By Chad Klassen

Blazers focusing on pair of home games, eyeing key meeting in Seattle

Jan 24, 2019 | 3:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — While the Blazers have their sights set on two home games Friday and Saturday against Spokane and Victoria, respectively, they are looking ahead to a key game in Seattle on Sunday.

It’s a crucial head-to-head meeting with Thunderbirds, who are now two points ahead of the Blazers for the final wildcard spot in the Western Conference.

Kamloops has handled Seattle quite easily this season, going 2-0 and outscoring the T-Birds 13-5, including a 6-3 win on Teddy Bear Toss night in December. 

“It’s big,” said captain Jermaine Loewen. “In regulation, especially, because we don’t want them to gain any more points on us. So we’ve got to come in there and we’ve done well against Seattle and we’ve got to carry it forward.”

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The Blazers hope to carry forward momentum they built in Prince George with back-to-back wins last weekend.

“Make sure the boost of morale that we got from those two wins in P.G. that it translates to good, high-paced, energy practice,” said Lajoie. “I think the biggest things is the acknowlegement that there’s a certain way we need to play. We experience success playing that way. We played hard away from the puck. We’ve got to continue with that mindset.”

Carrying momentum forward hasn’t been particularly easy for the Blazers this season as a Jekyll and Hyde team that can be unpredictable from one night to the next.

Any chance of a winning weekend starts Friday against Spokane. 

“We’re going to have to get a good start with a team like them with the firepower and the power play that they have,” said Loewen about playing the Chiefs. “We’ve got to make sure we start on time and try to get the first goal. It seems to help when you do that.”

Kamloops has struggled with their starts, only scoring first 16 times this season in 44 games. They are 8-7-1 when they get the first goal, but in the 28 games when they’ve given up the opening marker they are 9-17-1-1. 

There are 24 games left, but the Blazers know time is running out.

“For us, every single game is important,” said Lajoie. “If we narrow it down to the teams that we’re a game ahead or a couple points ahead or even in the standings, it heightens our attention to the details but also our sense of urgency and how we need to play those games.”