Giants beat Canes in shootout

By Lethbridge Herald on November 4, 2022.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward- Lethbridge Hurricanes Logan Wormald tries to drive wide to the net on Vancouver GiantsÕ defenceman Will Subject during Western Hockey League action at the Enmax Centre on Friday night.

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

Jaden Lipinski scored the shootout winner to lift the Vancouver Giants over the Lethbridge Hurricanes 4-3 on Friday night at the Enmax Centre.

Sam Honzek scored the other Giants’ goal in the shootout, while both Canes shooters missed their opportunities.

Lethbridge outshot Vancouver 47-26 on the night and only came out with a single point.

“Obviously, we stood up here a few times this year and this has happened,” said Hurricanes assistant coach Matt Anholt to Dustin Forbes of Rock 106.7 in the post-game show.

“That’s a tough one. We played really well, really hard (and) really proud of our guys. That was an impressive performance, considering we got doubled up in powerplays and we almost doubled them up in shots, (which) speaks testament to just how well we played. And their goalie played well.”

Honzek  wristed in his ninth of the season off the post at 3:56 of the first to open the scoring.

The Canes Tyson Laventure tied the game at 13:10 of the first period, as he tipped a shot over the shoulder of Giants goalie Jesper Vikman from Jett Jones and Cole Shepard.

The Canes took two minor penalties late in the first period and it costed them ,because  Lipinski tapped in his sixth goal of the season at 15:13 of the first to make the game 2-1 Giants.

Logan Wormald got Lethbridge back on even terms at 9:20 of the second period, where  he tipped in a perfectly placed pass from Alex Thacker. Shepard notched the other assist.

The Giants took the lead with just three seconds left in the second period as Tyler Thorpe converted on a 2-on-1 with captain Zack Ostapchuk.

Shepard tied the game at three for Lethbridge, as he fired a wrist shot through a crowd on the powerplay at 4:58 of the third from Wormald and Logan McCutcheon.

The Hurricanes record now sits at 7-8-0-1 on the season and will have a quick turnaround as they will head to Medicine Hat to face the Tigers tonight.

Vancouver went 1-for-8 on the powerplay and Lethbridge had a goal on five chances.