Recap: VAN: 4 - VIC 2 (Sun, Dec.13.2015)

Alec Baer scored a pair of goals, and Ryan Kubic made 29 saves to help lead the visiting Vancouver Giants past the Victoria Royals 4-2 Sunday afternoon.

Vancouver jumped to a 3-0 first period lead and never looked back, earning just their 10^th win of the year.

“We had a poor start,” said interim head coach Enio Sacilotto who’s club gave up a goal in the first minute,

“We weren’t as ready to play as much as we should’ve been, giving up two goals in the first five minutes of the game…”

The Giants take two of three games over the weekend after winning 4-1 in Vancouver Friday, and falling 6-1 in Victoria Saturday night.

“…and that’s always the challenge, coming off a big night and to come back the next day…”

The two clubs will meet for a 4^th consecutive time on Wednesday at the Pacific Coliseum, with the season series tied at 2 games a piece.

“That’s the way we’ve approached the whole series here, like a mini playoff series,” said Sacilotto.

Baer scored just :35 seconds in to the first period, and then a few minutes later, before Ben Thomas made it 3-0 Giants after 20 minutes.

Jack Walker had a goal in the second period on the power play to cut the lead to two heading into the final frame, but Vancouver restored the three goal lead as Jack Flaman scored his first of the year.

Royals leading scorer Alex Forsberg struck late with the man advantage to cut the lead in half before the game expired.

Victoria was 2 for 3 on the power play, and shut down all 4 Vancouver man advantages.

“We had some great chances…had we not given up those early goals it could’ve been a different result, different game.” commented Sacilotto.

Walker had a goal and an assist, and now has 4 goals over his last three games.

Nanaimo’s Chase Lang added a pair of helpers for the Giants.

Royals netminder Coleman Vollrath started his franchise record setting 142 game, only to allow 3 goals on 11 shots, and was replaced by Griffen Outhouse to start the second stopping 22 of 23.

“We had to do something to shake it up a bit,” said Sacilotto on making the goaltending switch,

“Rather than change all the lines around, we thought we’d change the goalie and see if that would help…we made it 3-1, but didn’t have the push that we wanted to have in the third.”

The rookie Outhouse earned the victory one night previous, making 33 saves.

- Marlon Martens

Vancouver Giants 4 at Victoria Royals 2 - Status: Final
Sunday, December 13, 2015 - Save-On-Foods Memorial Arena - Victoria, BC

Vancouver 3 0 1 - 4
Victoria 0 1 1 - 2

1st Period-

1, Vancouver, Baer 9 (Lang, Cox), 0:35.

2, Vancouver, Baer 10 (Benson, Lang), 5:11.

3, Vancouver, Thomas 3 (Popoff, Barberis), 17:02.

Penalties-Bobylev Vic (boarding), 1:35; Benson Van (roughing), 12:22.

2nd Period-

4, Victoria, Walker 12 (Reddekopp), 6:07 (PP).

Penalties-Barberis Van (high sticking), 4:59; Holt Van (roughing), 16:19; Pachal Vic (checking from behind, roughing), 16:19; Benson Van (elbowing), 19:47; Phillips Vic (interference), 19:47.

3rd Period-

5, Vancouver, Flaman 1 (Plouffe, Thrower), 15:19.

6, Victoria, Forsberg 11 (Phillips, Walker), 18:42 (PP).

Penalties-Fisher Vic (hooking), 3:01; Thrower Van (unsportsmanlike cnd.), 18:06; Wharrie Vic (charging), 18:06; Lang Van (holding), 18:19; Osipov Van (major-fighting), 19:41; Forsberg Vic (instigator, major-fighting, game misconduct), 19:41.

Shots on Goal-

Vancouver 11-9-14-34.

Victoria 12-8-11-31.

Power Play Opportunities-

Vancouver 0 / 4;

Victoria 2 / 3.

Goalies-

Vancouver, Kubic 5-9-1-0 (31 shots-29 saves).

Victoria, Vollrath 16-9-0-1 (11 shots-8 saves); Outhouse 4-1-1-0 (23 shots-22 saves).

A-3,709
Referees-Chris Crich (20), Jeff Ingram (82).
Linesmen-Riley Friesen (76), Scott Mackey (42).