Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Traber Lifts Giants Over Hitmen

Tim Traber scored the winning goal at 2:04 of the overtime period to lift the Vancouver Giants to their second straight win as they downed the Calgary Hitmen 4-3. Vancouver also got goals from Blake Orban, Alec Baer and Cain Franson in the victory.

The Giants jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Orban opened the scoring for Vancouver inside the first five minutes when his long wrist shot from the right point got past Calgary goalie Chris Driedger. Baer made it 2-0 just a couple of minutes later with a highlight reel goal as he undressed a Hitmen defender in the slot before tucking the puck inside the left post. Franson rounded out the scoring for Vancouver in the first when he netted his first goal of the year, picking the top right corner from the right circle.

Anthony Ast nearly gave the G-Men a four goal lead in the early stages of the middle frame with a good wraparound chance at the left post, but Driedger kept the puck out, and the Hitmen found the scoreboard later in the period when Abbotsford native Jake Virtanen beat Payton Lee with a hard shot off the rush on the right wing. Joel Hamilton had a good opportunity late in the stanza when Baer found him in the slot, but Hamilton tipped the puck wide of the Hitmen goal.

Calgary turned up the pressure in the third period and found two goals to force overtime. Elliott Peterson buried his fourth of the season off the right wing to pull the Hitmen to within one before Calder Brooks tied the game late with a one-timer from the high slot.

The overtime period started with the two teams playing 3-on-3 hockey after a pair of coincidental penalties at the end of the third, and just as the penalties expired, Traber got the puck in the slot and shovelled it past Driedger to end the game.

The G-Men get right back at it on Friday night at the Coliseum against the Everett Silvertips. For tickets, call 604-4-GIANTS or visit vancouvergiants.com. You can hear the action on teamradio.ca.

Game Summary

3 Stars:
1. Alec Baer - Vancouver
2. Blake Orban - Vancouver
3. Jake Virtanen - Calgary

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