By Earl Seitz

Emotions go over the top in Blazers Royals game four

Mar 28, 2019 | 3:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — Game four in a series that has gone from a slow simmer, to a burn, to boiling over had all of the elements of playoff hockey — lively, physical, intense, crowd-inspired, players getting under skin, emotions going over the top to nasty, ugly and a scene straight out of Slapshot.

After Kamloops fell flat in a 4-0 game one loss, the next two were each decided by one goal.

The Blazers with an overtime win in game two.

Victoria with a third period winner in game three.

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In game four, Dylan Ferguson struggled on a couple of the three goals that he gave up on 18 Royals shots.

Griffin Outhouse, by far the busier of the two netminders, also let in a couple that he’ll never get back.

Then tied 3-3 with eight minutes left in the third Connor Zary scored what became the game winner.

The Blazers added two more on the power play to win 6-3 to tie the series.

 The bad blood in game four started early,

And only intensified as the game went on — with chirping and pushing and shoving after the whistle.

It was what happened just before the Zary winner that brought the blood to a boil.

Kody McDonald of the Royals took it to the benches — swinging his stick around the partitian separating the two, appearing to target Zane Franklin. McDonald was given a match penalty for intent to injure — Franklin a two-minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The WHL announced Thursday McDonald was suspended indefinitely.

“In all the years that I’ve coached,” says Blazers head coach Serge Lajoie, “it was ugly. I don’t know what was said, but to act the way that he did and to actually put some of our players on our bench in danger with some stick swinging — I’ll be interested to see what the league does.”

“What I can tell you,” says Victoria head coach Dan Price, “is that there were some comments from the Kamloops bench that were very personal, and very specific and Kody reacted unfortunately.”

So just what was said from the Kamloops bench?

“I think it was a little run of the mill — he didn’t like it, obviously, whatever I said,” says Zane Franklin.

When asked what exactly he said, Franklin replied: “Oh no, we’ll keep that between the two benches — maybe I’ll use it again, so I don’t want you guys to know.”