Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers/Allen Douglas

By Adam Donnelly

BLAZER HOCKEY

Blazers celebrate Memorial Cup success before falling to Calgary 6-4

Feb 22, 2020 | 11:34 PM

KAMLOOPS — On a night where the Kamloops Blazers honoured their history, fans were treated to a glimpse into the future of the team. However, despite scoring three times in the third period, the Blazers fell to the visiting Calgary Hitmen by a 6-4 score.

The game was about an hour late in starting after the club honoured many of the players, coaches, staff, and even stick boys who help build the history of success fans in this city were used to throughout the 1980s and 1990s.

When the game got underway, it took a while for both teams to get their legs under them. Each team fired 11 shots at the opposing goaltenders in the first period. None found the back of the net.

It only took 25 seconds for the visitors to find the net in the middle stanza. Cael Zimmerman opened the scoring on a deflection past Rayce Ramsay to get the Hitmen on the board.

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Five and half minutes later, Luke Prokop threaded a shot through from point to put Calgary ahead by two.

However, the Blazers would answer around the halfway point of the period. Ryan Hughes buried a rebound for his 20th of the year on the powerplay to cut Calgary’s lead in half.

Kamloops fired 18 shots at Brayden Peters in the second period, but could only get one puck past the Hitmen netminder.

If fans were hoping for a low scoring affair, the third period was a disappointment. 6:59 into the final frame, Orca Weisblatt got his 18th of the year, as he tallied for Calgary on the powerplay.

Logan Stankoven stayed hot for the Blazers, as he potted his 26th of the year on a man-advantage to make the score 3-2 for the Hitmen.

However, Kamloops would give a pair of goals three minutes apart that would seal their fate. At 13:02, Riley Stotts beat Ramsay for his 23rd of the year, destroying a perfectly good water bottle in the process. Then at 16:06, Riley Fiddler-Schultz scored the eventual game-winner.

That goal would end Ramsay’s night, as he allowed five goals on 21 shots between the pipes for the Blazers. Dylan Ernst made his Blazers debut and didn’t face a single shot.

The Blazers would continue to battle. Connor Zary picked off a pass in the offensive zone and scored a beauty from in close to make it a 5-3 game.

However, Kyle Olson would score an empty-net goal with 1:43 remaining to make it a 6-3 game and put it out of reach.

With 57 seconds remaining, and on their 50th shot of the night, the Blazers would add one more. Daylan Keufler fired a shot from the far corner that slipped through Peters, but by then it was too late.

Peters stopped 46 of the 50 pucks fired his way, as the Blazers fall to the Hitmen 6-4.

After the game, Kamloops head coach Shaun Clouston was asked about the performance of some his younger players and had this to say:

“They’ve really come a long way. It’s very exciting to see those guys [Keufler, Bankier, and Seminoff] – and add Stankoven into the mix – 16- and 17-year olds, rookies, contributing on a regular basis. And really working hard, really competing. Playing simple, hard hockey and being rewarded for it.”

The Blazers’ next home game is next Saturday, February 29th, as they welcome the Prince George Cougars to the Sandman Centre.