By Earl Seitz

Playoff series is tied as bad blood flows between the Blazers and Victoria Royals

Mar 27, 2019 | 11:06 PM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers scored three unanswered goal in just over seven minutes in the third period for a 6-3 win over the Victoria Royals to tie the first round playoff series at 2-2.

The teams exchanged first period goals when Kyrell Sopotyk and Connor Zary scored for the Blazers and Dino Kambeitz scored twice for the Royals.

There was another exchange of single goals in the second by Zane Franklin and Igor Martynov, before an explosive third period in a series that has become increasingly physical and with plenty of bad blood between the two teams.

HIGHLIGHTS: Blazers score three in third to win 6-3

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With the score tied 3-3 with twelve minutes left in the third, it got ugly between the two benches.

Kody McDonald, who was off after a shift, swung his stick in an effort to get to Zane Franklin on the Blazers bench.

McDonald was given a match penalty for intent to injure while Franklin was assessed a two minute minor for unsportsmanlike conduct.

POST GAME: Serge Lajoie talks about bad blood between Blazers and Royals

Seconds into the four on four Zary scored his second of the game to put the Blazers in front 4-3.

Still on the five minute match to McDonald Luc Zazula made it 5-3 and after another minor penalty to Victoria Martin Lang finished the scoring on the power play.

Reacting to the MacDonald-Franklin incident Blazers head coach Serge Lajoie says “in all the years I’ve been coaching, to show that much disrespect for the game — it was ugly.   I don’t know what was said —- I’ll be very interested to see what the league does.”

Zane Franklin says it was friendly hockey chatter.

POST GAME: Zane Franklin addresses what set off Kody McDonald at the bench

Victoria coach Dan Price doesn’t quite see it that way.   “What I can tell you,” says Price, “is that there were some comments from the Kamloops bench that were very personal and very specific, and Kody reacted.”   

Price would’nt be more specific as to exactly what was said.

POST GAME: Royals head coach Dan Price says something ‘very personal’ was said to Kody McDonald

The rumble continues Saturday night in Victoria in game five and will return to Kamloops and the Sandman Centre for game six next Monday —- April Fools Day!