Blazers scouter

KELOWNA ROCKETS at KAMLOOPS BLAZERS
Today, 7 p.m., Interior Savings Centre (Radio NL 610)

KELOWNA (29-19-1-2): The Rockets last played Saturday when they were beaten
2-1 in overtime by the Seattle Thunderbirds in Kent, Wash. . . . Kelowna had
a 36-18 edge in shots in that one. . . . The Rockets erupted for 10 goals
Friday as they beat the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers, 10-1. . . . The last
time the Rockets were here they had lost four in a row. They won 5-2 that
night and now have points in their last five games (3-0-1-1). . . . The
Rockets were 3-for-3 on the PP in winning that game here. . . . Kelowna is
fourth in the Western Conference, eight points behind the Spokane Chiefs and
six ahead of the Blazers. The Rockets hold three games in hand on Kamloops.
. . . C Mikael Backlund has 10 points in the nine games he has played for
the Rockets since joining them in mid-January. . . . INJURIES: RW Kyle St.
Denis (scaphoid, out), C Ian Duval (concussion, out).
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KAMLOOPS (25-24-1-4): The Blazers outscored the visiting Medicine Hat Tigers
6-4 on Saturday. . . . Kamloops is fifth in the Western Conference, six
points behind the Rockets and four ahead of the Everett Silvertips, who are
here Wednesday night. . . . This is Game 4 of a five-game homestand, the
longest of the season. The Blazers are 2-1-0-0 to this point. . . . Kamloops
has yet to beat the Rockets in five tries this season, although it does have
one point from a shootout loss. . . . G Justin Leclerc has stopped eight of
the last 10 games and is 7-1-0-0 in that stretch. His only loss? To Kelowna.
. . . Leclerc has 21 victories on the season, the first time in his career
that he has won 20. . . . F Kenton Dulle ended a seven-game goal drought by
scoring on a penalty shot against the Tigers, while F Tyler Shattock hadn’t
scored in six games before hitting for a pair in that one. . . . F Brendan
Ranford has three points in his last two games after going pointless in
eight. . . . D Zach Stebner has a goal and four assists in his last three
games. He also has assists on the team’s last two game-winning goals. . . .
The penalty killers have surrendered 11 goals in 39 opportunities over the
last six games. . . . INJURIES: C Mark Hall (knee, out), D Michal Siska
(ankle, out), D Brandon Underwood (thumb, out).
— GREGG DRINNAN