Written by TED CLARKE
Citizen staff
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Friday, 07 November 2008 |
Matt Cumming of the Prince George Cougars finds himself in a vulnerable position against James Wright of the Vancouver Giants during Friday night’s WHL game at CN Centre. The Giants won 5-0. The teams meet again tonight at 7. (Citizen photo by David Mah)
The 19-year-old from Priddis, Alta., broke the league record for shutouts with the 22nd of his career, making 24 saves to backstop the Vancouver Giants to a 5-0 win Friday over the Prince George Cougars.
Sexsmith came into the game tied with Bryan Bridges (Seattle, Kootenay, 2001-06) and Leland Irving (Everett, 2003-08) with 21 career shutouts apiece. Sexsmith earned the record 137 games into his career, while Bridges played 213 and Irving played 195.
“It’s a pretty good accomplishment to get, especially coming quite a few games less than the previous holders of the record,” said Sexsmith. “I get credit for it but it’s definitely a team reward and you have to give them most of the credit. Over the years I’ve had some pretty good guys who helped me get this record.”
The Giants (13-0-0-1) remained undefeated in regulation time this season while outshooting the Cats 51-24. They struck early and often in the first period, blasting out to a 3-0 lead. With the Cats killing the first of five minor penalties handed out in the opening period, Jonathon Blum joined the rush on a 2-on-1 after Cats defenceman Matt Cumming missed his bodycheck attempt at the centre boards on Casey Pierro-Zabotel. Blum’s backhand-forehand deke fooled Joe Caligiuri, making his first start in the Prince George net since a 6-5 shootout loss to Brandon, Oct. 29. Until the Giants arrived, the lost point to the Wheat Kings was the only blemish on Cats’ home ice record, which now stands at 5-1-0-1.
“We expected them to come out hard against us and I thought they played pretty well in the first period and had some good chances early and that’s where I had to come up big,” said Sexsmith. “That gave the team confidence they could rely on me a bit and they could push for that first goal.”
Evander Kane made it 2-0 on a weak goal two minutes later that somehow slipped in under Caligiuri’s stick blade. Then on another Giants’ power play, at 9:29, Kane fed
Pierro-Zabotel with a pass through the slot that left Caligiuri stranded.
Despite all the penalty-killing they were forced into, the Cats (8-11-0-1) were outshot by only 13-12 in the first period, but the damage was done. James Wright added to the Cougars’ misery in the second period, lifting a high backhander over Caligiuri’s trapper. Insult was added to injury late in the period when ex-Cougar Mike Berube lofted a high point shot in. That was it for Caligiuri, replaced by Kevin Armstrong to start the third period.
The Giants came into the game having allowed just nine goals in seven road games. Aside from two breakaway chances from Brian Matte and some frenzied action in the Vancouver end on a late-game power play that led to a pair of chances by Brett Connolly, Sexsmith had an easy night in the Giants cages, picking up his ninth win of the season.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 07 November 2008 )
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