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Thrilling comeback puts Giants two wins away from WHL finals

Vancouver erupts for four goals in a 3:21 span to take 2-0 series lead over Spokane
Delta Optimist
Giants
Giants captain Jared Dmytriw scored twice in a 21 second span in the third period to power his team to a 4-2 comeback win over the Spokane Chiefs in front of 4,746 fans on Saturday night at the Langley Events Centre.Rik Fedyck/WHL Giants

The Vancouver Giants are two wins away from their first trip to the Western Hockey League championship series in 12 years thanks to a dramatic third period comeback on Saturday night.

The Giants scored four goals in a 3:21 span en route to a 4-2 victory over the Spokane Chiefs to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference final series. Games three and four take place on Tuesday and Wednesday in Spokane.

Dawson Holt launched the comeback at the 5:15 mark and captain Jared Dmytriw tied the game less than two minutes later. The 20-year-old then sent the Langley Events Centre crowd of 4,746 into a frenzy when he beat Chiefs goalie Bailey Brkin again 22 seconds later. 

Yannik Valenti capped the explosion with a power play tally. It was his first goal since Nov. 16.

The Giants outshot the Chiefs 44-26 with David Tendeck making 24 saves.

Vancouver had opened the series on Friday with a 4-1 victory.

Lukas Svejkovsky, Owen Hardy and Holt gave the hosts a a 3-0 lead by the early stages of the second period. Top 10 2019 NHL draft prospect Bowen Byram capped a three-point night with a late insurance goal.

The Giants are looking to return to the WHL finals for the first time since falling to Medicine Hat Tigers in seven games back in 2012. They revenged the loss by capturing the Memorial Cup on home ice.

The WHL Eastern Conference finals has the Edmonton Oil Kings and Prince Albert Raiders tied at 1-1 with the teams headed to the Alberta capital for games three and four, also on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Icing…

The Chiefs are led by Delta Hockey Academy alumni Ty Smith who was selected in the first round of the 2017 NHL Entry Draft by New Jersey. The 19-year-old blueliner from Alberta brought his career to Delta for one outstanding season with the Wild — resulting in Spokane making him the No. 1 pick in the WHL Bantam Draft.