Gallagher counts two goals and an assist as Giants blank Bruins 5-0

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Brendan Gallagher scored two goals and added an assist as the Vancouver Giants blanked the Chilliwack Bruins 5-0 in WHL action Wednesday night.

Gallagher netted his team-leading 21st and 22nd goals of the season as the Giants (20-11-3) avenged one-sided losses in their previous two meetings with Chilliwack (13-16-5).

J.T. Barnett, Zach Hodder and Garry Nunn also scored for the Giants before a crowd of 6,871 at the Pacific Coliseum.

Mark Segal recorded 17 saves for his first WHL shutout as the Giants won their fourth of six meetings with the Bruins this season. The Giants now have a 29-3-2 all-time record against their Fraser Valley rivals.

Vancouver connected on two of six power play while outshooting Chilliwack 33-12 in the first two periods and 34-17 on the night.

Gallagher's first goal of the night came on a power play, beating Chilliwack goaltender Braden Gamble on a wrist shot to the top corner.

Gamble, an 18-year-old North Star, Alta., native, was making only his second WHL start after earning a 4-0 shutout against Vancouver in his debut Sunday. He joined the Bruins last week after they traded Mark Friesen to Swift Current. Gamble quickly became the starter, temporarily at least, after Lucas Gore suffered a shoulder injury.

But Gamble only lasted two periods. Gallagher put the Giants ahead 2-0 at 4:07 of the second, firing in a shot from the slot after David Musil's point shot was blocked and the puck came to him.

Barnett gave the Giants a 3-0 advantage at 12:51 of the middle frame.

With only three seconds left in the second, Hodder snuck in from his defence post and fired in Gallagher's cross-ice pass during a power play, putting the Giants ahead 4-0.

Cole Holowenko, 16, replaced Gamble in the Chilliwack net at the start of the third. It was Holowenko's first career WHL appearance.

He faced only one shot - but it went past him as Nunn recorded his fourth goal to round out the scoring.

Chilliwack had a goal disallowed with 12 seconds left in the game as Shayne Neigum was called for goaltender interference on Segal. Otherwise, the Vancouver netminder was rarely tested in his fourth straight start.

Segal, at least temporarily, has displaced nominal No. 1 Giants goaltender Jamie Tucker, who has fallen out of favour with Vancouver coach Don Hay despite a decent 13-7-2 record and 2.66 goals-against average.

Notes: Vancouver played without winger Cass Mappin, who served the first of a two-game suspension for cross-checking Chilliwack's Jeff Einhorn in the face Sunday. Giants winger Sebastian Svendsen was also absent. He has joined the Danish team in Geneva, Switzerland for training prior to the upcoming Division I, or B pool, world junior championships in Megeve and Saint-Gervais, France.