By Chad Klassen

Blazers, Royals set to begin first-round battle going in opposite directions

Mar 22, 2019 | 12:20 PM

KAMLOOPS — As Game 1 of the Western Conference Quarter-Final faces off tonight (Mar. 22) in Victoria, it features two teams that are heading in different directions.

While Victoria coasted down the stretch with B.C. Division all wrapped up — evident by the 8-0 loss in Kamloops last week — the Blazers were playing for their playoff lives and went on a roll, winning six of the last seven games to bring momentum to the Island where they haven’t won a game this season.

“Yeah, I think we can build on a lot of things we did here in our last game,” said 19-year-old forward Zane Franklin, the Blazers’ leading scorer during the regular season with 68 points. “Our game’s really come together here in the last couple weeks, so I think if we just continue to build off those recent games, things should work out.”

The Blazers dropped the season series against Victoria, going 4-4-1 and not winning a game on the Island this season. 

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“I think we just struggled finding a way to gel as a group,” said captain Jermaine Loewen about the difficulty to win in Victoria this season. “Then it kind of spiraled a little bit out of control with our play. We took a lot of penalties. We’ve been a lot more disciplined lately and that’s helped us as well. We’ve stayed out of the box and just played as a unit more.”

The Royals won the first three meetings, including two in Victoria at the beginning of the season, while the Blazers have won the last two games. Kamloops is a completely different team from the start of the year, even from two weeks ago. 

“In the last six, seven games, we’ve been able to put the puck in the net,” noted head coach Serge Lajoie, who will coach in his first WHL playoff game on Friday night. “Our games leads to go in there, we’ve earned our confidence. I also really enjoy the growth of our team, seeing how we’re a lot more composed on the bench and we show a lot of resiliency.”

For whatever it’s worth, the last time these teams met on Mar. 13 it was an 8-0 Blazers win at the Sandman Centre. Eight regulars were out of the Royals’ line-up, some with injuries and others resting, but the offensive explosion still resonates with the team. 

“Every game is an opportunity to be better, and to score eight goals helped with our confidence in terms of, we still have to finish our chances,” said Lajoie. “Our shot volume was not very high (36 shots). We were able to make good on the chances that we had. So you look at the end result is a goal, but you look at the process. We did a lot of good things to create those chance.”

The Royals lost five of their last six games with nothing to play for, but the Blazers know they are a dynamic team. 

“They transition the puck very well, they support the puck very well, and they have a defense core that is very tough to play against,” said Lajoie. “But I think their whole team defense is very structured, very good. They protect the middle of the ice very well.”

Lajoie also knows they have a veteran goaltender that has the ability to stand on his head and steal games. Griffen Outhouse finished the regular season 27-16-1-1 with 2.81 GAA and .913 SAV %.

“I would be remiss not to point out Outhouse. When they do have breakdowns, they have a 20-year-old goaltender who’s done a very admirable job for them,” said Lajoie. 

Sixteen-year-old Dylan Garand starts for the Blazers in Game 1.