MONSTER MASCH: Blazers d-man off to hot start

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
When the Kamloops Blazers acquired defenceman Bronson Maschmeyer on Sept. 3, they were hoping his presence would mean less time spent in their zone.
So . . . 28 days later, how has he done?
Pretty well, if you listen to head coach Barry Smith.
“(He’s a) puck mover,” Smith said in the aftermath of a 5-3 victory over the visiting Lethbridge Hurricanes on Wednesday night. “Good head on his shoulders. Makes the simple play. When in trouble (he’s) willing to (put it) off the glass and out. You have to get all our (defencemen) to do that. It’s pretty simple.
“And you know what that comes down to? Fundamentals.”
Some of the credit for those fundamentals should go to Don Hay, the former Blazers coach who is into his sixth season as head coach of the Vancouver Giants.
Maschmeyer, an 18-year-old from Bruderheim, Alta., spent last season, his first in the WHL, playing with Hay’s Giants. They dealt him to the Blazers for a 2010 third-round bantam draft pick.
And, as luck would have it, the Giants visit Interior Savings Centre tonight with the Blazers playing in Vancouver on Saturday. Both games start at 7 o’clock. The Blazers also are at home Sunday, with the new-and-improved Portland Winterhawks here at 6 p.m.
The Blazers (4-1-0-0) go into tonight one point behind the B.C. Division-leading Giants (4-1-0-1).
“They’re right there, too,” Smith said. “They’re ahead of us and it’s going to be a real tough battle.”
Maschmeyer, who said he is “real pumped” for the weekend, thinks so, too.
“It’s good to be competitive with a team that was at the top last season,” he said. “We’re expecting to be competitive for top spot in the B.C. Division and the Western Conference. Hopefully, we can show them that we’re starting off strong.”
The Blazers have won four of their first five games for the first time since 2005-06. Last season, Smith’s first as head coach, the Blazers were 2-3-0-0 after five games.
Maschmeyer has six points, all of them assists, in his first five games. Last season, he totaled eight points, including six helpers, in 48 games with Vancouver.
“It’s good,” Maschmeyer, who has four power-play assists, said of his game. “I’m getting the opportunity to compete here and hopefully I’m making the most of what I’ve got.”
As for tonight, he said, he’s trying his hardest to treat it as just another game. But he knows that is easier said than done.
“It’s my ex-team,” he said. “As much as I’m here and this is my team now . . . what I’m trying to do is keep it a normal game, keep everything calm.”
He especially is looking forward to renewing acquaintances with some of his former teammates. He expects Lance Bouma, the Giants’ hard-nosed captain, to be the first to say hello.
“You always know Bouma is going to be coming,” Maschmeyer said. “No matter who is on the ice, he’s running. (James) Henry is gritty down low, but the major one is Bouma.”
Then, with a laugh, Maschmeyer added: “He’ll be running from the red line.”
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Smith said Thursday night that he will give G Justin Leclerc his second straight start tonight.
“I thought Justin was really good,” Smith said, referring to Leclerc’s 37-save performance. “He deserves it.”
Leclerc stopped 37 shots in his season-opening 4-3 victory over the Bruins in Chilliwack, too.
After the victory over the Bruins, Jon Groenheyde played three straight complete games before Leclerc started against Lethbridge.
The Blazers were outshot Wednesday for the fourth time in five games. Smith felt it was a case of his club being “too content to let them have the puck.”
At the same time, Smith said, the Blazers were outchanced 11-10 by the Hurricanes. Smith didn’t mind the 11 chances his club gave up, but said he would prefer the Blazers to have around 16 chances.
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JUST NOTES: The Blazers have three other players — D Curtis Kulchar, D Linden Saip and LW Brett Lyon — on their roster who were acquired from the Giants. Lyon, who is still looking for his first WHL goal after 40 games here, skated alongside C C.J. Stretch and RW Tyler Shattock on Wednesday. . . . The Blazers are 8-9-1-0 at home against the Giants over the last five seasons. Of course, in this era of loser points, Vancouver can boast a 10-5-0-3 record in Kamloops over the last five seasons. . . . The Winterhawks (3-1-0-0), who are showing signs of vacating the U.S. Division cellar after three seasons there, play the Chiefs in Spokane tonight but are off Saturday.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com