Blazers hang lickin' on Hitmen

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
When this WHL season is assigned to the annals of history, Wednesday night’s
game may well be the one most fondly remembered by the Kamloops Blazers and
their fans.
The Calgary Hitmen rode into Kamloops in the wee hours of Wednesday, fresh
off a 7-0 victory over the Cougars in Prince George. The Hitmen brought with
them the WHL’s best record, at least in terms of victories and points, and
the No. 2 ranking in the entire CHL.
However, the Blazers refused to give the visitors any respect. The home boys
pounded the Hitmen physically and hung a 5-1 lickin’ on them in front of
4,625 appreciative fans at Interior Savings Centre.
The old mausoleum echoed to the sounds of standing ovations after the first,
second and third periods. Yes, they’ll be talking about this one for a
while.
So enthusiastic and so physical were the Blazers that had ALF been visiting
from the planet Melmac he could have been excused for thinking it was the
Blazers who were riding high atop the WHL’s overall standings.
“They played well. They played hard,” Calgary head coach Dave Lowry said.
“We expected them to come out and play hard. We didn’t answer the challenge.
It’s disappointing from our standpoint. We expect a lot more out of our
hockey club.”
Calgary is having one of those number-riddled seasons that comes with having
amazing success. For example, the Hitmen were 17-1-1-0 in their last 19
starts; they also are 36-1-1-0 when scoring the first goal.
Which is why right-winger Jimmy Bubnick’s goal, at 13:52 of the first
period, was so important.
The Blazers’ performance in the opening 20 minutes was especially
significant when you consider that in two earlier meetings this season, both
in Calgary, the Hitmen had outshot Kamloops 99-36 and outscored it 14-3.
“All of us were just really focused.” said Kamloops defenceman Josh Caron
who, just 19 games into his Blazers career, is showing all the signs off
being a workhorse. “We were mentally focused and physically focused. We were
just ready go. All 20 of us were on the same page.”
Bubnick’s goal, at 13:52 of the opening period, and some jarring checks
served notice to all that the Blazers had come to play. They also had the
game’s first five shots and forced goaltender Martin Jones into two fine toe
saves. And the home side successfully killed off a 5-on-3 disadvantage that
was 1:11 in duration.
“Our big thing was to stick to our game plan . . . no matter what happened,”
Kamloops head coach Barry Smith said. “We wanted to make sure we had a good
first period and set the tone for the game . . . and make sure we carry it
through for 60 minutes.
“We finished all our hits and we made them pay the price (in the first
period). We’ve done that against some good teams and didn’t carry it on.
Tonight, we carried it through for 60 minutes.”
Scott Wasden, who scored twice, gave the Blazers a 2-0 lead less than three
minutes after Bubnick’s goal, with freshman left-winger Brendan Ranford
beating veteran defenceman Alex Plante to the outside and hitting his
captain with a nifty pass.
What was the impact of the victory? After the game, Ranford was too
emotional to talk about it.
Wasden added his second goal at 14:05 of the second period before Calgary’s
Joel Broda scored his WHL-leading 51st of the season at 15:55.
That was all Calgary’s high-power offence — the Hitmen have 316 goals, three
shy of the franchise’s single-season record — was going to get off
goaltender Justin Leclerc, who made 25 saves.
Kenton Dulle, who also had two assists, and C.J. Stretch also scored for the
Blazers.
The Hitmen conclude this B.C. swing in Vancouver on Friday in a game that
could go a long way to deciding first place overall.
Asked if his side got caught looking ahead, Lowry said: “I don’t think so.
One team executed their game plan and one team didn’t play very well. It
goes to show that if we don’t play the way that we’re supposed to play we’re
just an average team.”
The game ended with a bit of melee, and with Calgary assistant coach Brent
Kisio and Smith exchanging taunts at the benches. Both teams and their
coaches apparently carried the hard feelings into the tunnel under the
stands and security had to be called in to separate them.
Considering all that happened on this night, it almost was as though
old-time hockey was back in town.
JUST NOTES: Referees Steve Papp and Derek Zalaski gave the Blazers 13 of 21
minors and one of two majors. . . . Each team had 26 shots on goal. . . .
The Blazers had allowed more than 26 shots in each of their last 22 games. .
. . It was only the fourth time in 69 games that Calgary has allowed at
least five goals. . . . That was former Kamloops assistant coach Darcy
Wakaluk on the Calgary bench with Lowry and Kisio.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com