(Facebook/Kamloops Blazers).

By Aaron Schulze

Thunderbirds 2 Blazers 1

Blazers and Thunderbirds to play do or die game seven at Sandman Centre

May 30, 2022 | 6:49 AM

KAMLOOPS — For the first time since 2016, the Kamloops Blazers will play a game seven in the Western Hockey League (WHL) playoffs.

The Blazers were pushed to a do-or-die scenario after dropping game six of the WHL Western Conference Finals on the road to the Seattle Thunderbirds 2-1 Sunday (May 29) night.

Kobe Verbicky scored his first of the playoffs to open the scoring by deflecting a wrist shot by Mats Lindgren, but that’s all the offence the Blazers would muster up.

For the Thunderbirds, Jared Davidson and Lukas Svejkovsky combined to give them all the offence they needed. Davidson finished off a cross-ice pass from Svejkovsky in the second period to tie the game and then returned the favour with a drop pass in the third period as Svejkovsky would move by Blazers co-captain Quinn Schmiemann and beat goaltender Dylan Garand on the backhand.

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Game seven will be played at Sandman Centre on Tuesday (May 31) with a 7 p.m. puck drop. The last time the Blazers hosted a game seven was all the back in 1994 when they defeated the Saskatoon Blades in the WHL Finals to punch their ticket to that year’s Memorial Cup.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Blazers, Kobe Verbicky (1) from Mats Lindgren and Reese Belton, 12:53

Second Period

1-1, Thunderbirds, Jared Davidson (9) from Lukas Svejkovsky and Henrik Rybinski, 4:42

Third Period

2-1, Thunderbirds, Lukas Svejkovsky (9) from Jared Davidson and Tyrel Bauer, 3:28

Goaltending

Thomas Milic (W), Thunderbirds, 34 saves on 35 shots in 60 minutes played.

Dylan Garand (L), Blazers, 32 saves on 34 shots in 60 minutes played.