Author Archives: Tyler Asaoka

WHL Vancouver Giants Vs Victoria Royals Postgame Analysis

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The Vancouver Giants suffered a tough loss to the Victoria Royals last night in a crushing 6-2 defeat.

The game was tied 2-2 at the end of the 1st period, but the Giants couldnā€™t find a way to get another goal past the Royalsā€™ goaltender, Braden Holt, who didnā€™t let in a single goal after the 1st period.

 

The Royals stormed back with a goal in the 2nd period, making it 3-2 heading into the 3rd period, where the Royals would only add to their lead by adding 3 more goals for a final score of 6-2.

 

Giantsā€™ goaltender, Brett Mirwald, was in for all 6 goals tonight and faced 35 shots on goal. Despite letting in 6 goals tonight, the team stood strong on the penalty kill, where they killed off 4 penalties. None of the Royals’ goals tonight were on the powerplay.

 

Ā The Giantsā€™ got their 2 goals from Dylan Anderson and Connor Dale, both of which were their 5th goals of the season. Andersonā€™s goal was on the powerplay, and Ty Halaburda and Mazden Leslie picked up the assists. Sammy May and Will Subject picked up assists as well on Daleā€™s goal.

The Giants are back in action in one week, where they will continue their 5-game homestand at the Langet Events Centre. They will play against the Saskatoon Blades, who will be a tough opponent. The Blades hold a record of 34-13-3-1, which is currently good for 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. The Blades are looking to clinch their spot in the playoffs, while the Giants pretty much already have no chance of making it.Ā 

 

The Bladesā€™ leading point-scorer, Trevor Wong, is a Vancouver, BC native, and he currently has 18 goals and 45 assists for 63 points in 51 games. The Blades have 3 other players from BC, which are Jake Chiasson from Abbotsford, Smyth Rebman from Prince George, and Brandon Lisowsky from Port Coquitlam.

 

WHL Vancouver Giants Vs Victoria Royals Pregame Analysis

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The Vancouver Giants are set to face off against the Victoria Royals at 7:00 pm (PST) at the Langley Events Centre.Ā 

Both the Vancouver Giants and the Victoria Royals are out of the hunt for a playoff spot, so this is a game that wonā€™t have too much on the line.

 

The Giants hold a record of 20-25-4-2, while the Royals hold a record of 15-32-5-1, making both of these teams pretty evenly matched.

 

The top scorer for the Giants is centermen Ty Thorpe, who has 26 goals and 27 assists for 53 points in 49 games. The top scorer for the Royals is right winger Jack Poole, who has 27 goals and 28 assists for 55 points in 47 games.

 

The Giants have had a very good past record against the Royals this season, as they have a record of 6-1-0-0 against them just this regular season. However, a lot of those previous victories were only by a goal or two, meaning the games were never big blowouts.

 

The starting goaltenders are expected to be Brett Mirwald for the Giants, and Braden Holt for the Royals.

After this game, the Giants will have 17 games left to play this season. Their next game will be at home, as they continue their 5-game homestand. They face off against the Saskatoon Blades in one week, Saturday, February 18th at 7:00 pm (PST). The Blades are a top team this season, holding a 34-13-3-1 record, which is good for 3rd place in the Eastern Conference.

 

Catch Vancouverā€™s own, and the Bladesā€™ leading point-scorer, Trevor Wong, in action against the Giants. He currently has 18 goals and 45 assists for 63 points in 51 games.Ā 

 

The Blades also have 3 other players from BC, which are Jake Chiasson from Abbotsford, Smyth Rebman from Prince George, and Brandon Lisowsky from Port Coquitlam.

Toronto Raptors Vs Pistons Pregame Analysis

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The Toronto Raptors face off against the Detroit Pistons in an afternoon Sunday basketball game. This is due to the fact that the Superbowl will be on today at 3:30 pm (PST), and the NBA does not want to compete with that event, as many more people would likely watch the Superbowl over a regular season NBA game.

The Detroit Pistons hold the 4th worst record in the entire league heading into todayā€™s game. They have a record of 15-42, with the worst record in the NBA being held by the Houston Rockets, who currently have a 13-43 record, meaning the Pistons arenā€™t too far off.

 

Thereā€™s essentially no way the Pistons make the playoffs or the play-ins, but the same canā€™t be said about the Raptors. The Raptors currently hold a record of 26-31, and only sit one spot out of the final spot of the play-in rounds. A win tonight would help bring them closer to the 10th-place Chicago Bulls, who are the team to beat for the Raptors if they hope to make it to the play-in rounds.

 

The Raptors’ leading points-per-game player, Pascal Siakam, is coming off a 35-point night against the Utah Jazz, and the Raptors hope that he brings that same point total (if not more) to the game tomorrow.Ā 

Raptors small forward, O.G. Anunoby, is sidelined with a wrist injury, and itā€™s questionable if he will return to the game tomorrow; itā€™ll be a game-time decision. Speaking of Anunoby, sources have revealed that the Raptors were offered 3-first round picks from 1 team for him at the trade deadline, but elected not to accept the trade. Would you have accepted this trade if the rumours are true?

 

Watch the Raptors at 12:00 pm (PST). Once the game is over, the Superbowl will be on soon after if youā€™re interested in watching a sports marathon tomorrow!

Toronto Raptors Vs Utah Jazz Postgame Analysis

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The Toronto Raptorsā€™ 3-game win streak has come to an end, as they fell to the Utah Jazz in a final score of 122-116.

The Raptors were playing very well, outscoring the Jazz after both the 1st quarter and the 3rd quarter. The Raptors had a 96-83 lead over the Jazz heading into the final quarter, but a huge 39-point quarter for the Jazz helped them make an impressive comeback again the Raptors.Ā 

While the Raptors 3-game winning streak came to an end, the Jazzā€™s 3-game losing streak also came to an end because of this victory.

 

Raptors Power Forward, Pascal Siakam, led the way for the Raptors, as he finished the game with 35 points, 4 assists, and 6 rebounds.

 

Jazz Power Forward, Lauri Markkanen, helped lead the comeback and finished the game with 23 points, 5 assists, and 9 rebounds.

 

As for the new players on both teams, Utah Jazzā€™s newly acquired point guard, Russell Westbrook, did not play in tonight’s game. However, the Raptors’ newly acquired player did suit up tonight. Center, Jakob Poeltl, made his return to the Raptors tonight after being acquired from the San Antonio Spurs at this year’s trade deadline. He finished tonight with 6 points, 2 assists, and 4 rebounds. He played 17 minutes in tonightā€™s game.

 

The Raptors play their next game on Sunday at 12:00 pm (PST) when they host against the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are one of the worst teams this season with a 15-42 record, but they won their last game against the San Antonio Spurs in overtime. The final score of that game was 138-131. This should be an easier chance at victory for the Raptors, but as the old saying goes, ā€œon any given night, anything can happen.ā€ Letā€™s see if that happens Sunday afternoon!

Tornto Raptors Vs Utah Jazz Pregame Analysis

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The Toronto Raptors look to continue their 3-game winning streak against the Utah Jazz this Friday in what should be a thrilling game.

This is the first game the Raptors will be playing since the trade deadline has passed. The Raptors didnā€™t make too many moves this year at the deadline, which surprised many. They were expected to be sellers at the deadline, but instead, they ended up being buyers.

 

The Raptors went on to acquire center Jakob Poeltl. He is a former Raptor who played for them from 2016-2018. The Raptors traded center Khem Birch, a first-round pick, and 2 second-round picks to bring back Poeltl.

In what was a lot of rumours and speculation that the Raptors would sell off their entire core, including Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, O.G. Anunoby, and Gary Trent Jr., they all still remain with the team. That doesnā€™t mean they wonā€™t get traded during the off-season though. Perhaps the Raptors are just going to wait and see if they can get a better return for those players, as Raptors President of Basketball Operations, Masai Ujiri, stated that the Raptors were never really ā€œactive sellersā€ and he emphasized ā€œpatienceā€ despite the missed opportunity to fully embrace a rebuild, especially with young star Scottie Barnes only in his second year playing.Ā 

 

The Utah Jazz are an even opponent for the Raptors, as they both have similar records. The Jazz have a 27-30 record, while the Raptors have a 26-29 record. Both of them are in 11th place in their respective conferences, meaning they both sit just outside of the final play-in spot. Every game is important from here-on-out, as itā€™s now clear that the Raptors have plans to at least make the play-ins this season.

 

The Jazz should be with newly acquired point guard Russell Westbrook. They just acquired him at the trade deadline in a 3-way trade involving the Lakers, Timberwolves, and the Jazz.Ā 

The game will be on at 4:30 (PST), so make sure to remember it!

Toronto Raptors Vs San Antonio Spurs Pregame Analysis

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The Toronto Raptors are back in action on February 8th when they face off against the San Antonio Spurs.Ā 

The Raptors are currently on a 2-game winning streak and will look to continue their win streak at home in the Scotiabank Arena.

 

The Raptors currently hold the last spot in the play-in rounds but will look to continue their playoff push for more security in their playoff hopes.Ā 

 

With a record of 25-30, they have the Washington Wizards and the Indiana Pacers right behind them with close records to take that final play-in spot away from them. Currently, the Pacers have a 25-29 record, while the Pacers have a 25-31 record.

 

The Raptors will need key performances every night from star players Pascal Siakam, Fred VanVleet, and the Rookie of the Year last season, Scottie Barnes.

 

The San Antonio Spurs hold a record of 14-40, good for 3rd last in the league, meaning this should be an easier victory for the Raptors to obtain to extend their win streak to 3 games and get a high jump on the Wizards and Pacers who sit close behind them.

 

If the playoffs started today, the Raptors would face off against the 7th-seed New York Knicks, who currently hold a record of 30-26.Ā Ā 

 

Another thing to note is the NBA Trade Deadline is tomorrow, February 9th. There have already been big trades occurring, with the most notable one being Kyrie Irving getting traded to the Dallas Mavericks a few days ago. Earlier today, there was also a 3-way trade between the Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Utah Jazz with the main pieces being Russell Westbrook going to the Jazz, Dā€™Angelo Russell returning to the Lakers, and Mike Conley going to the Timberwolves.

 

With the Raptors pushing for a playoff spot, can we expect them to make a big move to help increase their chances of making the playoffs? Or will they play it conservatively and only make small moves? Thereā€™s also the option of doing nothing to disrupt the chemistry that the team currently has. We will soon find outā€¦

 

Catch the game at 4:30 pm (PST) to watch another thrilling Raptors game.

Vancouver Canucks Vs Detroit Red Wings Postgame Analysis

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The Vancouver Canucks took their 28th regulation loss this morning against the Detroit Red Wings in a 5-2 defeat. The Canucks concluded their 4-game road trip with a 1-3 record, winning arguably their most important one against the New York Islanders at least.

It was a rocky start for Canucks goaltender Spencer Martin, as he allowed 2 goals in the first 2 minutes of the game. Newly acquired forward, Anthony Beauvillier, continues to impress, as he netted his 2nd goal as a Canuck to cut the lead in half, but the Red Wings would later storm back scoring 3 goals throughout the 2nd and 3rd periods. Beauvillier also assisted on the Canucks other goal scored by Elias Pettersson, meaning he contributed to all the goals today.

The Canucks let in 2 powerplay goals, continuing to showcase their awful penalty kill which doesnā€™t seem to be improving at all. The team wasnā€™t very disciplined today, as the team picked up 6 minor penalties during the entire game. Canucks fans should be grateful that the Canucks only let in 2 powerplay goals out of the 6 (even though letting 2 in isnā€™t very good either).

 

Canucks forward, JT Miller, continues to showcase his bad attitude on the ice, as he picked up 2 separate penalties on the same play when he got a roughing penalty on Red Wings defender Olli Maatta, and then once the whistle blew, he picked up another penalty, this time being an unsportsmanlike conduct on the same player, Olli Maataa.

The Canucks are finally done with their 4-game road trip and will now be heading home to Rogers Arena for a 3-game homestand. They will first face the Red Wings again this coming Monday, then the New York Rangers on Wednesday, and then finally the Philidelphia Flyers on Saturday.

 

Catch the Canucks Vs. Red Wings again at 7:00 pm (PST) on Monday!

Vancouver Canucks Vs Detroit Red Wings Pregame Analysis

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The Vancouver Canucks are back in action today against the Detroit Red Wings in an early matchup. The game will start at 9:00 am (PST), which is an unusual time for Canucks fans to watch their games.

The Canucks are coming off a 6-5 victory thriller against the New York Islanders and their former captain and former leading goal-scorer, Bo Horvat. The Canucks will look to win 2 in a row before they end their 4-game road trip. Their road trip started after the All-Star weekend, and they only won 1 of their 3 games so far, having only defeated the Islanders last game, and falling to the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers before that.

 

This game will be the first time this season that the Canucks will play a home-and-home game, as after this game, the Canucks will face the Red Wings in their home arena of Rogers Arena this coming Monday, February 13th.

 

Spencer Martin will get the start tonight, which will be his first-ever game playing against the Red Wings. He last played against the New York Rangers on February 8th where the Canucks lost 4-3 in regulation.

Canucks defender, Oliver Ekman-Larsson is playing in his 900th career game today against the Red Wings. This will be his 131st game for the Canucks, spending the rest of the other 769 games with the Pheonix/Arizona Coyotes organization. He was acquired in a big trade from Arizona with multiple pieces being moved. He was one of the big players involved in the trade, with the Canucks sending Arizona the 9th overall pick in the 2021 Draft in exchange for him and forward, Conor Garland.

Both Garland and Ekman-Larsson havenā€™t lived up to expectations amongst Canucks fans, and that 9th overall pick that the Canucks sent to Arizona was used to select forward, Dylan Guenther, who was on Team Canadaā€™s World Junior Championship Team this year, and scored the Gold Medal winning goal. Ouchā€¦

Bo Horvat and Anthony Beauvillier Both Score Against Their Former Teams

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The Vancouver Canucks defeated the New York Islanders Thursday Night in a thrilling and high-scoring matchup with the final scoring being 6-5.

A big 3-goal 3rd period helped the Canucks stun the New York Islanders, as former New York Islander, Anthony Beauvillier, scored the game-winner for the Canucks (Islanders fans likely know a thing or two about Beauvillier scoring big goals).

While the irony of Beauvillier scoring the game-winner is great for Canucks fans, Islanders fans also got a bit of irony for themselves. Former Canucks captain, Bo Horvat, played against his former team for the first time ever, only a week and a half after he was traded.Ā 

 

Horvat has made a huge impact on the Islanders already, scoring 1 goal for them in the 2 games he played prior to this game. Heā€™s quickly become a fan-favourite, as after he scored his first goal for the Islanders, Islander fans started chanting his name, and they did the same tonight when Horvat scored his first goal against the Canucks.

 

You can almost feel like he was going to score against the Canucks tonight. After all, the Canucks are lacking when it comes to defense, and Horvat has 30+ goals already this season. He actually scored 2-goals tonight, but his first one was taken away due to a goaltender interference coach’s challenge.

With Horvat scoring 2-goals, the pressure was likely building on Beauvillier, as Horvat had now technically scored 3-goals in 3 games for his new team. Beauvillier has been pointless for the Canucks heading into his return to New York.

 

His first goal with the Canucks couldnā€™t be more clutch, as it was a game-winner against his former team. You can hear the excitement in his voice, and Iā€™m sure even he wouldnā€™t have thought his first goal for his new team would be against his former team. He mustā€™ve had some extra motivation heading into this game.

 

He also received a warm welcome back and a video tribute for his time in New York.

 

The Canucks are on their way to Detroit to conclude their 4-game road trip. They will face the Red Wings on Saturday at 9:00 am (PST).Ā 

Vancouver Canucks Vs New York Islanders Pregame Analysis

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The Vancouver Canucks return to the ice tonight for a back-to-back game against the New York Islanders tonight.

The Canucks are coming off 2-straight losses, with the most recent coming last night in a 4-3 regulation loss to the New York Rangers.

 

It was looking like another possible comeback for the Canucks (like in their game versus the Devils on Monday), but the Canucks couldnā€™t tie the game, forcing them to leave Madison Square Garden without a point.

 

Tonight will be an eager game to watch for many Canucks fans, as tonight will be the first time former Canucks captain, Bo Horvat, will face off against the Canucks in his career.Ā 

The former Canucks captain was traded a week and a half ago on January 30th to the New York Islanders in exchange for Forward Anthony Beauvillier, highly-touted prospect, Aatu Raty, and a 2023 Top-12 protected 1st Round pick. If the Islanders fail to make the playoffs this season and their 1st round pick is in the Top 12, the Canucks will receive the Islanders 2024 1st-Round Pick completely unprotected.

 

While Canucks fans will mainly be focusing on Bo Horvat facing off against his former team only a week and a half after the blockbuster trade, fans shouldnā€™t forget that this isnā€™t Bo Horvatā€™s return to Rogers Arena, which would be a much more exciting game for Canucks fans to look forward to. Thisā€™ll just be Horvatā€™s first game facing his former team, which is still exciting.

 

On the other spectrum, this will be now-Canucks forward, Anthony Beauvillierā€™s return to UBS Arena. He was a fan-favourite on Long Island and was known to be a clutch playoff performer for them. He will likely get a standing ovation for what heā€™s done for the team, having spent his entire career with the Islanders up until the trade.

Horvat already has 1 goal in 2 games for the Islanders, and it was an unforgettable one (for both Islanders fans in a good way and Canucks fans in a sad way), as Islander fans erupted when he scored and started chanting his name after he scored.Ā 

 

The Islanders are 2-0-0 following the trade for Horvat, as they continue to make a playoff push. The Canucks on the other hand, are 0-1-1 since the trade that sent Horvat out of Vancouver.Ā 

 

Will the Canucks get their first win without their captain against the team he was traded to? Or will the Islanders continue to remain hot with their new 30-goal scorer and go 3-0-0?Ā 

 

Islanders fans are known to be rowdy, so expect an exciting game, and some potential chants targeted at the Canucks if Horvat has a great gameā€¦ or if he scores a goalā€¦ or 3.

 

Catch this exciting game at 4:30 pm (PST).