Kelowna scored first, but Vancouver scored last, an overtime winner by draft-eligible Giants forward Tobias Tomik in their 4-3 victory over the Rockets on Friday night at Prospera Place.
Giants had a very strong second period, outshooting Kelowna 15-8 and tying the game 2-2 heading into the third. Colton Gerrior gave them a 3-2 lead, but the Rockets tied it late, sending the game to overtime. The first shot of overtime ended the game, when Tomik carried the puck around a diving defender, drove to the net, finishing on the forehand for his 12th goal of the season 1:50 into the 3-on-3.
Vancouver improves to 23-35-1-2 (49 points), while Kelowna drops to 34-19-6-2 (76 points).
Joe Iginla and Kaleb Hartmann were the other goal scorers for Vancouver. Burke Hood was clutch down the stretch for the Giants, making 18 saves on 19 third-period shots and finishing with 38 saves on the evening.
Tij Iginla, Ty Halaburda and Vojtech Cihar each scored for Kelowna.
Giants Assistant Coach Gaelan Patterson was “super proud of the group, especially after the first. We thought we weren’t really playing our game in the first…but we responded in the second and in the third. We turned the tables in the second with the shots and everything: a complete reversal from the first. And then in the third it was a solid effort by the group…we’re a group of 20 now and we’re all rolling. If we keep that effort up, it doesn’t matter who we play in this league.”
Next, Giants play in Kamloops on Saturday before heading home on Sunday for RE/MAX presents: Be A Superhero for Children’s Miracle Network.