Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers/Allen Douglas

By Adam Donnelly

WHL HOCKEY

Blazers dominance over Kelowna continues with 5-2 drubbing

Nov 11, 2019 | 5:45 PM

KAMLOOPS — There are a few ways you could describe Monday afternoon’s divisional match-up between the Kelowna Rockets and the Kamloops Blazers. Playoff-like. Chippy. Even greasy. However you choose to talk about it, it was a game that the Blazers dominated in many aspects. That fact is reflected by the 5-2 final score in favour of Kamloops.

“Those things happen,” Blazers bench boss Shaun Clouston said after the game. “Sometimes, when one team is up by a significant margin, the other team shows some frustration. I thought our guys did a real good job sticking up for each other, answering the bell, staying the course.”

Kamloops scored a pair of power-play goals in the win – both from Orrin Centazzo – and got markers from Matthew Seminoff (his first WHL goal), Connor Zary, and Ryley Appelt. Dylan Garand stopped 25 of 27 pucks sent his way in picking up his 12th win of the season.

Nolan Foote and Mark Liwiski scored for the visitors. Cole Schwebius started between the pipes for Kelowna and stopped 17 of the 19 shots he faced before he was pulled after the Seminoff goal partway through the second period. Roman Basran surrendered three goals on 14 shots in relief.

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The victory gives the Blazers four wins a row against the Rockets to start this season and seven in a row (including the WHL playoff tiebreaker) dating back to March. Clouston gave credit to his players for preparing well for these tough divisional games.

“There’s always been a rivalry, so I think that’s the biggest part of it,” the coach said. “It’s a divisional team; people talk about four-point games. It’s an important game, and the players have done a real good job being ready at the start.”