Gallagher, Manning score twice as Giants defeat Winterhawks 7-3

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Brendan Gallagher and Neil Manning each had two goals, leading the Vancouver Giants to a 7-3 win over the visiting Portland Winterhawks in Western Hockey League action Saturday night.

Gallagher added an assist, while Craig Cunningham had a goal and three helpers in the victory. Lance Bouma and Sebastian Svendsen also scored for the B.C. Division-leading Giants (16-8-3).

Ty Rattie, Luke Walker, and Riley Boychuk had goals for the Winterhawks (16-10-0).

Both Mark Segal for the Giants and Mac Carruth for the Winterhawks were playing their first WHL games in goal. Segal was just acquired by the Giants from Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League and earned third star of the game honours for his 27 saves. Carruth stopped 18-of-25 in a losing effort.

The win snapped a two-game skid by the Giants, while the 'Hawks have now lost two in a row.

The first quality chance of the game was by the Winterhawks at the tail end of their first power play, but Spencer Bennett was robbed twice in front of the net at point blank but couldn't beat Segal.

The Giants broke the scoreless tie in the final minute of the first. While skating four-on-four for the second time in the game, Manning took a weak backhand shot that trickled through two sets of legs and across the goal-line with just 49 seconds to go in the opening frame.

Portland tied the game six minutes into a frantic second period. Chris Francis and Rattie went in on a two-on-one, with Francis setting up Rattie's one-timer shot that beat Segan glove side at 5:59.

Less than a minute later, James Henry went to the net in an attempt to score and got a little help from Jacob Berglund who pushed both Henry and Travis Bobbee into his own goaltender. Gallagher came in to guide the puck past the mess at 6:54

Troy Ruthowski thought he may have tied the game again for Portland but his shot from the high slot careened off the post and clear of the net.

The Giants opened the first two-goal lead of the game when Gallagher's initial shot on net was stopped, but Bouma and Gallagher took a few swings at the puck before Cunningham put the bouncing puck in the net at 11:53.

Porltand's Swiss import Nino Niederreiter took an interference penalty, but it was the Winterhawks that scored. Francis set up Walker on a two-on-one and the 19-year-old roofed the puck past Segal at 17:44.

Cunningham took a shot from the face-off dot and Bouma buried the rebound at 18:50, restoring the two-goal lead. It was just the sixth of the year for the Vancouver captain.

The Winterhawks halved the deficit when Stefan Schneider took a shot from the top of the circle that was kicked out, but Boychuk knocked in the rebound at 5:15.

The 'Hawks kept coming with pressure, with Francis hitting the post a couple minutes later.

However, after Boychuk went to the box for interference the Giants got some insurance with Manning's second of the game.

Gallagher and Svendsen finished off the scoring for Vancouver.