Vancouver Giants dropped a hard-fought 2-1 decision to the Kamloops Blazers Tuesday night, April 27, at the Sandman Centre in Kamloops.
Giants’s lone goal came from Tanner Brown in the second period.
At 13:25, Brown put the Langley-based Giants on the board with a shot from the left-wing circle that beat Dylan Garand.
Tanner Brown with his first of the year in the #REMAXHub 💪 pic.twitter.com/IE0FIl8IyK
— Vancouver Giants (@WHLGiants) April 28, 2021
It was Brown’s first goal since November of 2019 when the team won a 3-1 home against the Portland Winterhawks.
Brown’s first of the season was assisted by Alex Kannok Leipert and Bryce Bader.
After the game, Brown said he enjoys playing with Kannok Leipert.
“He talks to you out there, so that makes it easier,” Brown remarked.
“I was just screaming and he made a nice pass.”
Eleven of the Giants 48 goals this season have now come via defencemen.
It was a good team effort, according to Giants associate coach Keith McCambridge, who said the players had more energy after a day off between games.
“A little bit of mental rest as well” is how McCambridge assessed it.
“It paid off in the first two periods. We had a lot of jump in our legs.”
READ ALSO: VIDEO: Vancouver Giants drop 2-0 decision to Kamloops
One minute and 11 seconds after Brown scored the first goal of the game, Kamloops answered when Josh Pillar finished off a Connor Zary pass, and fired his sixth goal past a sprawled Trent Miner.
Daylon Kuefler recorded the second assist on the goal.
Then, in the third period, Josh Pillar moved Kamloops ahead 2-1 with a power play goal at 7:38.
Trent Miner got part of Pillar’s shot, but not quite enough of it, as the puck dribbled barely across the goal line. Connor Zary and Quinn Schmiemann both assisted.
The Giants were unsuccessful on a late five-on-three power play opportunity that lasted one minute and 38 seconds.
It was the Giants second loss to Kamloops, following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat.
Their four-game winning streak came to an end on Saturday night at the hands of the Kelowna Rockets, who came back in the third to win it 4-3.
READ MORE: VIDEO: Kelowna ends Vancouver Giants winning streak
Giants are now 2-3 on the season against Kamloops and trail them by six points in the B.C. Division standings.
In four meetings against Kamloops, Miner is now 2-2 with a 1.01 goals-against average and .964 save percentage.
Next Giants game: a road showdown on Thursday night in Kelowna at 7:05 PM.

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