As you are probably already aware, Fabian Lysell of the Vancouver Giants in the Western Hockey League is the only Boston Bruins prospect still playing playoff hockey at any level and all I can say is “what a playoff run it has been.”
After upsetting the Everett Silvertips in the first round, the Giants began their second round series with an equally tough opponent, the Kamloops Blazers.
After losing the first two games of the series in Kamloops two weekends ago – in games that Lysell was kept off the score sheet for the first time in these playoffs – the Giants returned home last Tuesday to squeak out a 3-2 victory. Lysell did what he has done throughout the playoffs – set up two goals, both on the powerplay including the game winner with 3:24 remaining in regulation.
The Giants were home again Thursday night and Lysell once again had two helpers in the contest, the second pulling the Giants even a two each. Stop me if you’ve heard this before as a Bruins fan: A too many men call late in the third put the Blazers on the powerplay and they would capitalize and take a 3-2 lead. Vancouver put pressure on in the closing moments and as Lysell was circling the o-zone, lost an edge at the blueline where the Blazer forward would skate in all alone on the empty net to seal the deal.
That stick you see flying at the blue line is shades of Tony DeAngelo of the Carolina Hurricanes against your Boston Bruins. That was Lysell’s stick.
On Friday night, the Giants returned to the Sandman Center in Kamloops facing elimination and it was more of the same for Lysell. Two helpers including on the game winner and the insurance goal to force a game 6 on Sunday back in Vancouver. The Giants needed to win one in Kamloops but because of their loss at home in game three, will be forced to win another if they can force a game seven. At this point, Lysell’s 4 goals and 17 assists through 11 games has him second in League playoff scoring trailing only his teammate Zach Ostapchuk.
That brings us to game 6 on Sunday in Vancouver with the Giants facing elimination again. But the Cinderella run came to an end as Kamloops skated to a 6-0 victory to take the series 4-2. Lysell finished the playoffs with 4 goals, 17 assists, 16 PIM, and a plus-10 in 12 games. That pace was .58 points-per-game higher than his regular season statistics. Good players rise to the occasion in important games. Lysell did just that.
Here is a look at the prospects final stats through their respective seasons:
Dom - Hockey 
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