit Victoria during the regular season. Both clubs entered the game with identical records (3-1-0), the Tigers on a three-game winning streak, the Royals looking to bounce back after their first loss. The Tigers have the WHL Player of the Week on their side: Calgarian prospect Hunter Shinkaruk had two goals and five assists in his first four games of the season.
The Tigers came flying out of the gate early, Trevor Cox netting the first goal on the game’s first shot. Through much of the first period the visitors displayed a stingy forecheck, controlling the neutral zone with ease. Cox added a PPG to put the Tigers up 2-0 going into the second period. At this point the Royals were scoreless in four consecutive periods.
Early in the second, the Royals applied pressure, setting up deep in the offensive zone. Marek Langhamer (Phoenix Coyotes draftee) demonstrated great vision, making saves through heavy traffic.
At the 13:44 mark, Elgin Pearce fed a streaking Shinkaruk who placed a gorgeous snap shot high blocker side on Polivka, extending the Tigers lead 3-0. Two minutes later Jamie Crooks put the Royals on the scoreboard with a hard-working effort, tapping the puck in after a blocked pass by a sprawling Tiger defender. At the 19:34 mark the Royals went on a late power play. The Royals won the faceoff, set up traffic and Magee scored a PPG, deflecting a Stahl slapshot from the blue line. With momentum on their side the Royals entered the third period down 3-2.
Halfway through the third, Crooks attempted to dangle past Spenser Jensen. Jensen drove Crooks hard into the boards, knocking Crooks’ visor off. Crooks looked gassed as he skated to the bench, but he stayed in the game.
With six minutes left Langhamer put on a goaltending clinic under siege. In quick succession the Royals forwards forced the Medicine Hat goalie to make four impressive pad saves.
With two minutes left in the game, Royals coach Lowry pulled Polivka. Gogolev tied the game after a silky cross-crease pass from Ben Walker. A roaring crowd of 4,055 stood on their feet as the buzzer sounded, the game tied 3-3 after regulation.
Logan Nelson carried the puck from the right wing with speed, his wraparound foiled by a Tigers defender. The puck was loose in front of the net, Royals defender Brett Cote pinched up and scored the GWG, his second goal of the season. Once again the crowd stood on their feet. The Royals scored 4 unanswered goals. There’s nothing like a come from behind win!
Post-Game Notes:
“Hardest Working Player of the Game” – Austin Carroll (VIC)
It was a must-win for the Vancouver Whitecaps FC Wednesday night, as they sat just two points ahead of FC Dallas for the fifth and final playoff spot in the MLS Western Conference. Luckily, they were hosting a woeful Chivas USA squad that was burdened with a franchise-worst losing skid into BC Place. The Caps didn’t disappoint, dominating play from kick-off to the final whistle, and putting four goals — FOUR!! —into the back of the net.
Video embed courtesy of www.whitecapsfc.com — if it ain’t workin’ don’t blame lil’ ol’ us!
Tyler Fuhr took over the third period against the woeful Everett Silvertips when Liam Liston allowed four goals on just 13 shots. Photo shamelessly stolen from The Province newspaper online.
The Vancouver Giants got their first two points of the season Sunday, a 3-2 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs, thanks in large part to rookie netminder Tyler Fuhr.He allowed two goals on 15 shots — both inside-out dekes on the PK that he can hardly be faulted for — but stopped every puck he should have. Tonight, Fuhr even made a save or two he probably shouldn’t have, including a dramatic pad stop with seconds left to preserve the win. That’s something the Giants haven’t seen early this season, as Liam Liston has posted a disappointing .774 save percentage in his three starts thus far.
As many of you know, I vowed to follow the Belfast Giants this season as my personal snub of Gary Bettman and his travelling shit show insistence upon another NHL lockout. Instead of writing substandard game recaps from afar, I’ve enlisted Giants seasons ticket holder Jim Doran to give us first hand reports from the capital of Northern Ireland. This is his second report for the 2012-13 season — the first can be read here.
This season has seen the league spilt into two conferences for the first time. The four Scottish teams along with Hull comprise the Gardiner Conference, with the Giants joining the Steelers, Blaze, Panthers and Devils in the Erhardt Conference. The new format sees each club play teams in their own conference eight times during the season (four home / four away) and play the teams in the opposing conference four times (twice home / twice away). Continue reading Belfast Giants yet to lose a regulation league game→
At the Victoria Royals home opener Adrian Charlie met a real estate agent by the name of Mark Donnelly. One can only assume he doesn’t wear the cummerbund during open houses. Anyway, this Donnelly fella apparently sings anthems for a hockey team or two in his spare time. Photo courtesy of Adrian Charlie.
Well, I was wrong. After letting in 5 goals on 17 shots in Friday’s opening night loss at the Pacific Coliseum, Giants goaltender Liam Liston did not ride the bench in the next day’s rematch. He performed better, but got the same result: a loss to the Victoria Royals. Pucked in the Head’s new friend Adrian Charlie (@Adrian_Charlie on the Twitter) was in the building, and offers this game recap:
Victoria Royals 3, Vancouver Giants 2 – September 22, 2012
by Adrian Charlie
The Victoria Royals played host to the Vancouver Giants on Saturday in the team’s home opener. The Royals carried momentum going into their second game of the season after defeating those same Giants 6-4 the night before.
Newly-christened Giants captain Wes Vannieuwenhuizen was a physical presence but hit the scoresheet with an unimpressive 0G/0A/-2 in the 2012-13 season opener. Photo by Jason Kurylo for Pucked in the Head.
Some things never change. Even with the NHL locked out, hockey fans in Vancouver are wondering just who will be the #1 goaltender for the home team.
No, not the Canucks — pretty much everyone agrees, for better or for worse, that Roberto Luongo’s days are numbered around here — I’m talking about the Giants. Newly-acquired third-year netminder Liam Liston didn’t inspire much confidence during the 2012-13 home opener Friday night, giving up five goals on 17 shots in a 6-4 loss to the Victoria Royals. Rookie Tyler Fuhr will almost certainly get the start in the second half of the back-to-back in the capital Saturday.
Did you know that the word ‘graffiti’ is the plural form of ‘graffito’? Well, now you do.
Can I interest you in a graffito? Howzabout if it looks like this?
Gajin Fujita’s chi_town mural includes this detail of a rather fetching young Blackhawks fan. She seems nice. Think she has season’s tickets? (Photo by Jason Kurylo / Pucked in the Head. All rights reserved.)
Yes, they’re Kings fans, but that doesn’t make them bad people. Photo by Jason Kurylo.
Before Bill Ranford ever played an NHL game, before he won two Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, before he retired to spend more time with his young kids or re-entered the bigs to be the Los Angeles Kings goaltending coach, he played junior hockey for the New Westminster Bruins.
