Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers

By Victor Kaisar

Giants 4 Blazers 3

Blazers drop seventh straight game as Giants win in overtime

Dec 28, 2024 | 8:58 AM

KAMLOOPS — John Szabo had a goal and an assist but it was the Vancouver Giants who came away with the 4-3 overtime win against the Kamloops Blazers Friday (Dec. 27) night.

Emmitt Finnie and Conner Radke also scored for the Blazers who have now lost seven in a row and sit ninth in the WHL’s Western Conference with 27 points from 33 games.

Adam Titlbach scored the only goal of the first period to put the visitors up 1-0 after 20 minutes at Sandman Centre.

Szabo then connected on a pass from Tommy Lafreniere to even things up midway through the second period.

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While the lead didn’t last long as former Blazer Connor Levis restored the Giants lead 11 seconds later, Finnie’s 20th goal of the season meant the two teams went into the locker rooms at 2-2 after 40 minutes of hockey.

The Blazers captain redirected a point shot from Szabo past Giants goaltender Matthew Hutchinson to extend his point streak to five games.

Jakob Oreskovic and Radke then traded third period goals to set the stage for overtime, where Cameron Schmidt scored at 1:08 to give the Giants the extra point.

Dylan Ernst turned aside 22 of 26 shots he faced in a losing effort, while Hutchison stopped 28 of 31 to pick up the win.

The Blazers drop to 12-18-3-0 and sit in fifth in the B.C. Division, while the Giants improve to 15-13-4-0, which has them third.

The Blazers head to Kelowna Saturday night to face the Rockets for the first time this season. They’ll host the Rockets on Friday next week (Jan. 3) in their first game of 2025.