Rockets stay perfect against Blazers

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Playoff preview?
The Kamloops Blazers better hope not.
The Kelowna Rockets left for home late Friday night after posting their
eighth straight victory over the Blazers, this one by a 6-4 count before an
announced crowd of 5,729 fans, the largest gathering ever to watch a WHL
game in Interior Savings Centre.
The Rockets are 5-0-0-0 in The ATM this season. From a Blazers’ perspective,
however, this one was particularly ugly.
The Rockets outshot the Blazers 16-0 in the first period as they jumped out
to a 3-0 lead.
Kamloops didn’t get its first shot on goal until 4:35 of the second period
when defenceman Kurt Torbohm drilled goaltender Mark Guggenberger in the
Ogopogo logo with a shot from the point.
By that time, the Rockets had four goals on 20 shots.
Kamloops head coach Barry Smith said the game was a classic example of “how
not to play.”
“There was nothing there,” Smith said. “We couldn’t get anything going. It
was one of those nights. Mentally, physically . . . nothing went right.
“The score isn’t indicative of the game, obviously.”
Kelowna, which is 10-1-0-0 in its last 11 games and now has won six
straight, came into this one having outscored the Blazers 36-13 in the
previous seven games, including 22-5 in four games right here in River City.
The ATM, it seems, is the Rockets’ home away from Prospera Place, where they
will try to complete a nine-game series sweep of the Blazers tonight.
The Rockets also had scored 18 power-play goals in the seven games against
the Blazers.
So what happened?
That’s right. Torbohm cleared the puck into the crowd from his zone just 16
seconds into the game and 22 seconds later the visitors had a 1-0 lead,
thanks to centre Colin Long who cashed in his own rebound after his first
shot hit a post.
“The first play of the game . . . we bail on a puck and throw it over the
glass,” Smith said. “We have to be ready to play. We have to be ready to
play right from the get-go.
“We just weren’t willing to compete.”
After the first goal, as Smith pointed out, there was time to recover.
“Chalk it up to a little bit of puck luck and off we go,” Smith said. “But
we didn’t figure that one out at all.”
Six minutes later it was 2-0 as defenceman Brandon McMillan scored through
traffic on, yes, another Kelowna power play.
And then it was 3-0 and 4-0 and 5-0 . . . by which time the shots were 25-3
and Smith had lifted goaltender Justin Leclerc, who was starting his 56th
game of the season, in favour of Jon Groenheyde, who would stop 19 of 20
shots.
Long finished with two goals for the Rockets, while Ryley Grantham, Ian
Duval and Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan also scored.
C.J. Stretch, Tyler Shattock, with his 30th, and Shayne Wiebe scored for
Kamloops, cutting the deficit to 5-3 early in the third period but it was
far too little and way too late. Dalibor Bortnak had the Blazers’ final
goal.
“That was a weird one,” Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska said. “I thought we
had it in control but I think it ended up a little bit closer than it needed
to be.
“It was one of those nights where we gave them a little momentum with some
of the penalties, whether or not they were justified, but I think that’s
what gave them a little bit of life.”
As for being 8-0 against one team, Huska said: “That’s weird. We’ve played
well for whatever reason, especially in this building. We’ve got quite a few
bounces and our power play has been good. That’s just the way it goes
sometimes.
“I remember coming in here last season and we couldn’t do a thing right.”
Last season, the Blazers were 4-0-0-0 at home against the Rockets, winning
twice in shootouts. But that was then and this is now.
Now, the Blazers are fifth in the Western Conference, one point ahead of the
Seattle Thunderbirds. The Rockets are third, a point up on the Spokane
Chiefs.
Should the standings remain as they are through Sunday night, the Blazers
and Chiefs will meet in the first round of the playoffs. Kamloops is 1-3-0-0
against Spokane.
Should the standings change . . . well, the Blazers don’t want to think
about that.
JUST NOTES: Referees Dan Cowley and Carl Poole gave the Blazers 12 of 23
minors and two of four majors. . . . Kelowna has scored five or more goals
in seven of its victories over Kamloops. . . . The Rockets, who are 18-2-1-2
in their last 23 outings, lost F Mikael Backlund and F Lucas Bloodoff to
injuries during the game. Backlund took a hit from D Zak Stebner in the
first period and didn’t return. Huska said the decision to hold Backlund out
was “precautionary.” Bloodoff left in the second period after a scary
incident in which he slid headfirst into the end boards beside the Blazers’
net. He was down for a bit but got up and left with the help of both
athletic therapists. “He’s moving around just fine,” Huska said of Bloodoff.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca