Vancouver Giants head coach Parker Burgess called it “disappointing.”
Saturday, the short-handed team suffered a 9-2 loss to the Kelowna Rockets at Langley Events Centre.
Rockets scored six goals in the second period, including three on the power play, leading to a 7-2 lead after 40 minutes.
Vancouver played without five regulars who were out with injuries.
Burgess said “for us tonight at times it was self-inflicted wounds. Taking nine minors against a team like Kelowna is just not a recipe for success. They’re a good team and give them credit, but we talked after the game that when you go through adversity or something bad happens in a game, you can’t compound that mistake or that error by going off script or by trying to do too much.”
Vancouver now has a record of 18-28-1-2 (39 points).
The Memorial Cup host Rockets improve to 25-16-4-2 (56 points), currently sitting in fourth place in the West.
Brett Olson (9th) and Tobias Tomik (10th) each scored for the Giants.
Tij Iginla had a standout performance for Kelowna with three goals and three assists. Dawson Gerwing had two goals, as did Tomas Poletin. Ty Halaburda and Carson Wetsch also scored a goal each for the Rockets.
Midway through the first period, Olson opened the scoring for Vancouver on a deflection five seconds into a power play, after he tipped in a wrist shot from new Giant Joe Iginla.
Halaburda tied the game for Kelowna a few minutes later on a quick shot from the right circle.
Tij Iginla gave Kelowna their first lead just eight seconds into the second period off a 2-on-1 rush.
Five minutes later, Gerwing made it 3-1 with his first of the evening, which was quickly followed by a power play marker from Poletin, which was followed up by Gerwing’s second of the contest just 83 seconds later, giving Kelowna a 5-1 lead thanks to four goals in just over eight minutes.
Tij Iginla notched his second of the night at the 12:47 mark of the second to make it 6-1 Rockets.
Tomik scored a highlight reel goal for the Giants less than a minute later to make it 6-2.
Poletin made the score 7-2 with Kelowna’s third power play goal of the game late in the second.
Tij Iginla completed the hat-trick just over seven minutes into the third period and Wetsch found the scoresheet at the 10:48 mark of the third to make it a 9-2 final score.
Giants continue their five-game homestand on Sunday against Red Deer at 4 p.m.