GIANTS VS ROCKETS

WHL Player of the Week Casey Pierro-Zabotel

October 10, 2008
Pacific Coliseum – Vancouver BC
Puck Drop: 7:30 p.m.

Vancouver BC – The Vancouver Giants continue their five game home-stand with a date against BC Division rival, the Kelowna Rockets. The Giants have the WHL’s best record with six wins and a shootout loss through seven games so far this season and have outscored their opponents 24-6 after just three home games. The Giants will be led by linemates Evander Kane and WHL Player of the week Casey Pierro-Zabotel. Both players have 13 points this season and combined for 13 points in the Giants two lopsided wins last weekend over Seattle and Portland.

So far this season, the Giants lead the league in goals scored with forty, fewest goals against with just eleven and are the WHL leaders on the Power play, converting over 31% of the time.

Kelowna arrives in Vancouver with a 4-4 record through eight games and the knowledge that they will be without defenseman Luke Schenn. Schenn, a first round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in this past summer’s NHL Entry Draft, has made the Leafs to begin the season. The Rockets have also lost the services of 20 year old defender Tysen Dowzak, who has just signed an AHL contract with the New York Rangers. It will fall to Buffalo Sabres first rounder Tyler Myers and 17 year old defender Tyson Barrie to carry the defence for the Rockets if they are to have any success tonight against the high flying Giants.

The Vancouver Giants are fresh off a pair of big wins at home over the weekend to move their WHL league best record to 6-0-0-1. Friday night was a record setter for the G-Men, as Vancouver hammered the Seattle Thunderbirds 10-2. It was the Giants first time in double digits in goals scored in their eighth season of play. Andrej Kudrna made it a memorable night as well, as the Nove Zamky, Slovakia native scored his first WHL goal en route to a hat trick, three goals on the evening. Kudrna finished with four points on the evening while Evander Kane, Casey Pierro-Zabotel and James Henry each pulled down a goal and two assists in the victory. Mike Berube, Garry Nunn, Adam Basford and James Wright also tallied goals for the Giants while Tyson Sexsmith turned aside a paltry ten shots for the win between the pipes.

On Saturday, it was more of the same as the Portland Winter Hawks provided the opposition. A 7-1 dusting of the Hawks and the Giants moved to 3-0 on the season at home and has outscored their opponents 24-6 in the process. Casey Pierro-Zabotel continued his huge weekend as the big centre from Kamloops notched a goal and three assists for a four point night and seven points over the two game weekend set. Evander Kane again had a strong game, adding three more points with a goal and two assists, finishing off his weekend with an impressive six points. Jon Blum, Lance Bouma, Craig Schira, Andrej Kudrna and James Henry also twinkled the twine in the win. Rookie Jamie Tucker picked up his third win of the season, turning aside 19 of 20 Portland shots.

Facts:

• Rookie goaltender Jamie Tucker is now 3-0-0-1 on the season. His .98 goals against so far this season is third overall in the WHL while his 95.8 save percentage places him in the WHL’s Top 10. The Victoria, B.C. resident has stopped 89 of 93 shots faced so far.

• Evander Kane and Casey Pierro-Zabotel sit atop the WHL leading scorers list, each with thirteen points on the season. Both Kane (6G-7A) and Pierro-Zabotel (3G-10A) have recorded a point in every game so far this season, (The Giants have played seven games).

• Kane’s six goals on the season have him tied for second in goals scored while Pierro-Zabotel’s ten assists have him alone atop the assist leader board. Evander and Casey also share the longest point streak of the season, with points in all seven games this year.

• Defenseman Neil Manning only had one goal and eight points all of last season, where injuries limited him to just 34 games. Through seven games this year, Manning has three goals, including two game winners, and six points.

• Twenty year old defenseman Mike Berube is currently tied for the league lead in plus/minus with an impressive +11 through seven games. The Giants have seven players in the Top 10 in this category and eleven players in the Top 20. Last season, Berube was +28.

• Rookie forwards Andrej Kudrna and Adam Basford are currently tied for third in rookie scoring with seven points. Kudrna (4G-3A) and Basford (2G-5A) have each had some highlight reel goals this year. Kudrna shook off a defender against Portland to corral his fourth goal of the year while both of Basford’s goals have been the under-the-crossbar variety.

• Seventeen of the Giants twenty-two skaters have notched at least three points this season. Of the five skaters currently held without a point, one (Kulchar) has yet to play a game due to injury, while two others (Kennedy and Maschmeyer) have been slowed by injuries.

• The Giants are now the only team left in the WHL without a regulation loss. With forty goals so far this season, the Giants lead the league in goals scored…by ten over the Calgary Hitmen, with the Hitmen playing one more game than the Giants. Vancouver is also tied for fewest goals allowed with just eleven against through seven games. The Spokane Chiefs are also at eleven goals against through their first seven.

• The Vancouver Giants have scored 24 goals in their first three home games this year. The Giants have NEVER scored 24 goals in any three game span in their eight year existence, (511 regular season games).

• The Vancouver Giants are ranked #5 in the CHL rankings.

What the score sheet isn’t telling you…

The Vancouver Giants .929 win percentage is the best in the entire CHL.