KAMLOOPS — If there genuinely are hockey gods, then they wanted to see a Kamloops vs Kelowna one-game winner-take-all tiebreaker to determine who plays Victoria in the WHL’s Western Conference Quarter Finals.
TICKET SALES STARTED THIS MORNING:
The Blazers needed a win against the Prince George Cougars in game 68 of the WHL schedule to ensure at least a spot in the sudden death play-in game.
Kamloops opened the scoring in PG, as Kobe Mohr got things going for the Blazers in the 2nd period.
The Cougars tied it up a short time later, as Vladislav Mikhalchuk evened things at one goal apiece.
Prince George then took the lead at the 14:39 mark of the 3rd period, as Cole Moberg scored a short-handed goal for the hosts, which could have sunk the Blazers.
But the Captain was having none of that. Just 15 seconds later, Jermaine Loewen scored his 27th goal of the season, maybe the biggest of his Kamloops Blazers career.
Then with Luke Zazula in the penalty box for roughing, Connor Zary stole the puck and scored the winner on a short-handed breakaway with just 2:45 left to play.
PG pulled Taylor Gauthier for the extra attacker, but Loewen would pot the empty netter to seal the deal and ensure the Blazers a chance at making the playoffs.
In Kelowna, the Rockets needed extra time to defeat a Giants team who clinched the Western Conference title on Friday night and rested a number of their top players.
Vancouver scored with just 33 seconds remaining in regulation to send the game to overtime, but the Rockets got the winner from Mark Lewiski 3:40 into extra time, which sealed their spot in the tiebreaker game.
Kamloops won the season series against the Rockets, posting a 6-3-1 record in the ten head-to-head matchups.
Whoever wins Tuesday’s tiebreaker and clinches 3rd place in the BC Division will have to travel to Victoria to take on the Royals.
Game time is 7:00 pm at the Sandman Centre.
