By Adam Donnelly

Hitmen knock off Blazers in shootout

Feb 3, 2018 | 9:37 PM

KAMLOOPS — Redemption was spelt K-R-Y-S-K-I on Saturday night at the Sandman Centre.

Former Blazer Jake Kryski helped set up the game-tying goal late in the 3rd period, then scored the first of two in the shootout for the visiting Hitmen as Calgary won just their 6th road game of the season.

After Calgary took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd period, Kamloops showed some life late in the middle stanza when Jermaine Loewen scored late to cut the Hitmen lead.

The Blazers came out of the second intermission with some fire in their game, scoring four straight goals in the span of a little over 10 minutes of the 3rd period, including a pair by captain Nick Chyzowski.

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With five minutes left to play it looked as though Kamloops had the contest sewn up until Dakota Krebs scored his first of the season to cut the Blazer lead to two.

Egor Zamula made it a one-goal game after Luc Smith took a high sticking penalty with just 3:30 left to play.

Surrey product Jakob Stukel would even the score with just 52.5 seconds remaining, finding a loose puck in front of the Blazer net and putting it up and over Dylan Ferguson’s right shoulder.

The Blazers would get caught with too many men in overtime but managed to kill the penalty, sending the game to a shootout.

Brodi Stuart missed on his opportunity to open the scoring for the Blazers, while Kryski swung wide to left, then made a nice forehand-backhand move and tucked it past Ferguson.

Orrin Centazzo was up next for Kamloops but was denied by Hitmen keeper Matthew Armitage, as Centazzo tried to sneak it through the five-hole.

Next shooter for the Hitmen was Carson Focht and he made no mistake as he got Ferguson to bite hard on the forehand deke, before tucking it up and under the bar on the backhand.

The win was the first of the year for Armitage in 14 appearances between the pipes. The Creston BC native stopped 36 of 41 shots he faced, while Ferguson made 30 saves on 35 shots.

The Blazers are back in action on Wednesday night, as they face the Spokane Chiefs at Sandman Centre. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 pm.