By Chad Klassen

Blazers hoping for another raucous crowd at Sandman Centre for Game 3

Mar 26, 2019 | 10:55 AM

KAMLOOPS — It might be hard to replicate last Tuesday’s winner-take-all tiebreaker game against the Blazers’ fiercest rivals, but the players are hoping it’s just as rocking in the Sandman Centre for Game 3. 

“I’m expecting there’s going to be a lot of energy in the building,” said captain Jermaine Loewen. “The fans have been anticipating this day since that Kelowna game, the tiebreaker game, they’ve been anticipating a huge game for us. It’s tied and fans are excited the series is tied.”

The series is tied thanks to Loewen’s overtime winner on Saturday, building more anticipation for the return home. It was a memorable night the last time they were at the Sandman Centre, and they want an encore. 

“That was probably one of the most exciting building’s I’ve been in in my career,” said 19-year-old forward Zane Franklin. “This building was pumped. That’s what playoffs are about, though. Your town, your city gets behind you and makes it that much more enjoyable.”

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The Blazers are hoping to use that energy early and often and get off to a quick start like they did in Game 2 when they took a 2-0 lead in the first seven minutes. 

Head coach Serge Lajoie says outside of the first 10 minutes of Game 1 in Victoria, the Blazers have played solid hockey, despite the 4-0 result in the opener.

With some injuries on the Royals backend, including to key guys like Jameson Murray who missed Game 1 and Mitchell Prowse who was out of Game 2, Kamloops plans to keep up their physical play against Victoria’s young defense that’s sported two rookie blueliners, Noah Lamb and Carson Golder, in the first two games. 

“It’s a battle of attrition,” said Lajoie. “You’ve got to continue to stick with putting pressure on their D. I think over the course of a game when they are missing key pieces, whether it’s Prowse or Murray on defense, they’ve got some young players back there on defense, we’ve got to continue to put pressure on them.”

That kind of play will only fire up the Sandman Centre crowd even more. Lajoie, though, says it’s a balance between playing hard and playing composed. 

Blazers defenseman Jackson Caller, a Kamloops native who soaked up the atmosphere in the tiebreaker game, says the physical play has been the theme of the series. He expects that to continue in Game 3. 

“Physicality is huge. Both teams are laying the hits out there,” he said. “I think if we can put them back on their heels in the first and second periods, we can take it to them in the third.”

Loewen added, “It’s two teams that are quite evenly-matched. It’s going to be intense. I’m expecting there’s going to be a lot of energy right from the start, and so we’re going to try to use that energy the best we can to propel our team in the right direction.”

There are still some tickets available for Game 3. You can purchase them at the Sandman Centre Box Office or visit TicketMaster.