From The Daily News of Monday, Nov. 26, 2007 . . .
THE SCORE
Kootenay 3, Kamloops 2
WHAT HAPPENED
The Ice played well. They got the lead, then blocked lanes to the net and the Blazers struggled to get to G Kris Lazaruk’s doorstep.
THE GOALTENDER
Freshman G James Priestner of the Blazers went in with a 4-1-0-1 record as a starter this season. He gave up one bad goal and struggled with rebounds, but still made 26 saves against a pretty good team.
THE STANDINGS
The Blazers (13-11-1-1) remain seventh in the Western Conference, two points behind the Everett Silvertips (14-13-0-2), who fell 3-2 in a shootout to the Thunderbirds in Seattle, and one behind the Chilliwack Bruins (13-12-3-0), who fell 4-3 to host Portland despite outshooting the Winter Hawks, 68-30.
THE STREAK
The Blazers’ five-game winning streak was halted by the Ice. The last time the Blazers won five in a row? From Dec. 28 to Jan. 13 of last season, they went 8-0-0-0. . . . Kamloops now has won seven of nine games and has earned 15 of a possible 20 points over its last 10 outings.
THE VETERANS
C Brock Nixon has played in 272 regular-season games, 11th on the Blazers’ all-time list and just four behind Jonathan Hobson. . . . D Ryan Bender has been in 264 games. That’s 13th, one behind Moises Gutierrez.
THE BIG GAME
Asked who he was picking in Sunday’s Grey Cup game, Kamloops head coach Greg Hawgood offered: “Tampa Bay Buccaneers . . . that’s the only football team I cheer for.”
THE KNEE
Kootenay LW Kevin King, 17, will be out up to two weeks with a knee injury after a knee-on-knee hit with Kelowna Rockets C Cody Almond on Friday night. Almond drew a major and game misconduct on the play and later was suspended for two games. That means Almond won’t play Friday when the Blazers are in Kelowna.
THE COACHES
Blazers assistant coach Andrew Milne and Ice head coach Mark Holick worked together with the AJHL’s St. Albert/Spruce Grove Saints. Holick ended up having to let Milne go for financial and logistical reasons (the other assistant coach was local) following an ownership change.
THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS
1. D Victor Bartley, Kamloops. Most dominant player on the ice.
2. C Steve Da Silva, Kootenay. A game-breaker.
3. LW Michael Stickland, Kootenay. Stepped up and played big.
UP NEXT
The Blazers meet the Rockets in Kelowna on Friday and are at home to Chilliwack on Saturday. Game time is 7 p.m.
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