(Image credit: Facebook/Kamloops Blazers).

By Aaron Schulze

Blazers 6 Thunderbirds 5

Blazers return serve with 6-5 win over Thunderbirds

Mar 23, 2023 | 7:40 AM

KAMLOOPS — One day after suffering a 6-3 loss to the Seattle Thunderbirds on the road, the Kamloops Blazers returned serve Wednesday (March 22) against their potential future Western Hockey League (WHL) Western Conference Final and Memorial Cup opponent in front of a packed Sandman Centre.

The Blazers erupted with four goals in the first period: Olen Zellweger with a wrist shot from the blue line, Dylan Sydor near the net glove side, Fraser Minten off an end boards rebound, and Logan Stankoven burying the puck backdoor after a pass from Caedan Bankier.

But after the Blazers and Thunderbirds traded goals early in the second period to make it 5-1, the latter proved why they finished first in the WHL Western Conference. The Thunderbirds stormed back with four unanswered goals to tie the game 5-5.

Late in the third period, a steal from Stankoven in the Thunderbirds zone and cross ice pass to Bankier would help the Blazers secure victory from the jaws of defeat. The Blazers survived a late Dylan Guenther chance off the goal post and hung on to win 6-5.

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The Blazers improve their record to 48-12-4-2, good for 102 points in 66 games. Both the Blazers and Thunderbirds went 2-1-1 in the four-game season series.

The Blazers play their final home game of the regular season Friday (March 24) against the Prince George Cougars at Sandman Centre. Puck drop is at 7 p.m.

Looking ahead to the following weekend, the No. 2 seed Blazers begin their first round WHL playoff series against the No. 7 Vancouver Giants March 31 at Sandman Centre.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Blazers, Olen Zellweger (32) from Connor Levis and Emmitt Finnie, 2:28

2-0, Blazers, Dylan Sydor (12) from Emmitt Finnie and Shea Van Olm, 8:23

3-0, Blazers, Fraser Minten (31) from Ethan Brandwood, 10:47

4-0, Blazers, Logan Stankoven (34) from Caedan Bankier and Matthew Seminoff, 15:50

Second Period

4-1, Thunderbirds, Nico Myatovic (29) from Reid Schaefer and Colton Dach, 4:16

5-1, Blazers, Ryan Hofer (41) from Dylan Sydor, 6:32

5-2, Thunderbirds, Dylan Guenther (12) from Colton Dach and Jeremy Hanzel (shorthanded), 9:18

5-3, Thunderbirds, Nolan Allan (11) from Sawyer Mynio, 9:49

5-4, Thunderbirds, Colton Dach (11) from Luke Prokop and Jeremy Hanzel, 14:00

5-5, Thunderbirds, Jeremy Hanzel (13) from Dylan Guenther and Brad Lambert, 19:51

Third Period

6-5, Blazers, Caedan Bankier (36) from Logan Stankoven, 13:43

Goaltending

Matthew Kieper (W), Blazers, 44 saves on 49 shots in 60 minutes.

Scott Ratzlaff (L), Thunderbirds, 31 saves on 37 shots in 58 minutes played.