(Twitter/@TheWHL).

By Aaron Schulze

Blazers 10 Winterhawks 4

Blazers sweep Hawks, set for Western Conference Final rematch with Thunderbirds

Apr 21, 2023 | 7:03 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers punched their ticket to the 2023 Western Hockey League (WHL) Western Conference Finals.

The Blazers swept the Portland Winterhawks in their second round WHL playoff series with a 10-4 win in game four Thursday (April 20) night.

Kamloops looked like they were going to run away with the game early on with three goals in the first 10 minutes. Matthew Seminoff put the puck back into a wide-open net before Kyle Masters and Logan Stankoven wristed the puck home from the right circle.

After trailing 3-0 and pulling their starting goaltender, the Winterhawks closed the first period with two quick goals to cut the deficit to one.

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But a one-goal deficit is as close as the Winterhawks would come. Seminoff completed a hat trick with two goals early in the second period: one off the back hand in front and another on the power play in between the hashmarks.

From there, the Blazers outscored the Winterhawks 5-2 the rest of the game en route to the 10-4 win. Olen Zellweger scored a hat trick in the process.

Next up for the Blazers is a Western Conference Final rematch with the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Thunderbirds knocked off the Blazers in seven games in the 2022 Western Conference Final.

While the cores of the 2022 teams are mostly the same, both teams have pushed their chips all in via trades throughout the season gearing up for a run at the Memorial Cup in Kamloops in May. Both the Blazers and Thunderbirds went 2-1-1 in the four-game regular season series.

Game one of the WHL Western Conference Final is Saturday, April 29 in Washington State. The Blazers don’t welcome the Thunderbirds to Sandman Centre again until game three Tuesday, May 2.

Scoring Summary

First Period

1-0, Blazers, Matthew Seminoff (2) from Caedan Bankier and Olen Zellweger (power play), 0:31

2-0, Blazers, Kyle Masters (1) from Ethan Brandwood, 9:45

3-0, Blazers, Logan Stankoven (9) from Olen Zellweger and Daylan Kuefler (power play), 10:24

3-1, Winterhawks, Ryan McCleary (1) from Robbie Fromm-Delorme and Jack O’Brien (power play), 14:20

3-2, Winterhawks, Diego Buttazzoni (1) from Luke Schelter and Kyle Chyzowski, 15:52

Second Period

4-2, Blazers, Matthew Seminoff 2 (3) from Caedan Bankier, 2:29

5-2, Blazers, Matthew Seminoff 3 (4) from Ryan Hofer and Fraser Minten (power play), 5:24

5-3, Winterhawks, Jack O’Brien (4) from Luca Cagnoni and Ryder Thompson, 6:47

6-3, Blazers, Olen Zellweger (5) from Logan Stankoven and Matthew Seminoff (power play), 8:22

7-3, Blazers, Logan Stankoven 2 (10) from Olen Zellweger, 10:23

7-4, Winterhawks, Diego Buttazzoni 2 (2) from Josh Zakreski, 17:57

8-4, Blazers, Olen Zellweger 2 (6) unassisted, 19:38

Third Period

9-4, Blazers, Olen Zellweger 3 (7) unassisted, 1:59

10-4, Blazers, Caedan Bankier (6) unassisted, 14:27

Goaltending

Dylan Ernst (W), Blazers, 23 saves on 27 shots in 60 minutes played.

Jan Spunar (L), Winterhawks, 30 saves on 37 shots in 50 minutes played.