Emmitt Finnie celebrates his goal against the Kelowna Rockets on Jan. 3, 2025. (Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers)

By Victor Kaisar

Rockets 6 Blazers 4

Rockets snuff out Blazers comeback bid in second meeting of WHL season

Jan 4, 2025 | 9:24 AM

KAMLOOPS — Max Graham scored a shorthanded goal while on the breakaway to all but end the Kamloops Blazers’ valiant third period comeback effort Friday (Jan. 3) night.

The Blazers scored all of their goals in final 20 minutes of game action at Sandman Centre, but it was the Rockets who came away with the 6-4 win.

Kelowna raced to a 3-0 lead after two periods, courtesy a pair from Andrew Cristall, who scored on the first shot of the game, and Kayden Longley.

The Blazers, who were wearing commemorative ‘Red Bridge’ jerseys that will be auctioned off for charity, bounced back with two goals in two minutes early in the third, through an Oren Shtrom breakaway and Nathan Behm’s 20th of the season.

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Kalder Varga and Emmitt Finnie then traded goals to make it a 4-3 affair, before Graham’s shorthanded dagger at 12:19 knocked the wind out of the suddenly exuberant crowd at Sandman Centre.

While Behm scored his second on the power play at 17:58 to make it a one goal game for the third time in the period, Michael Cicek put it away into the empty net to officially end the Blazers comeback bid.

Behm also added an assist to record his sixth game with at-least three points this season. Finnie also extended his point streak to seven games, while Ryan Michael chipped in with two assists for Kamloops.

Rhett Stoesser was the busier goaltender on the night, as he was called on to make 32 saves on 36 shots. The Blazers’ Dylan Ernst allowed five goals on 19 shots in a losing effort.

The loss drops the Blazers to 13-19-3-0, which has them 10th in the 11-team Western Conference. The 14-17-2-1 Rockets are in eight place.

Next up for the Blazers is a pair of road games against the Spokane Chiefs Saturday (Jan. 4) and Sunday. Their next home game is scheduled for Friday, Jan. 10, against the Vancouver Giants.