By Tim O'Donovan - Kamloops Blazers

Blazers win 5-4 in thrilling fashion over Kelowna, series tied 1-1

Mar 27, 2016 | 11:02 AM

KELOWNA — The Kamloops Blazers scored four third period goals to erase 3-1 and 4-2 deficits and stun the Kelowna Rockets with a 5-4 win. 

Tomas Soustal opened the scoring 25 seconds into the game. He got a stick on puck that was going wide of the net. It went underneath goaltender Connor Ingram for a quick 1-0 Rockets lead. 

Ingram was solid in the first period, making some terrific saves.

Ryan Rehill evened the score with 1:41 to play in the period. His point shot deflected off a Rockets player and past goaltender Michael Herringer. The two teams were tied 1-1 through one period. 

Rourke Chariter, who had a tremendous game for the Rockets, gave the home team a 2-1 lead early in the second period. He was sent in on a breakaway and beat Ingram 2:29 into the period. 

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Rodney Southam made it 3-1 converting on an odd man rush shorthanded as the Blazers power play was ending. 

The second period was full of penalties as the Rockets held a 3-1 lead heading into the final frame. 

A diving glove hand save early in the third period ignited the Blazers. Connor Ingramabsolutely robbed Dillon Dube of an open net on an odd man rush to keep the game at 3-1. 

The Blazers would come back to strike twice on the power play. Garrett Pilon got to a rebound and scored his first goal of the playoffs 6:53 into the period. 

Dawson Davidson tied the game up four minutes later as his shot found a way underneath Herringer and the game was knotted at 3-3. 

Tomas Soustal caught a break and gave the Rockets the lead at the end of a power play with 5:27 to play. His shot was stopped by Ingram, but the rebound deflected off a Blazers defender and in for a 4-3 Rockets lead. 

The Blazers got their redemption in this one. After taking a timeout with 37 seconds left, the Blazers scored on the ensuing faceoff. Collin Shirley was there to put home a rebound off a shot from Gage Quinney to tie the game at 4-4 with 30.5 seconds left. 

In the dying stages, Matt Needham drove wide and his centering pass made its way back to a trailing Ryan Rehill. He blasted a shot through traffic and in with 4.8 seconds left to lift the Blazers to a 5-4 victory. 

The win evens the best-of-seven series at 1-1 with Game 3 in Kamloops at Memorial Arena on Tuesday and Game 4 at the Sandman Centre on Wednesday night. 

The Blazers finished the game 3-for-7 on the power play, while the Rockets were 0-for-6. Final shots on goal were tied at 44-44.