Blazers box

From The Daily News of Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 . . .

THE SCORE
Kamloops 2, Kelowna 1 (SO)

WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers rode the goaltending of Justin Leclerc — again — to a shootout
victory in what was quite an entertaining game.

THE STANDINGS
The Blazers (26-28-1-2) are seventh in the Western Conference, two points
ahead of the Chilliwack Bruins and six behind the fifth-place Seattle
Thunderbirds. The Rockets (31-17-2-6) are fourth, eight points behind the
B.C. Division-leading Vancouver Giants.

THE SEASON SERIES
This was the last meeting of the regular season between these teams. The
Blazers won the series 5-3-0-0. Or, if you’re a Kelowna fan, the Rockets
split the series 3-3-0-2.

THE HIT
The Blazers got a big lift at 6:30 of the first period when C C.J. Stretch
laid out Kelowna D Luke Schenn behind the Rockets’ goal line. It isn’t often
Schenn, a certain top five pick in the NHL’s 2008 draft, gets hit in such a
fashion.

THE SCHEDULE
According to the Blazers’ pocket schedule, they are playing the Giants in
Vancouver tonight. According to the Blazers’ magnetic schedule, they don’t
play tonight. The WHL schedule also has them off tonight. So they must be
off.

THE POINT PARADE
Kelowna C Colin Long is the WHL’s leading scorer, with 82 points. Long, who
went pointless last night, has a three-point lead on LW Mark Santorelli of
the Chilliwack Bruins.

THE DEFENCE
The Rockets went into last night having surrendered 15 goals in their
previous two games, losing 9-4 to the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes and 6-3
to the Bruins in Chilliwack. That hadn’t happened since Oct. 11 and 17,
1997, when they played to a 9-9 tie with the Tri-City Americans and lost 6-2
to the Swift Current Broncos.

THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS

1. G Justin Leclerc, Kamloops. Stole another one.

2. LW Shayne Wiebe, Kamloops. The winner and a great checking night.

3. D Tyson Barrie, Kelowna. Solid night on the back end.

UP NEXT
The Blazers are at home against the Everett Silvertips on Sunday. Game time
is 6 p.m.