Giants 2 Bruins 1

March 26th, 2008

by Eric Welsh - Chilliwack Progress

Casey Pierro-Zabotel’s even strength tally 13 minutes into the third period stood up as the winning goal Wednesday night as the Vancouver Giants downed the Chilliwack Bruins 2-1 at Prospera Centre in the fourth and final game of their first round Western Hockey League playoff series.

Early penalty troubles led to the only goal of the period, scored three minutes and 51 seconds in on a Vancouver power play. Matt Meropoulis was assessed a roughing minor at 2:11 for running over Giants defenceman Stefan Schneider. Oscar Moller followed him to the sin bin one minute later, flipping the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty.

The Giants worked the puck around on the five-on-three, and Spencer Machacek scored the goal on a sharp-angled shot from the left corner.

Mark Friesen saw a lot less rubber in the second period as the Bruins rediscovered their defensive game. Friesen saw just six pucks in the middle frame, while Chilliwack directed eight at Vancouver netminder Tyson Sexsmith.

Ryan Howse scored the only goal 11 minutes and 42 seconds into the period, working a sweet looking give-and-go with Mark Santorelli. Howse gave the puck to the WHL scoring champ halfway down the right-wing boards, and Santorelli found the rookie with a return pass in the slot. The Prince George native wired a wrist shot past Sexsmith for his first of the series, and his first career WHL playoff goal.

And so to the third period, and Chilliwack’s last chance to save their season.

The final frame began with a bang. On a routine breakout, Bruins forward Evan Pighin's stick shattered a pane of glass causing a fifteen minute delay.

When the game resumed the Bruins dominated. Santorelli missed two glorious chances in close and Chilliwack buzzed around the Vancouver net. But it was Giants forward Casey Pierro-Zabotel who scored the decisive goal against the run of the play. Strong forechecking by linemates Evander Kane and Craig Cunningham created chaos behind the Bruins net. The ex-Merritt Centennial picked up the puck, darted in front and snuck a wraparound between Friesen’s outstretched skate and the left post with just seven minutes and 13 seconds left.

The Bruins continued to press, and pulled Friesen with just over a minute remaining. They thought they had tied the game with 6.4 seconds left when Evan Pighin jammed home the rebound from an Oscar Moller point shot. But referee Colby Smith emphatically waved it off, claiming the whistle had gone before the puck went in.