Giants vs Winter Hawks

October 4, 2008 - 7 pm start

Pacific Coliseum - Vancouver BC

Dave Sheldon - Vancouver Giants

The Vancouver Giants will continue a five game home stand tonight against the Portland Winter Hawks. Vancouver (5-0-0-1), are currently first in the BC Division and first in the Western Conference with eleven points earned through six games.  Vancouver took the Thunderbirds to the woodshed on Friday evening, laying down a team record 10-2 beating on the T-Birds.  Andrej Kudrna scored his first three WHL goals...one shorthanded, one even strength and one power play, in the victory.  James Henry, James Wright, Garry Nunn, Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Evander Kane and Mike Berube also scored for the Giants. The Giants success this year can be attributed to good all around team play.  The Giants currently lead the league in goals scored with 33 through six games, which includes a whopping 17 at home through just two home games.  Evander Kane leads the goal parade for the G-Men, lighting the lamp five times already this season.  Kane’s ten points (5G – 5A) have him tied for second in WHL scoring, just one point back of Calgary’s Brett Sonne. 

The Giants are #2 in Team Defence, allowing just 10 goals in six games so far this season.  Only Spokane, with just eight goals against in six games, ahs been stingier than the Vancouver.

The Portand Winter Hawks (1-3-0-0) are off to a slow start, but it can be said that this team is an improvement over last year’s squad that managed only eleven wins last season.  First of all, Portland has only allowed 11 goals through their first four games...if they maintained that current pace; they would allow 198 goals on the season.  Not great, but that would be over a 100 goal improvement!  Last year the Hawks allowed 314 goals against.

Game time will be at 7 p.m.. Fans can also listen to the game on Superhits 650 CISL and in the rink on 88.7 FM. Pregame show with Dave Sheldon and Bill Wilms will be at 6:30 p.m.