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Gallagher scores twice as Giants bounce Bruins

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Dylen McKinlay of the Chilliwack Bruins fights Neil Manning for the puck during the third period of Saturday night's game at Prospera Centre.

Brendan Gallagher scored two goals Saturday night, leading the Vancouver Giants to a 5-1 win over the Chilliwack Bruins at Prospera Centre. One night after ventilating the Vancouver defence for a half-dozen goals in a 6-4 win, the Bruins offence ran dry, generating just 17 total shots against a stingy Giants squad out for revenge.The Bruins, and in particular goalie Lucas Gore, had about as bad a first period as you could possibly expect, falling behind 4-0 through 20 minutes.The Giants got things rolling just 2:29 in on a goal by Nathan Burns. Linemates Michael Burns and Greg Lamoureaux did some great work down low, cycling the puck below the goal-line. Michael Burns looped behind the Chiliwack net and fed a perfect pass to Nathan Burns in the slot. The Edmonton native one-timed the puck into the net for his 13th of the year.Ex-Portland Winter Hawk Spencer Bennett doubled the lead at 7:50, set up by defenceman Neil Manning. Gore stopped Manning's hot shot from the right faceoff dot, but kicked a super-juicy rebound to Bennett, who snapped the puck into the yawning cage for his 30th.Gore's night appeared to get a whole lot worse seconds later when an Andrej Stastny shot from the left-wing boards, just inside the blueline, knuckled off the top of his glove and bounced into the net. Lucky for the Chilliwack netmnder, the whistle was blown before the puck crossed line, with the play deemed offside.But Gore's night ended at 14:58 on a goal by Montreal Canadiens prospect Gallagher. Gore was caught out of position as Jordan Martinook chugged down the right wing and shovelled a centering pass across the Chilliwack crease. Gallagher grabbed the puck near the left faceoff dot and roofed it from a sharp angle, chasing Gore after three goals on 10 shots.Braden Gamble took over, giving up the fourth Giant goal to Gallagher. From just about the the same spot as his first, Gallagher took a power play feed from James Henry and went upstairs for his 41st of the year.Any comeback hopes the home side held hung by a thread early in period two as the Bruins went two men down for 41 seconds. Curt Gogol took two minutes for unsportsmanlike conduct at 4:35, and Brandon Manning followed him to the box at 5:54, flagged for slashing. But Chilliwack's penalty killers came up big to snuff out the threat.Gamble was at his best in period two, producing a handful of highlight-reel stops. On one Vancouver rush, Gamble kicked out the left leg pad to thwart Bennett, then stretched post-to-post to stop James Henry on a spinorama backhand. Seconds later, Martinook came down the pipe with a shot from 15 feet out that Gamble snared with a lightning quick glove. Seconds after than, Gamble butterflied to stop Nathan Smith on a breakaway. Brendan Jensen was more relaxed at the other end, facing just four second period shots. He did surrender one goal, a power play tally by Brandon Manning. With Gallagher in the box for elbowing, the Chilliwack captain one-timed a feed from Kevin Sundher, blasting the puck past Jensen for his 15th of the year.Shots on goal through 40 minutes favoured Vancouver 27-11, and the Bruins faced a three-goal deficit heading to period three.Penalty problems kept the Bruins at bay in the final frame. With the power play count already heavily favouring the Giants, Chilliwack's Robin Soudek and Tyler Stahl were sent off for roughing and interference. Bruins bench boss Marc Habscheid finally had enough, pointed out the penalty discrepancy and drew a two-minute bench minor. Michael Burns scored the final Giants goal on the ensuing power play to wrap up the scoring. The three stars were Gallagher (first), Martinook (second) and Gamble (third).The Bruins are back on home ice tomorrow night at 5 p.m., hosting the Prince George Cougars in another crucial B.C. division clash.



Eric Welsh

About the Author: Eric Welsh

I joined the Chilliwack Progress in 2007, originally hired as a sports reporter.
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