KAMLOOPS — The Kamloops Blazers started the season off right with a 9-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets on Friday night in the first game of the WHL season.
Defenseman Joe Gatenby opened the scoring late in the first period. He fired a one-timer past goaltender Michael Herringer on a five-on-three power play for a 1-0 lead.
Kole Lind tied things up 34 seconds into the second period with a great shot over the shoulder of Dylan Ferguson on the rush.
The Blazers got a big shift shortly after Lind’s goal. Erik Miller went hard on the forecheck, Conner McDonald put a shot on goal and 16-year-old Jackson Shepard was there to tip it in for his first career WHL goal and a 2-1 lead for the Blazers.
Rudolfs Balcers made it 3-1 only 1:01 after Shepard’s goal on a five-on-three power play. He took a great feed from Collin Shirley to score his first career WHL goal.
Collin Shirley followed up Balcers goal on a great feed from Nick Chyzowski to make it 4-1 Blazers only 4:57 into the second period. Shirley’s goal chased goaltender Michael Herringer from the net.
The power play was hot, and the Blazers continued to score. Matt Revel scored on a rebound to make it a 5-1 lead for the Blazers.
Jake Kryski replied for the Rockets midway through the second period, tipping a shot past goaltender Dylan Ferguson on a power play.
Joe Gatenby replied late in the period as he had some help from Scott Mahovlich to force a puck into the Rockets net and give the Blazers a 6-2 lead going into the third period.
The Blazers continued to pour it on in the third period as they scored three times in a span of under two minutes midway through the period. Spencer Bast, Jackson Shepard and Luke Zazula with his first career WHL goal made it a 9-2 final for the Blazers.
The Blazers finished the night 6-for-10 on the power play and were 7-for-8 on the penalty kill. The Blazers outshot the Rockets 34-31 on the night.
Dylan Ferguson earned the win with 29 saves. Michael Herringer stopped 14 of 18 shots in the loss and Brodan Salmond came in to stop 11 of 16 shots.
These two teams will meet again on Saturday night in Kelowna.
