Vancouver Giants couldn't find the equalizer and eventually lost 4-2 against the Portland Winterhawks on Sunday, March 16, after an empty-net goal.
Ty Halaburda scored his 28th goal of the season, while Jaden Lipinski delivered the other Giants tally 鈥� his 16th of the year. Brady Smith made 23 saves on 26 shots. Both of Vancouver's goals came on the power play.
Associate coach Adam Maglio thought the team "battled hard."
"There was some real good urgency and desperation [in the third]. We know how important these games are right now. Our players do; I give them credit. We never backed down once tonight."
Portland led 1-0 after one period.
Early in the second, the Giants got the equalizer on the power play from Halaburda, as he beat goaltender Ondrej 艩t臎bet谩k off the rush from the slot after a good pass from the right wing from Lipinski.
Not long after, the Giants drew another penalty, but this time, they surrendered a shorthanded goal to Portland.
With 5:23 left in the second period, Chyzowski increased Portland's lead from 2-1 to 3-1 after Weiermair fed him a pass off a 3-on-2 rush, which he put home for his 41st goal of the season.
Lipinski scored with the man advantage on a one-timer from the left circle off a pass from Ethan Mittelsteadt early in the third period to cut the Winterhawks lead to one.
Although Vancouver fired 12 shots on goal in the third period, they could only beat 艩t臎bet谩k once, as Sotheran hit the empty net for the home side in the final minute to make the final score 4-2.
The Giants fall to 32-26-8-0 on the season and remain in sixth place in the Western Conference standings with two games remaining. Vancouver can no longer finish in fifth 鈥� they are now guaranteed to finish in either sixth or seventh place.
Leslie recorded an assist on Sunday 鈥� his 72nd point of the season, officially tying Kevin Connauton (2009-10) for the most points in a single season by a Giants defenceman in franchise history. Leslie has 10 points in his last seven games (5G-5A).
Halaburda scored his 28th goal of the season, but it was also his 60th point of the season. It's the second straight season he has recorded at least 60 points.
Giants wrap up the 2024-25 regular season next weekend with a road game on Friday in Kamloops and a home game on Sunday against Kelowna at 4 p.m.
