Blazers box

From The Daily News of Monday, Jan. 14, 2008 . . .

THE SCORE
Kamloops 2, Chilliwack 1
WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers got ahead 2-0 early in the second period and then rode some
solid goaltending from Justin Leclerc and some good penalty killing to
victory.
THE STANDINGS
The Blazers (20-23-1-1) are eighth in the Western Conference, 15 points
ahead of the Prince George Cougars who have lost six in a row. . . . The
Bruins (20-19-3-1) are sixth.
THE SEASON SERIES
The Blazers hold a 4-2-0-0 edge in the series with the Bruins. They will
meet three more times over the next 14 days, including Jan. 26 at Interior
Savings Centre.
THE SHOTS
The Blazers went into Saturday’s game having allowed an average of 37 shots
against per game in nine outings since the Christmas break. They were
3-6-0-0 in those games. . . . The Bruins reached the 30-shot plateau in the
game’s dying seconds.
THE SLAPSHOT
The teams were sent to their dressing rooms with 2:03 left in the second
period after a slapshot by Kamloops D Darcy Huisman shattered a pane of
glass behind the Chilliwack net.
THE SCRAPPER
Kamloops LW Matt Wray, who had fought in five of his last six games, kept
the mitts on in this one. On the season, he has been in a team-high 11
bouts.
THE EUROS
RW Juuso Puustinen (Finland) and LW Ivan Rohac (Slovakia) returned to the
Blazers‚ lineup after playing at the World Junior Championship. They each
missed a dozen WHL games while away. The two combined on the game’s first
goal, just one minute into proceedings.
THE SWEET SWEDE
Chilliwack RW Oscar Moller played his first WHL game since playing for
Sweden at the World Junior Championship. He returned with a mild case of
bronchitis but is over it.
THE CO-OWNER
Mark Recchi, one of the Blazers‚ five owners, had the shootout winner as his
Atlanta Thrashers dumped fellow owner Darryl Sydor and the Pittsburgh
Penguins 3-2 on Saturday. Recchi, who started the season with Pittsburgh
before going to Atlanta on waivers, is talking about playing another season.
“I’d like to keep playing,” Recchi told reporters in Atlanta. “I like the
setup, I like the coaching staff and I love the city. This would be a No. 1
choice, and I’d give (GM/head coach) Don Waddell every opportunity. He gave
me a chance. I don’t forget stuff like that.” Recchi turns 40 on Feb. 1.
DAILY NEWS THREE STARS
1. G Justin Leclerc, Kamloops. Terrific, especially late in third.
2. LW Ivan Rohac, Kamloops. Mr. Excitement is back.
3. RW Brandon Campos, Chilliwack. A threat on almost every shift.
UP NEXT
The Kelowna Rockets, who have won seven in a row, come calling Tuesday. Game
time is 7 p.m.