Blazers lose game and Franklin in Red Deer

Dec 12, 2018 | 4:28 AM

KAMLOOPS — The Blazers dropped to 0-2-1 on their Central Division road trip with a 2-1 loss in Red Deer Tuesday night.

They also lost team scoring leader Zane Franklin at 12:14 of the first period to a major boarding penalty and game misconduct.

Red Deer forward Alex Alexeyev left the game after the hit and did’nt come back.

Alexeyev was taken to hospital, but there was no update on his condition given by the Rebels after the game.

He is on the selection camp roster for Russia for the World Junior Hockey Championship.

Earlier in the day the Western League suspended Sean Richards of the Everett Silvertips for eight games for a boarding major against Seattle last weekend.

Richards is a repeat offender and the player he hit was injured.

The Blazers were already missing team captain Jermaine Loewen who was serving the second game of a three game suspension for a check from behind last Saturday in Edmonton.

The Rebels opened the scoring on a power play goal by Reese Johnson at 16:27 of the first period and took a 2-0 lead when Alex Morozoff scored at 15:06 of the second.

The Blazers cut into the lead at 7:14 of the third on Brodi Stuart’s 8th of the season from Kobe Mohr and Luke Zazula.

Dylan Ferguson gave his team a chance, good on 41 of 43 Red Deer shots, while the Blazers went 1-for-32 on Rebels goalie Ethan Anders.

Red Deer was 1-for-9 on the power play while the Blazers were 0-for-3.

Last nights loss puts the Blazers 12-13-3 and fourth in the B.C. Division, two points behind Victoria and two ahead of last place Prince George.

Kamloops holds the second wild card in the Western Conference by one point over Seattle.

This was the halfway mark of their six game Central road trip, which continues tonight in Medicine Hat, followed by a Friday game in Kootenay and in Lethbridge Saturday before the Christmas break.

The next home game is Friday, December 28th against the Kelowna Rockets.