Blazers postgame box

THE SCORE
Red Deer 2, Kamloops 1 (SO)

WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers, a team that is uptight and squeezing its sticks, hit two posts
in the first period, two in the shootout and now is on a four-game losing
streak.

THE SHOTS ON GOAL
The Blazers outshot the Rebels 20-16 and that included a second period in
which each team managed — yawn! — three shots.

THE STANDINGS
The Blazers are 6-9-1-1 and in ninth place in the 10-team Western
Conference, three points behind the Seattle Thunderbirds. . . . The Rebels
(5-13-4-0) ended a 10-game losing streak. They are tied for 10th in the
Eastern Conference.

THE KID
Red Deer RW Landon Ferraro has some solid bloodlines. His father, Ray, holds
the WHL record for goals in one season. He scored 108 goals for the Brandon
Wheat Kings in 1983-84. Landon, in his first season after being the second
pick in the 2006 bantam draft, has 10 points in 20 games.

THE FIRST GOAL
When Juuso Puustinen scored at 1:17 of the second period, it marked the
fifth time in 17 games that the Blazers have scored first. They are 3-1-0-1
in games in which they score first.

THE SCRATCHES
The Blazers scratched D Keaton Ellerby (healthy), D Victor Bartley (knee)
and C C.J. Stretch, who returned home to California to write an exam.
Ellerby was ineffective in Friday’s 8-3 loss to the visiting Prince George
Cougars.

THE COACHES
Last night's head coaches, Dean Clark of Kamloops and Brian Sutter of Red
Deer, have known each other for a while. In fact, Clark was the head coach
of the Calgary Hitmen when Sutter's son, Shaun, played there. Shaun, 27, now
is with the Elite Ice Hockey League's Belfast Giants.

THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS

1. RW Landon Ferraro, Red Deer. Set up one goal, scored the winner.

2. G James Reimer, Red Deer. Kept his side in it.

3. RW Brock Nixon, Kamloops. Gave his all.

UP NEXT
The Blazers meet the high-flying Chiefs in Spokane on Friday and return
home to face the Chilliwack Bruins on Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m.