Blazers shoot downs streaking Rockets

From The Daily News of Wednesday, Jan. 16, 2008 . . .

This one ended at 5:49 of the third period.
Defenceman Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets, his side trailing 5-2, had
Justin Leclerc of the Kamloops Blazers dead to rights only to have the
goaltender make one of those glove saves with a flourish that leaves the
shooter shaking his head.
While the teams had to play out the remaining 14 minutes, the Rockets, who
came in having won seven straight games to force their way into the WHL
pennant race, new right then that they were done like a Christmas turkey.
And they were, as the Blazers went on to hang a 5-3 beating on the visitors
from the Little Apple in front of an announced crowd of 4,493 fans at
Interior Savings Centre on Tuesday night.
Leclerc, who made 35 saves, was stupendous, as he had been in making 29
stops in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the visiting Chilliwack Bruins. He also
had some help as the Rockets hit a cross-bar and two posts.
“For the first night in a long time, we didn’t get bounces where we’ve got
those bounces in the past,” Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska said. “Three posts
. . . and their goaltender was really good.
“We gave ourselves a chance to get back in the game but their goalie was
very good.”
That he was.
None of Leclerc’s many saves was better than the one he made with his
magical right foot, using it to stun centre Colin Long, the WHL’s points
leader, at 11:40 of the second period. Long appeared to have an open side
but Leclerc somehow got that foot — the same one that robbed Chilliwack’s
Brandon Campos on Saturday — across to stop the quick shot and deny the
Kelowna star his 24th goal and preserve a 4-2 lead.
“Justin has been playing well but, unfortunatelly, that’s the way we expect
our goalies to play all the time,” Kamloops head coach Greg Hawgood said.
“For you to be successful, your goalie has to play well.”
Backed by Leclerc’s goaltending, the Blazers, who now have won four straight
at home, seized control of this game early in the second period.
“They came out hard in the second period,” Huska said, “and we were doing a
lot of standing around and watching. That really was the difference in the
game . . . that five-minute period.”
Kelowna had taken a 2-1 lead at 19:45 of the first period when right-winger
Brady Leavold scored from a scramble.
The Blazers, however, grabbed the momentum right back when right-winger
Juuso Puustinen beat goaltender Kris Westblom off the left wing just 26
seconds into the second period. That one was followed by left-winger Matt
Wray’s first WHL goal at 2:49 and a highlight-reel score from port-sider
Ivan Rohac at 3:56.
Just like that the Blazers had three goals, a 4-2 lead and the momentum.
While it was the Rockets who had come to town with the high-flying line —
Long between Jamie Benn and Leavold — it was the Blazers who ended up
handing Kelowna a line.
The Rockets couldn’t handle Rohac, Alex Rodgers and Puustinen, who combined
for nine points. Rohac, a Slovak, finished with two goals and an assist.
Puustinen, from Finland, had a goal and two helpers. Rodgers had three
assists.
“I’m from Russia . . . that’s what Ivan says. I’m his Russian import,” said
a laughing Rodgers, who is Armenian, as in Salmon Armenian.
“It’s great to have them back,” Rodgers said of his linemates who were
playing their second games since returning from the World Junior
Championship. “I had a pretty good idea I’d be playing with them and I’m
excited. You don’t have to do much, just get them the puck and let them do
their thing.
“They’re pretty offensive minded — I think I am, too — but I’m more of a
defensive-minded guy now. I just try to get them the puck.”
For the second game in a row, the Blazers also got a big effort from centre
Scott Wasden and wingers Shayne Wiebe and Kenton Dulle. On Saturday, they
blanketed Chilliwack top guns Mark Santorelli and Oscar Moller; in this one,
they did the same to the Long trio.
“It was certainly key,” Hawgood said. “They not only shut that line down but
scored a big goal to get us back in the game. We gave those guys a
responsibility the last two games and they’ve taken it and run with it.”
Benn and Brandon McMillan, with the game’s first and last goals, also scored
for the Rockets.
JUST NOTES: Referee Derek Zalaski gave the Blazers seven of 11 minor
penalties. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-7 on the power play; the Blazers were
0-for-4. . . . The Blazers got a rather large lift when Wray, who leads the
club in fighting majors, got his first goal in his 24th game. “You’re
always happy when a guy like that finally gets rewarded,” Hawgood said. “He
does whatever you ask of him. He protects his teammates and any time a guy
like that can get a goal it’s pretty special.”
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca