Vancouver Giants snapped a prolonged losing streak Sunday afternoon, Nov. 24, by taking down the B.C. Division-leading Prince George Cougars 4-3 at the Langley Events Centre.
After six losses in a row, the win improved the club's record to 10-8-4 for the season, while the Cougars drop to 13-6-3-2.
Ryan Lin scored his first career Western Hockey League goal, while 19-year-old goaltender Carter Capton picked up his first win in his first WHL start.
Tyson Zimmer scored twice for the G-Men, including the game-winner – his fifth and sixth goals of the year. Ethan Mittelsteadt also scored in the win.
Prince George got goals from Borya Valis, Lee Surgot and Riley Heidt.
Giants Head Coach Manny Viveiros called it a "big win."
"That's our third game in two and a half days, with travel," Viveiros said.
"That was how we looked before we got into that stretch of those six games. [If] we compare last night's game to tonight's game, two different teams. Kids were dialled in. That first period was really good. Second period, got into some penalty trouble, but did an outstanding job. And then in the third period, I thought we did a pretty good job locking it down. It was a good win."
Viveiros said Lin may be a rookie, "but he's got a veteran presence with the way he plays."
"His mobility is a big part of it – his skating ability. He's able to recover a lot of times. If he gets into a situation where he's in a little bit of trouble he recovers with his legs."
Cougars opened the scoring on a 2-on-0 breakaway 13:25 into the game, where Valis put home a cross-crease pass from Terik Parascak.
Vancouver responded less than a minute later, when London Hoilett entered the offensive zone on a 3-on-2 rush and saw Mittelsteadt across the ice join the play. Hoilett hit him with a pass and the new addition snapped it past Cooper Michaluk on the glove side to tie the game.
Before the first period came to a close, the Cougars would go back in front, after Shurgot scored on a backhand shot in tight with 41 seconds left in the frame.
The Giants came out hungry in the second period.
Just 1:13 in, Thorpe led a 3-on-1 rush during 4-on-4 play and hit Lin across the ice, who one-timed it past Michaluk to tie the game 2-2.
The turning point in the game came late in the second period, when Zimmer scored twice in a span of just 34 seconds.
First, he ripped a quick snap shot to the back of the net on a 1-on-1 rush at the 17:49 mark.
Then, Ty Halaburda took the puck deep into the offensive zone before throwing it to the net, where Lipinski got a touch on it and it deflected right to the wide-open Zimmer, who easily put it into the open net.
Heidt got a goal back for the Cougars on a power play early in the third, but the Giants locked it down after that, with Capton stopping 11 of 12 shots he faced in the final period.
Vancouver out-shot Prince George 28-25.
Up next, Giants host the Everett Silvertips on Friday, Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.
