Oren Shtrom scores against the Vancouver Giants on March 8, 2025. (Image Credit: Kamloops Blazers)

By Victor Kaisar

Giants 5 Blazers 1

Blazers suffer another setback in quest to make WHL playoffs

Mar 9, 2025 | 9:46 AM

KAMLOOPS — Oren Shtrom scored a late consolation goal for the Kamloops Blazers, who fell 5-1 to the Vancouver Giants Saturday (March 8) night at Sandman Centre.

They gave up five unanswered goals to their BC Division rivals, and fell further back in their quest to qualify for the WHL playoffs this spring. The Blazers are running out of time with just six games remaining.

Shtrom’s shorthanded marker came at 18:48 of the third period, as the Blazers were finally able to solve Burke Hood. The rookie Giants netminder turned aside 33 of 34 shots to pick up his 16th win of the season.

The Blazers didn’t have the luck they needed as they hit two crossbars and a post in the same sequence in the second period but couldn’t find a goal.

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Goals from Ty Halaburda and Jaden Lipinski had Vancouver up 2-0 after one period. Former Blazer Connor Levis added to the lead in the second, while Cameron Schmidt and Halaburda scored third period goals to put the Giants up 5-0 with about 10 minutes to play.

Dylan Ernst stopped 33 of 38 shots in a losing effort, as the Blazers played their only game of the weekend. They remain on 49 points from 62 games, and trail Seattle by six points, as the Thunderbirds fell 4-1 to Portland.

Seattle remains on 55 points from 62 games, while ninth place Wenatchee has 52 points from 63 games.

Next up for the Blazers is a home game Wednesday (March 12) against the Wenatchee Wild. They’ll also play a home-and-home with the already eliminated Kelowna Rockets, at Prospera Place on Friday and at Sandman Centre Saturday.

Puck drop from Sandman Centre is 7:00 p.m. Wednesday and 6:00 p.m. Saturday.