Colin Smith of the Kamloops Blazers backhands the puck past Kelowna Rockets goaltender Mark Guggenberger during WHL playoff action in Kamloops on Wednesday night. The goal, which gave Kamloops a 1-0 lead, was Smith's first WHL goal. Smith, 15, was the seventh overall selection in the 2008 bantam draft. (PHOTO BY DOYLE POTENTEAU/Kelowna Daily Courier)
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Recent radio commercials touting Kamloops Blazers’ games have informed folks
that “IT’S A NEW ERA!”
Unfortunately for Blazers fans, the new era had a definite old-era odour to
it as their favourites were swept from the first round of the WHL playoffs —
again — on Wednesday night at Interior Savings Centre.
The Kelowna Rockets did the honours this time, scoring three goals in a 6:11
span of the second period and going on to beat the Blazers 5-3 in front of
4,890 fans.
It was an outcome that has become far too familiar to the Blazers and their
fans over the last 10 seasons.
It was the Blazers’ 15th consecutive playoff loss. They last won a playoff
game on March 29, 2005, when a goal by centre Kevin Hayman at 18:57 of the
third period gave them a 3-2 victory — and a 2-1 series lead — over the
Kootenay Ice. The Blazers lost the next three games, and the series.
They have since been swept in three straight first-round series, the last
two under the new ownership group.
In fact, since appearing in the 1999 WHL championship final — they won the
first game and then lost four in a row to the Calgary Hitmen — the Blazers
are 5-36 in losing nine first-round series in 10 seasons.
The other season? They didn’t make the playoffs.
To say this Blazers’ season resembled something of a roller-coaster really
doesn’t do it justice. It was for more inconsistent than that.
Consider the Blazers’ special teams.
Kamloops, which struggled to play with discipline all season, pulled off a
regular-season double-double of sorts by receiving and giving up more
power-play opportunities than any other team. Its power play was ranked
eighth, at 21 per cent, and its penalty killing was 18th, at 76.9.
So what happens against the Rockets? The power play dries up early — it was
2-for-15 through three games although it was 2-for-3 last night — and its
penalty killers shut down the fifth-ranked Kelowna PP, holding it to four
goals in 33 opportunities and scoring three shorthanded goals.
However, the Rockets, who are 25-5-1-3 since the Jan. 10 trade deadline,
were the far superior team 5-on-5. In fact, the Blazers scored eight goals
in the series and only the first one — by centre Scott Wasden at 10:48 of
the first period of Game 1 — came 5-on-5.
The Rockets, meanwhile, scored 17 times, with 13 of them coming 5-on-5.
“We didn’t really play our best . . . I didn’t think we did,” Kamloops head
coach Barry Smith said. “Yeah, they’re a good team. We had to do the right
things to make it competitive and do those things. I don’t think we did all
the time. That’s disappointing in the end.
“We made some strides . . . but obviously there’s a lot further way to go.”
Left-winger Jamie Benn scored once and set up three other goals to lead the
Rockets, who trailed 2-1 and 3-2 in the second period.
But after Kamloops veteran Kenton Dulle scored his club’s third goal, and
its third shorthanded goal in three games, the Rockets ran off three
straight — by Ian Duval, Tyson Barrie and Stepan Novotny — to win going
away.
Kelowna defenceman Tyler Myers, the best player on the ice in this series,
had the Rockets’ other goal.
Centres Colin Smith, with his first WHL goal, and C.J. Stretch had the
Blazers’ other goals.
This was the Rockets’ 13th straight victory over the Blazers this season,
with seven of them coming right in River City.
“I think I haven’t played awesome games every time against this team,” said
Blazers goaltender Justin Leclerc, who made 38 saves, “but I think I’ve
played some good ones. We couldn’t capitalize on those and we couldn’t
capitalize . . . I don’t know . . . we weren’t getting bounces . . . I don’t
know.
“I don’t know what to say. You can break the numbers down any way you want.
At the end of the day we’re 0-13 so . . . ”
JUST NOTES: Referees Dan Cowley and Steve Papp, who had a rough first two
periods, gave the Blazers 11 of 18 minors. . . . After the post-game
handshakes, the Blazers gathered at centre ice and saluted the fans with
raised sticks. . . . The Blazers finished this season by playing six
straight games against the Rockets. Kelowna won all six, outscoring the
Blazers, 30-13, and outshooting them, 242-131. . . . Kelowna goaltender Mark
Guggenberger, who was acquired from the Swift Current Broncos at the trade
deadline in January, has won his last 12 starts and 17 of his last 20. . . .
Benn ran his playoff point streak to 11. He has 21 points in those games and
has at least one point in every WHL playoff game in which he has appeared. .
. . Kelowna C Colin Long had his nine-game playoff point streak end in Game
3. . . . Rockets F Kyle St. Denis (concussion) has missed his club’s last 17
games and now is listed as being out indefinitely.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com
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