Some Western Hockey League history has been made after Monday night’s game between the Vancouver Giants and the Everett Silvertips. After barely skimming into the playoffs, the Giants have become the first eighth-seeded team in WHL history to beat the first-place team in the postseason and move on to the second round with a 6-3 victory over the Silvertips. Vancouver secured a position in the top eight at home in front of over 3300 people at the Langley Events Centre.
HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE!!!! #WHLPlayoffs
📸: @Rjmediadottech pic.twitter.com/PZZExqVPWs
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 3, 2022
The Giants came back in this series after being down 2-1. The team was able to click and found their scoring touch as they scored 20 goals in the final three games of the series and went on to win three straight against the top team in the Western Conference.
But Vancouver does have their work cut out for them, as their next matchup will be against the Kamloops Blazers, who finished one point back of the Everett Silvertips this regular season.
The Blazers finished the season with 48 wins, the most wins in the Western Conference. They have also been nothing short of dominant in the first round of the playoffs, sweeping the Spokane Chiefs in the first round, winning all four games in a row while outscoring their opponent 23 to 3 over those four games and shutting them out twice during their series.
If the Giants want to continue to have success against the top teams in the West, they will have to continue to work hard as a team, but most importantly, their top guys will have to continue to produce like they have been this postseason. Vancouver’s captain, Zack Ostapchuk, who is the reigning Player of the Week in the WHL, will have to keep producing for the team after having 16 points in six games, with five of those 16 points coming in the close-out game against Everett.
.@TheWHL Player of The Week keeps it going! pic.twitter.com/qwiDPackZY
— X – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 3, 2022
As well as production from players like Fabian Lysell and Alex Cotton, who have scored four goals each in the playoffs.
ON TO THE NEXT ONE#WHLPlayoffs / #KAMvsVAN pic.twitter.com/bZ0R3TeFtB
— X – Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) May 3, 2022
The first game between the Giants and Blazers will be played at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops on May 6th, 2022, at 7:00 pm.