Spencer Machacek notched a goal and
assisted on the winner as the Vancouver Giants rallied to defeat
the Saskatoon Blades 2-1 in Western Hockey League action Saturday
night.
Despite trailing for two periods, the defending WHL champion
Giants posted their 12th victory in their first 13 games. The Blades dropped to 4-6-0-1.
Milan Lucic scored the winning goal for Vancouver at 13:35 of the
third period while Colton Gillies was the lone Saskatoon marksman. Saskatoon led 1-0 after the first period and maintained that advantage during a scoreless second frame before Machacek and Lucic scored for Vancouver in the third.
Lucic gave the Giants the win when he one-timed Machacek's pass
from behind the net. Gillies, the nephew of former New York Islanders great Clark Gillies, gave Saskatoon a 1-0 lead 11:08
into the game as he one-timed a pass from Ratislav Konecny during
a power play.
The goal, which came while Garet Hunt was serving a boarding
penalty, was only the seventh allowed by Vancouver penalty killers
this year.
Saskatoon goaltender Braden Holtby, 17, held the Giants scoreless
in the first two periods, even though Vancouver enjoyed a 21-13
edge in shots over 40 minutes.
The Giants lacked their usual offensive zip, especially on their
vaunted power play, which ranked third in the WHL before
Saturday's action, as veteran centre Tim Kraus sat out with the
flu.
Giants winger J.D. Watt, one of the club's top scorers, returned
to the lineup after being suspended for one game for missing a
team meeting.
