Blazers have a lost weekend

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
If you think your windshield is streaky, you should check out the Kamloops
Blazers.
It isn’t all that long ago that the Blazers followed a five-game losing
streak (0-4-0-1) by winning four in a row. Today, having lost two home games
on the weekend — 5-2 to the Chilliwack Bruins on Sunday and 5-0 to the
Kelowna Rockets on Saturday — they find themselves having lost four straight
(0-3-0-1). In fact, they are 2-4-0-1 since that aforementioned victory
skein.
Consistency isn’t the Blazers’ middle name, something that was very much in
evidence on the weekend.
On Saturday, in their first game since blowing a 5-2 third-period lead and
losing 7-5 to the host Portland Winter Hawks six days previous (and, ahem,
having a 4:45 a.m. practice), the Blazers, well, as head coach Barry Smith
put it, “That’s about as flat as you can get. I didn’t see any emotion or
life on the ice.
“We let them play comfy all night and made it an easy night for them.”
Which brings us to Sunday, when the Blazers were a bit better than they had
been 24 hours earlier which is kind of like saying Paris Hilton was a bit
better in her second movie than she was in her first one.
The Bruins, who coughed up a 3-0 third-period lead before losing 5-4 in OT
to the visiting Prince George Cougars on Saturday, took at 2-0 lead into the
second period last night. At that point, the Blazers had been outscored 12-0
over their last four and a half periods.
Down 4-2 late in the second period, the Blazers were presented with the
game’s last five power-play opportunities but they shot only blanks — when
they weren’t shooting high and wide, that is.
“I don’t mind shooting but you have to hit the net,” Smith said. “It’s a
habit I preach and hammer on all the time. Guys are, ‘Oh, I just missed.’
“Well, you can’t score if you don’t hit the net. You have to score. You have
to find a way. And that’s where hitting the net comes in, especially from
the point.”
And when the Blazers did put the puck on net — they outshot the Bruins
44-30, including 15-3 in the third period — goaltender Mark Friesen was
there.
“Friesen played huge,” said Chilliwack centre Kevin Sundher, who had his
club’s third goal. “He had a couple of goals that he wouldn’t have liked
(Saturday) and today he really stepped up.”
Chilliwack head coach Jim Hiller added: “He had a rough start (to the
season) and we talked about forgetting the whole first part of the season
and starting fresh. . . . (Saturday) night wasn’t a great third period for
him but what I liked to see was how he came back after not being able to
hold the lead for us.”
Brett Ward, Tanner Exner, Andy Smith and Scott Ramsay also scored for the
Bruins. For Exner, a freshman, and Ramsay, a sophomore, it was their first
WHL goals.
“Exner and Ramsay on the same night . . . it’s pretty hard to lose if those
two are going to score on the same night,” Hiller said with a chuckle.
Kamloops goaltender Jon Groenheyde, who hadn’t started since Oct. 21, went
the distance in both weekend games after watching Justin Leclerc get the
call in nine straight.
Groenheyde made 25 saves Sunday, after turning aside 34 Saturday when centre
Cody Almond beat him three times. Kelowna really had its way with the home
boys and only a stellar effort from Groenheyde kept the visitors from
hitting double digits.
Kelowna left-winger Jamie Benn became the first WHL player this season to
reach 20 goals when he scored in the second period. Left-winger Lucas
Bloodoff also scored for the Rockets, who limited the Blazers to four shots
in each of the last two periods.
Kelowna goaltender Kris Lazaruk, in his first appearance since suffering a
shoulder injury Nov. 4, recorded his first shutout of the season and the
fourth of his career. It was the first time this season the Blazers have
been blanked.
JUST NOTES: Referees Dominick Bedard, a QMJHL regular, and Matt Kirk gave
Chilliwack 10 of 19 minors. . . . The Bruins were 3-for-8 on the PP; the
Blazers went 2-for-9. . . . Among the Bruins’ scratches was LW Ryan Howse,
who suffered a bruised leg Saturday. . . . Kamloops C Scott Wasden injured
his right shoulder in Sunday’s second period and was in a sling after the
game. He will be re-evaluated today. . . . CFJC-TV’s Bill O’Donovan, who had
been ill, was back doing the public address work Sunday, meaning Country
103’s Kelly Moore was returned to the bullpen. . . . The Blazers lost D Kurt
Torbohm with a possible concussion late in the first period of Saturday’s
game. . . . The Blazers are 0-3 against the Rockets this season and have
been outscored 16-6. . . . E.J. McGuire, the director of NHL Central
Scouting, took in both weekend games.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca