Blazers run winning streak to four

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Fore!
Whoops! Make that four.
The Kamloops Blazers, a team that looked just a few weeks ago like it was headed to a late March tee-off time, ran their winning streak to four Friday, beating the Red Deer Rebels 6-3 before 4,544 fans at Interior Savings Centre.
The Blazers opened this season with three straight victories, a feat they hadn’t been able to replicate until they beat the visiting Portland Winterhawks 5-4 on Wednesday.
The victory over Red Deer (23-16-0-4) improved Kamloops’ record to 21-20-2-3. And, just like that, the Blazers are sixth in the 10-team Western Conference, one point ahead of the Chilliwack Bruins and eight behind the Everett Silvertips.
The Blazers left immediately after the game for Kent, Wash., where they will meet the ninth-place Seattle Thunderbirds tonight.
“There were a lot of positive things,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “We’ve played a couple of good teams here in the last couple of games.”
Last night’s game turned on two plays four minutes apart in the second period.
The Blazers jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead on power-play goals from defenceman Ryan Funk and left-winger Brendan Ranford.
But the Rebels forged a 2-2 tie before the second period was half over, with centre Landon Ferraro and defenceman Alex Petrovic solving goaltender Kurtis Mucha, who was stellar with 35 saves.
But then, just as the visitors appeared poised to take over, they turned the puck over coming out of their zone and the Blazers went in 3-on-1, with left-winger Matej Bene hitting right-winger Jake Trask in stride. He didn’t make any mistake in putting the puck over goaltender Darcy Kuemper at 12:25.
Then, at 16:42, centre C.J. Stretch, with the puck in the left circle, looked off Kuemper and zipped a shot through his pads.
Red Deer head coach Jesse Wallin sent Kraymer Barnstable in for Kuemper, who was beaten four times on 16 shots, but it was too late — the home boys were back in control.
“I really liked the way we competed after they tied the game,” Charron said. “Our team didn’t stop.
“We’re building an identity a little bit now. We’re starting to believe in ourselves. Guys are making tremendous efforts . . . blocking shots . . . diving for pucks . . .
“By doing that and if they can generate success, they’ll do it more consistently.”
Winger Dylan Willick and Funk, with an empty-netter, added Kamloops goals in the third period. Right-winger John Persson had Red Deer’s final goal, also in the third period.
Against Portland, the Blazers watched as a 5-1 lead became 5-4 in a hurry late in the game. There were times when Red Deer had solid possession in the Blazers’ zone but, unlike the Winterhawks, the Rebels didn’t generate a lot of chances.
“We kept pucks away from the danger areas,” Charron said. “The problem in spending too much time (in your zone) is that you may be charged with a penalty and that’s when things happen.”
But that didn’t happen in this one.
“I like the way the team stuck with battling and we found a way to win,” Charron added.
No one is battling any better these days than defenceman Linden Saip, whose point streak reached nine games. An assist on Ranford’s goal means Saip has 13 points, including five goals, over the nine games. Not bad for a guy who had six points in 30 games when this all began. He also was a healthy scratch just two games before starting this streak.
“I’m not working to get it,” said Saip, who also has been strong defensively. “I’m not going out of my game to get points. But the way that they are coming . . . yeah, it’s a shock.
“The way things are going right now all I have to do is get pucks to the net. Guys on the bench and the coaches are telling me to shoot the puck because I’ve got the hot stick right now.”
How hot?
He earned his assist when his shot from the point bounced into the Red Deer net off Ranford’s visor.
“Yeah, I got a good bounce,” Saip said.
Which pretty much sums up the way things are going for the Blazers these days.
JUST NOTES: Referee Derek Herman, proving one more time how the one-man system is so much better than the alternative, gave Red Deer six of 10 minors. Each team took three majors. . . . Kamloops was 2-for-4 on the power play; the visitors were 1-for-2. . . . The Daily News’ Three Stars: 1. Mucha — the confidence starts in goal; 2. Saip — Never been better; 3. Stretch — a key goal. . . . Kamloops C Mark Hall returned to the lineup after missing six games with a concussion. . . . Kamloops D Austin Madaisky will take part in the Top Prospects festivities in Windsor on Tuesday and Wednesday, thus missing road games against the Tri-City Americans and Portland Winterhawks. . . . The Winterhawks will be without F Brad Ross, who was named to the game as an injury replacement Friday. . . . Kamloops next play at home Friday, when the Bruins are here.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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