Bantam call-up Jansen Harkins paced the Northwest Giants to a weekend sweep of the Valley West Hawks in B.C. major midget hockey last week.

Harkins garnered a two-point outing in the team's first of two 3-1 wins over the steadily improving Hawks, including the game-winning goal in Langley last Saturday.

Harkins' goal came just over one minute after Fraser Valley's point leader, Mitchell Friesen had knotted the score at 1-1 early in the middle frame.

The Giants' Jarid Lukosevicius tallied the Giants' third goal later in the period from Anthony Conti and Burnaby's Adam Helewka.

Braden Krogfoss held the Hawks off the scoresheet in a scoreless third period.

At the Burnaby Winter Club on Sunday, the Giants led from start to finish, opening with Taylor Tanti's seventh marker of the season.

Conti finished off the Hawks with back-to-back goals between the second and third periods, including the game-winner from Joseph Carvalho and Helewka early in the middle frame.

Liam Smith backstopped the win in goal for the Giants.

The series' win gave the Giants 52 total points and a nine-point lead over the second-place Cariboo Cougars, which managed just three points in a weekend series with the North Island Silvertips.

"That's the pressure we're putting on those teams below us," said Giants head coach Todd Harkins. "I like what I'm seeing right now. It could work to our advantage in a playoff run."

The Giants will get an early measure of playoff hockey this week against the Greater Vancouver Canadians.

For the past three postseasons, the Giants have been stretched to the limit in a best-of-three playoff series by the Canadians.

Coach Harkins said the rivalry is keen because both teams know each other so well. The Canadians also employ a trap system of hockey that has proven difficult in the past, he added.

"But we just want to get points," Harkins said, adding a first-place finish would give the Giants a two-week playoff bye following the end of the team's regular season schedule.

This weekend, the Giants will face their nemesis at the winter club on Saturday night at 7: 45 p.m.

tberridge@royalcityrecord.com