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VIDEO: Vancouver Giants take down Portland

Will Gurski made a season-high 41 saves
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Saturday night, March 12, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, the Vancouver Giants skated to a 6-5 victory over the Winterhawks. (Keith Dwiggins/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Saturday night, March 12, at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Portland, OR the Vancouver Giants skated to a 6-5 victory over the Portland Winterhawks.

Adam Hall paced the Giants with two goals and an assist while four other Giants (Ostapchuk, Lysell, Lipinski and Alex Cotton) each had two points.

Will Gurski made a season-high 41 saves in net for the Giants to secure his second victory in as many games.

RELATED: Giants secure a 3-2 road victory Friday in the Tri-cities

Zack Ostapchuk opened the scoring off a shorthanded two-on-one rush at the 1:43 mark of the first period. Ostapchuk’s fourth shorthanded goal of the season was set up by Connor Horning.

Giants extended their lead to 2-0 when Fabian Lysell wired home his 20th of the season. Adam Hall set up the play with a cross-ice feed from the left-wing circle. Lysell’s goal came on the power play.

In the second period, Adam Hall bagged his first of two goals on the night when he one-timed home a feed from Fabian Lysell from the slot. Zack Ostapchuk also factored in on the play.

Just 28 seconds later, Jaden Lipinski finished off a Kaden Kohle pass in close on a backhand deke to extend the Giants lead to 4-0.

At 7:08, Alex Cotton extended the Giants lead to 5-0 when his shot from the right wing point found its way home. Justin Lies and Ty Thorpe both earned assists.

The game’s winning goal would come 63 seconds later from Adam Hall. The over-age forward snuck past the defence, took a Jaden Lipinski feed and ripped a shot home for his 14th of the season.

Marcus Nguyen began the Portland comeback bid with a shorthanded goal off the rush at 10:23.

James Stefan then made it 6-2 when his shot from the left-wing circle snuck through traffic and past Will Gurski.

Nguyen wasn’t done. He scored his second of the game and 17th of the season at 19:28, making the score 6-3.

In the third period, Kyle Chyzowski moved Portland within two goals when he converted on an unassisted, back-hand effort at 10:46.

Then with 15:28 gone in the final period, James Stefan’s shot from the left-wing point found its way in, giving him two on the night, and moving the score to 6-5. Despite a late push in the final minutes, it was as close as the Winterhawks would get.

Saturday’s victory moved the Giants to 3-0 on the season against Portland. It also kept the Giants four points ahead of both Prince George and Spokane for sixth place in Western Conference standings.

Jaden Lipinski has now scored five goals in his past five games. He’s also earned two points in each of his previous two games.

Fabian Lysell became the first Giant to reach 20 goals on the season with his first-period power play goal.

Zack Ostapchuk leads all Giants with four shorthanded goals. He currently sits tied for second in the WHL.

In his last six games, Adam Hall has posted two goals and six assists for eight points.

RELATED: Vancouver Giants take down nemesis Victoria Royals

Next Giants game is Wednesday, March 16, on home ice at the Langley Events Centre against the Tri-City Americans. Puck drops at 7 p.m.


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