By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Cole Linaker looked like Ralphie after he found the Red Ryder BB gun in A Christmas Story.
And, really, who could blame him?
Linaker, who will turn 18 on Monday, broke a 2-2 third-period tie with his second WHL goal on Friday night and that gave the Kelowna Rockets a 3-2 victory over the Kamloops Blazers at Interior Savings Centre.
“I was just standing in front and I saw it pop out,” Linaker said. “I kind of grabbed it, turned and fired it . . . at first I didn’t even know it went in.”
As Linaker realized he had deposited a rebound behind Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave, at 9:15 of the third period, the look on his face went from shock to surprise to joy.
“I haven’t had too many this season,” the Edmontonian said, “so it was exciting to get that one, especially at that time of the game.
“That one was huge. You can tell by the atmosphere in the room . . . the boys are so happy and it’s great to see.”
Linaker’s goal just may prove to be the one that all but sews up the B.C. Division title. With the victory, the division-leading Rockets pulled five points — 100-95 — ahead of the Blazers. The Blazers have three games remaining, the Rockets four. And they’ll stage a rematch tonight in Kelowna.
Kamloops, which had won its previous four games, the last two by shutout, appears headed for a first-round matchup with the Victoria Royals, a series that would begin here with games on March 22 and 23.
Last season, the Blazers swept the Royals from the first round.
Last night, the Blazers actually led 2-0 before the game was much more than six minutes old. And the way the Blazers were shredding the Rockets’ defence — the home boys had two goals on seven shots at goaltender Jordon Cooke — it looked like it might be an easy night.
However, Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska called his timeout after winger JC Lipon gave the Blazers a two-goal lead, his goal coming 1:48 after centre Brendan Ranford had opened the scoring.
Linaker said that Huska told his crew “to stick to the game plan.”
“He said there was a lot of hockey left and that we just had to stick to the game plan and we’d be fine,” recalled Linaker, who was a sixth-round selection in the 2010 bantam draft.
As the second half of the first period wore on, the Rockets began to push back. And it paid off in the second period with a couple of ugly goals.
The first one, at 4:18, was credited to winger Myles Bell, who returned after sitting out one game with a leg injury suffered in a 3-0 loss to the host Blazers on Sunday.
“It went off me . . . off my butt,” said Kamloops goaltender Cole Cheveldave, whose shutout streak was ended at 148:56 by that goal. “It went to Bell and as I was pushing over to greet the puck on that side it went off my hip and in.”
That was at 4:18 of the second period. At 11:06, the Rockets tied it on a goal that went to forward Tyson Baillie.
“It went off my blocker,” said Cheveldave, “off my head and then . . . someone got a stick on it.”
Baillie, who has 24 goals, Linaker and freshman Rourke Chartier, who has scored a dozen times, play on what would be the Rockets’ fourth line, meaning they accounted for two of their club’s goals.
“It was a good night for us,” Linaker said. “We’ve been buzzing. We just have to keep it going and keep working hard.”
“Their fourth line scored two of their three goals,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “That can’t happen. The supporting cast has to have the ability to do a better job.
“Tonight, their fourth line was the difference in the hockey game.”
The Rockets also won this game because of their discipline. In recent visits, they have been haunted by trips to the penalty box. In this one, they gave the Blazers only one power-play opportunity.
“The Blazers have such a great offence and we can’t give them chances like that,” Linaker said. “To give them power plays like we did, it hurts the team. Tonight, we were good. We didn’t take very many penalties.”
In fact, they didn’t take any until the third period was almost 14 minutes old.
“You have to draw penalties,” Charron said. “Drawing penalties has to come from hard work, determination on the puck, make it difficult for the opposition to defend against you. Our effort consistently that way wasn’t up to par.”
The Blazers also paid a price for the void created by the absence of injured centres Matt Needham and Joe Kornelsen. Without those two, neither of whom will play tonight either, Charron dressed eight defencemen and spotted two of them up front.
“We’re missing two guys at centre who would give me the ability to make some changes,” Charron said. “We didn’t have enough people to sustain and create anything. I leaned on a few guys to play a lot of hockey.”
JUST NOTES: The attendance was 5,651. . . . Linaker, who has played in 33 games this season, had played in 14 games since he last scored in a 5-1 victory over the visiting Everett Silvertips on Dec. 30. . . . Ranford’s goal, his 20th of the season, gave him 350 career regular-season points, moving him out of a tie with Hnat Domenichelli for sixth place in franchise history. . . . The Daily News Three Stars — 1. Cooke: 32 saves for his 50th career victory; 2. Cheveldave: Solid; 3. Baillie: Around the puck. . . . The Blazers will conclude their regular-season schedule next weekend. The Prince George Cougars will play here Friday and the teams will journey north for a Saturday rematch. . . . Former Blazers D Victor Bartley made his NHL debut last night, playing 19:15 for the host Nashville Predators in a 6-0 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. . . . Former Blazers captain Chase Schaber was the game’s first star as he scored the winning goal in his ECHL debut with the host Idaho Steelheads. Schaber broke a 3-3 tie at 14:51 of the third period in a 5-3 victory over the Gwinnett Gladiators. F Casey Pierro-Zabotel scored twice for Gwinnett. Schaber signed with Idaho on Thursday, after playing with the U of Lethbridge Pronghorns.

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Madaisky hoping to recapture form he showed in 2010

Daily News Sports Reporter
Austin Madaisky remembers the 2010 postseason well.
Yes, his Kamloops Blazers lost in four games to the Vancouver Giants, and yes, it was the last time the Blazers made the playoffs.
But it also was the coming-out party for the defenceman, who will lead the Blazers into the playoffs today. Kamloops is to play host to the Victoria Royals at Interior Savings Centre at 7 p.m.
The Blazers had acquired Madaisky, who turned 20 on Jan. 30, from the Calgary Hitmen as part of a blockbuster deal in January 2010. He was decent in the final 26 regular-season games with the Blazers that season, scoring two goals and assisting on seven others.
But it was the 2010 postseason in which Madaisky turned a corner. He had a point in each of the Blazers’ four losses, ending with three goals and three assists to lead the team.
“I felt great — that was probably some of the best hockey I’ve played in my life,” said Madaisky, a Surrey native. “I’m hoping to find that level again this postseason.”
Madaisky was named a Western Conference second-team all-star Thursday, and said he improved a lot this season, his fourth in the WHL.
“I grew a lot as a player this year,” Madaisky said. “I think a lot of that can be attributed to bringing in (associate coach) Dave Hunchak, who’s a great defensive coach, and (head coach) Guy Charron.”
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Brendan Gallagher of the Vancouver Giants was named to the Western Conference’s first all-star team for the second straight season on Thursday.
Gallagher, who spent the first part of the season with the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens and also spent time with Canada at the World Junior Championship in Edmonton and Calgary around Christmas, ended with 41 goals and 36 assists in 54 games.
He is the only repeater on the first team, although all of the other 2010-11 first-teamers have moved on. D Jared Cowen and F Ryan Johansen are full-time NHL players, while D Tyson Barrie and F Tyler Johnson are in the AHL. G James Reid has spent time this season in the AHL, Central League and ECHL.
Three other all-stars from 2010-11 are on the 2011-12 teams. D Brendan Kichton of the Spokane Chiefs and F Brendan Shinnimin of the Tri-City Americans moved up from the second team to the first team, while D Ryan Murray of the Everett Silvertips made the second team for the second straight year.
———
The Western Conference’s three other first-round series are to begin tonight.
The No. 1 seed, the Tri-City Americans, will play host to the eighth-seeded Everett Silvertips in Kennewick, Wash., while the No. 3 Portland Winterhawks will entertain the No. 6 Kelowna Rockets.
The Vancouver Giants, who finished fourth in the conference, are at home to the No. 5 Spokane Chiefs.
All WHL playoff series are best-of-seven.

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The host Regina Pats beat Prince Albert 5-2 on Sunday night, preventing the Raiders from posting the franchise’s 1,000th regular-season victory since entering the WHL in 1982. . . . Regina D Artem Bidlevskii left in the second period following a fight with F Chance Braid. Bidlevskii was in a state of wooziness as he departed. . . . In Vancouver, F Brendan Gallagher had a goal and three assists as the Giants dumped the Kelowna Rockets, 5-2. The Giants are 6-1-1 at home and 0-5-0 on the road. . . . Gallagher has 17 points in nine games since returning from the camp of the NHL’s Montreal Canadiens. . . .
Former Rockets D Tyson Barrie scored twice on Sunday, including the overtime winner, as the visiting Lake Erie Monsters scored a 5-4 AHL victory over the host Toronto Marlies. . . . In Kent, Wash., the Everett Silvertips scored a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Thunderbirds. It was the first time this season that the Silvertips (3-8-2) held an opponent to one goal. . . . The Calgary Hitmen had a three-game winning streak end as they lost 4-2 to the visiting Kootenay Ice on Sunday afternoon. . . .
The WHL’s department of justice will be busy early in the week as there are three players sitting out with those “tbd” suspensions.
D Blake Orban of the Vancouver has been sitting since taking an interference major in a game in Kelowna on Thursday. . . . D Kyle Verdino of the Seattle Thunderbirds is sitting out due to supplement discipline for an incident in a game at Everett on Friday. . . . Kelowna F Filip Vasko took a boarding major on Saturday in a game against the visiting Victoria Royals. . . .
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A friend sent me a link to a QMI Agency story on Winnipeg Jets defenceman Dustin Byfuglien and his alleged impaired boating incident. Most of it has to do with the charges he faces, but there is a rather interesting paragraph near the end.
The story reads:
Byfuglien, who showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.031% in a breath test, was taken to a police water patrol headquarters where the drug recognition expert examined him further.
“Mr. Byfuglien stated that he had taken a muscle relaxer earlier that day, but that he could not remember the name of the muscle relaxer. Mr. Byfuglien stated that he takes a ‘handful’ of supplements from 16 or 17 different bottles every day and that he does not know the names of the supplements,” says the police statement, which the Winnipeg Sun obtained from the Lake Minnetonka Conservation District.
The complete story is right here, but 16 or 17 different bottles of supplements? Is this where we have gotten to from wherever it was that we were?

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
     
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Taking Note on Twitter

Saturday . . .

Boom! Boom! Out go the lights!!!
If you haven’t seen/heard this, check it out right here.
———
The Kamloops Blazers announced Saturday afternoon that their two assistant coaches won’t be back.
Here is the Blazers’ press release, in its entirety:
“The Kamloops Blazers have announced that Assistant Coaches Scott Ferguson and Geoff Smith will not be returning behind the bench this upcoming season.
“Ferguson has decided to pursue Head Coaching opportunities. While part-time Assistant Coach Geoff Smith has decided not to return due to other time considerations.
“Smith and Ferguson were both hired by the hockey club in July 2008 and spent the past three seasons with the Blazers.
“The Kamloops Blazers organization would like to thank Scott and Geoff for their efforts and wish them nothing but success in their future endeavours.”
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SATURDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES:
In Chilliwack, G James Reid stopped 26 shots for the shutout as the Spokane Chiefs dropped the Bruins, 5-0. . . . The Chiefs lead the series 2-0 with Game 3 in Spokane on Wednesday night. . . . The arena in Spokane was booked for an NCAA women’s basketball region this weekend, thus the series opened in Chilliwack even though the Chiefs hold home-ice advantage. . . . The series is following a 2-3-1-1 format. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 42 shots. . . . Spokane F Darren Kramer, who scored twice including the winner in Friday’s 3-2 OT victory, added another goal. . . . Chilliwack F T.C. Cratsenberg drew a charging major and game misconduct at 19:33 of the third period. . . . Attendance was 3,217. . . .
In Portland, G Mac Carruth stopped 32 shots as the Winterhawks opened a first-round series with a 4-0 victory over the Everett Silvertips. . . . Game 2 will be played in Portland today. . . . Everett remains without G Kent Simpson (ankle), so Luke Siemens started and made 41 stops. . . . Portland had a 19-3 edge in shots in the first period. . . . Attendance was 8,363. . . . F Ryan Johansen had a shorthanded goal and two assists. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., D Tyler Schmidt drew three assists as the Tri-City Americans scored a 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . The Americans lead the series 2-0 with Games 3 and 4 in Vancouver on Tuesday and Wednesday nights. . . . F Justin Feser had a goal and two assists for the Americans. . . . Vancouver was 2-for-9 on the PP; the Americans were 1-for-5. . . . Attendance was 3,927. . . .
In Kelowna, the Rockets scored the game’s last four goals, all in the third period, and beat the Prince George Cougars, 7-4. . . . The Rockets take a 2-0 lead into Prince George for Games 3 and 4 on Tuesday and Wednesday. . . . The Cougars led 4-2 when Kelowna D Tyson Barrie scored at 16:20 of the second. . . . F Cody Chikie made it 4-4 at 7:04 of the third on the PP and F Jessey Astles got the eventual winner at 9:55. . . . Chikie also had two assists, while F Shane McColgan set up three goals. . . . Attendance was 6,085. . . . The Cougars were without F Brett Connolly, their leading scorer and a 2010 first-round draft pick of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning. He was injured early in the first period of Game 1 on Friday. Dean Clark, the Cougars’ head coach, said before the second game that Connolly will be evaluated on a daily basis. There is speculation that Connolly has a separated shoulder. . . .
In Red Deer, F Adam Kambeitz had two goals and an assist to lead the Rebels to a 5-1 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . The Rebels take a 2-0 lead into Game 3 in Edmonton on Monday. . . . F Brett Ferguson had three assists for Red Deer. . . . Attendance was 6,207. . . .
In Cranbrook, the Kootenay Ice took a 3-0 lead into the third period and went on to beat the Moose Jaw Warriors 5-2 to tie their series 1-1. . . . They’ll play Game 3 in Moose Jaw on Tuesday. . . . F Max Reinhart’s second-period shorthanded goal stood up as the winner. . . . Moose Jaw cut the deficit to 3-2 on goals from F Spencer Edwards and F Quinton Howden. . . . The Ice put it away when F Joe Antilla and F Brock Montgomery scored empty-netters. . . . Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath picked up a charging major and game misconduct at 5:52 of the third period. Warriors assistant coach Trevor Weisgerber also was ejected at that time. . . . Attendance was 2,467. . . .
In Saskatoon, the regular season-champion Blades opened the playoffs with a resounding 8-1 victory over the Prince Albert Raiders. . . . They’ll play in Saskatoon again today. . . . The Blades got two goals from D Dalton Thrower and singles from six others. . . . F Matej Stransky had a goal and three assists, while linemate Chris Collins drew three assists. . . . Saskatoon G Steven Stanford, who once played for the Raiders, stopped 33 shots. He is 7-0 against his former club. . . . Attendance was 8,144. . . . Saskatoon F Brayden Schenn scored once amid speculation that he might be one injury away from joining the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, who selected him fourth overall in the 2009 draft. . . . The Kings have lost F Justin Williams (shoulder) and F Anzi Kopitar (broken ankle) to serious injuries. Were the Kings to experience one more serious injury, they would be able, under emergency recall rules, to recall Schenn. . . . The Raiders will have D Antoine Corbin back for Game 2. He sat out Game 1 as he completed a two-game WHL suspension. . . . The Blades scratched F Ryan Olsen (upper body). . . .
In Medicine Hat, G Deven Dubyk started in place of the injury Tyler Bunz and backstopped the Tigers to a 5-2 victory over the Brandon Wheat Kings. . . . The series is 1-1 and heads to Winnipeg for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Thursday. . . . Brandon’s Westman Place, the home of the Wheat Kings, is occupied by the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair. . . . Dubyk made 38 saves as his side was outshot 40-23. . . . Bunz, who didn’t finish Brandon’s 7-2 victory on Friday, sat this one out with an upper body injury. . . . Medicine Hat D Sebastian Owuya, who didn’t have a goal in 66 regular-season games, scored the game’s first goal at 4:59 of the first period. . . . Attendance was 3,952.
———
SATURDAY’S CFB COUNT:
Four minors:
Medicine Hat F Kale Kessy (double minor)
Vancouver F Brendan Gallagher (double minor)

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

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Taking Note on Twitter

Friday . . .

It's over! Kruise Reddick (11) and the Tri-City Americans' fans start celebrating after scoring in OT to beat the visiting Vancouver Giants 2-1 in overtime on Friday night.
(Photo by Doug Love / Tri-City Americans)

Dave Trimmer, who covers the Spokane Chiefs for the Spokane Spokesman-Review, blogged about fighting in hockey after reading the column I posted here yesterday.
Here’s part of what he wrote:
“But in the end, it's all fighting and I wouldn't miss it. The health of all hockey players is more important than short, entertaining mid- ice fisticuffs, no matter what the reason.
“I'm willing to bet that almost every team would take a hit in attendance if there was no fighting, which means it isn't going to be stamped out. The only thing that could hurt worse is if they quit selling beer, although that could lead to smarter fans who understand there is no need for fighting in hockey.”
Trimmer’s blog is right here.
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FROM FRIDAY’S GAMES (all were openers, with Game 2 in same place tonight):
In Cranbrook, G Thomas Heemskerk stopped 30 shots to help the Moose Jaw Warriors to a 4-0 victory over the host Kootenay Ice. . . . The Warriors led 3-0 after one; in fact, they led 3-0 at 8:01 of the first period. F Quinton Howden scored twice, including once while shorthanded. . . . Attendance was 2,486. . . . Moose Jaw was 0-for-9 on the PP; the Ice was 0-for-4. . . . Moose Jaw scratched F Cody Beach (knee), F Jordan Wyton (undisclosed), F Tanner Eberle (upper body) and F Brayden Cuthbert (concussion). . . . Moose Jaw D Dylan McIlrath, who sat out a day or two of practice during the week, played and was the game’s first star. . . . Moose Jaw F Brett Lyon sat out the third game of a four-game WHL suspension. . . . With the scratches, the Warriors dressed F Torrin White, their first pick in the 2010 draft, and D Brandon Potomak, a second-pick in the same draft. . . . The Ice was without D Luke Paulsen (shoulder). . . .
In Medicine Hat, D Ryan Pulock had two goals and two assists to lead the Brandon Wheat Kings to a 7-2 victory over the Tigers. . . . Pulock is a late 1994-born player; he doesn’t turn 17 until Oct. 6. From Grandview, Man., he put up 42 points in 63 games during the regular season. . . . Attendance was 3,866. The Tigers had sold out all 36 regular-season home games, at 4,006. . . . Brandon was 3-for-8 on the PP; the Tigers were 2-for-6. . . .
In Red Deer, F Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had two goals and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oil Kings. . . . Nugent-Hopkins broke a 3-3 tie with two third-period goals, at 14:25 and 15:31. . . . Kevin Lowe, the president of the NHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings, who will have an early pick in June’s draft, was in the house. . . . F Josh Cowen (broken hand) returned to the Rebels’ lineup. He had been out since Feb. 19 when he was injured in a game against the visiting Kamloops Blazers. D Josh Caron, who was penalized for checking from behind on the play, served a three-game suspension. . . . Attendance was 5,568. . . .
In Kelowna, F Geordie Wudrick broke a 1-1 tie at 7:24 of the third period and the Rockets went on to a 4-1 victory over the Prince George Cougars. . . . F Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan had two goals for the Rockets, the last one into an empty net. . . . The Rockets were 2-for-7 on the PP; the Cougars were 0-for-2. . . . Prince George F Brett Connolly left early in the first period with an apparent arm injury and didn’t return. . . . The Cougars were penalized for delay of game on three occasions, each time for shooting the puck out of play from the defensive zone. . . . Attendance was 6,059. . . .
In Chilliwack, F Darren Kramer scored twice, including the winner at 10:00 of OT, as the Spokane Chiefs beat the Bruins, 3-2. . . . Kramer, who had seven goals and 306 penalty minutes in 68 regular-seaosn games, is a 19-year-old from Peace River, Alta. . . . He also drew an assist on F Tyler Johnson’s goal that tied the game 2-2 at 3:45 of the third. . . . . This was Kramer’s first multi-point WHL game. . . . Chilliwack G Lucas Gore stopped 60 shots, while James Reid of the Chiefs turned aside 22. . . . Attendance was 2,962. . . . The start of the overtime period was delayed almost 15 minutes due to technical problems in the video review booth. . . . The Chiefs go in as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed and with home-ice advantage in the first round. But they had to open on the road because there is an NCAA women’s basketball regional tournament being played in their home arena this weekend. . . . The series will follow a 2-3-1-1 format. . . .
In Kennewick, Wash., F Carter Ashton scored with 2.2 seconds left in the first OT period to give the Tri-City Americans a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Giants. . . . Ashton, on the power play, directed the puck toward the Vancouver net out of a corner and it had glance off G Mark Segal and into the net. . . . Vancouver F Andrej Stastny was off for tripping at the time. . . . F Brendan Rowinski gave the Giants a 1-0 lead with a PP goal at 17:39 of the first period. . . . F David Conrad tied it at 7:55 of the third. . . . Attendance was 3,406. . . . Segal stopped 44 shots, 19 more than Tri-City’s Drew Owsley. . . . The Giants were without F James Henry (knee) and he isn’t expected to play in Game 2. F Michael Burns (concussion) and D Tyler Hart (shoulder) were back in Vancouver’s lineup. . . . The Americans remain without F Adam Hughesman (knee), who had 39 goals.
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D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets has signed a three-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche, which selected him in the third round of the 2009 NHL draft. According to capgeek.com, Barrie’s AHL salary would be US$67,500 for each of three seasons, with NHL salaries of $615,000, $690,000 and $840,000. He got a $270,000 signing bonus, payable over three years.
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JUST NOTES: The Kamloops Blazers have extended the contracts of Matt Recchi, their director of player personnel, and head scout Ken Fox. Lengths of the extensions weren’t announced. Both men have been with the Blazers since July 2008. Recchi works out of Kamloops, while Fox lives in Holdfast, Sask. . . Former WHL G Jacob DeSerres (Seattle, Brandon, 2005-10) stopped 19 shots as his Saint John Sea Dogs opened the QMJHL playoffs with a 10-0 victory over the visiting Cape Breton Screaming Eagles on Friday night. . . . Laury Ryan has announced his resignation after eight seasons as president of the Saskatchewan junior league. The league now is accepting applications as it searches for a replacement. . . .
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Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun went to an OHL playoff game in Mississauga on Thursday night. He wasn’t impressed, which makes one wonder what is in store for the Memorial Cup that is to be played there in May. In fact, after reading this one wonders if Buffery’s ex-wife will get the Memorial Cup tickets. Buffery’s piece is right here.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca

     

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Taking Note on Twitter

Blazers no match for Dirty Harry and Co.

By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
When the chips were down Wednesday night, the Kamloops Blazers reverted to, well, the Kamloops Blazers.
The Blazers took a 2-1 lead into the third period, ran into penalty problems, gave up three power-play goals and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Kelowna Rockets in a WHL game played before 3,746 fans.
That is the smallest regular-season crowd ever to watch the Rockets play at Interior Savings Centre and the 11th-smallest regular-season crowd in the facility's history.
The Rockets (6-10-0) won for the second night in a row; they beat the visiting Prince George Cougars 6-2 on Tuesday.
The Blazers (8-8-1) had won four of five, including a 3-2 overtime victory over the visiting Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday.
“We found a way to beat Seattle,” Kamloops head coach Guy Charron said. “We kept plugging away.
“I think we had ample opportunities to be successful tonight but it wasn't enough. . . . I wasn't pleased with the level of competing. We need more effort from everybody to be more successful.
“At the end of the day, your best players have to be your best players. Tonight, I thought their best players were their best players.”
Still, the Blazers took a 2-1 lead into the third period against a Kelowna team they had beaten 5-4 on the road on Oct. 13.
In the second intermission, Charron said, the Blazers talked about what they needed to do. They wanted to stay away from bad penalties and turnovers, and to get the puck in deep.
“We all know what we need to do,” Charron said, “but when we're out there we don't do it.”
Two minutes into the period, winger Bernhard Keil took an interference call when he hit Kelowna forward Geordie Wudrick from behind. Defenceman Damon Severson promptly scored his first WHL goal on the power play.
Seven minutes later, Kamloops defenceman Brady Gaudet was sent off for tripping and power forward Mitchell (Dirty Harry) Callahan struck on the power play.
Moments prior to the goal, Kamloops forward Shayne Neigum had slashed defenceman Tyson Barrie. So the Rockets were presented with another power-play opportunity.
This time it was centre Shane McColgan beating goaltender Jeff Bosch, who finished with 27 saves.
Just like that the Blazers' 2-1 lead had turned into a 4-2 deficit.
“Whether Keil deserved a penaty or not, he still put himself (in that position),” Charron said. “The penalty to Neigum . . . he's killing a penalty, he's already been out there too long and then he ends up getting a slashing (penalty).
“The discipline of our players is the identity of how they are as players. We have to learn, we have to . . . I don't know what else to say.”
The bottom line is that the Blazers got outworked. As the game wore on, the Rockets simply gave them a lesson in how to win by working.
“We don't want to take steps back, that's the most important thing,” Kelowna head coach Ryan Huska said. “I liked our effort the last two games.
“Our power play has come to play for us the last little while, too. I think that's just guys settling down, making plays when they're there and capitalizing on the chances.”
Last night, it was the Rockets' best players doing the capitalizing.
Callahan had a goal and three assists, all in the third period, giving him eight points in two games. McColgan finished with a goal and two assists, and Barrie had two assists.
“He's been our best player all season,” Huska said of Callahan, who has 18 points in 16 games after a sophomore season in which he finished with 47 points and 165 penalty minutes in 72 games. “Every night he's been the same way. He's getting rewarded. He's a guy with good skill. He's been in four fights. He's still doing everything we're asking him to do. He's killing penalties and turning into one of our key faceoff guys.
“I wish I had 20 more of him.”
Huska, of course, played four WHL seasons with the Blazers, putting up 162 points in 247 games. Asked if he ever had eight points over two games, he laughed and said: “Gawd, no!”
Callahan, who has signed with the Detroit Red Wings who took him in the sixth round of the NHL’s 2009 draft, said it was a case of the Rockets gunning for two victories in as many nights.
“The momentum from (Tuesday) carried over,” said the 19-year-old from Whittier, Calif., as he flashed a Bobby Clarke-type grin. “We stuck to our systems, stuck to our structure. We stayed with the little things we need to do to win hockey games. It was a greasy road game.”
He also pointed out that they got a solid effort from goaltender Adam Brown, who made 37 saves in what was his 100th WHL game.
“He's been fantastic lately,” Callahan said. “The last couple of games he has stood on his head. He's been maybe the best player on our team so far.”
According to Huska one of the keys to improved play for his guys is that Barrie, who last season was named the WHL’s top defenceman, is just now getting back to form after an early-season hamstring injury.
“Tyson has been the big thing,” said Huska, who added that he saw some rust in Barrie’s game when he first returned. “The last couple of games he has started to look more comfortable. That’s been a big difference in how our group has been.”
Forward Colton Heffley, playing his second game since joining the Rockets from the midget AAA Swift Current Legionnaires, scored his first WHL goal in the second period, while Kelowna got its other goal, an empty-netter,  from winger Brett Bulmer.
Winger Chase Souto, with his first WHL goal, and defenceman Austin Madaisky replied for the Blazers.
The Rockets, who got off to a tough start, and that’s putting it mildly, are two games into a stretch where they will play four B.C. Division teams over four nights.
“This is huge for us,” Callahan said. “We’re last in the conference and these division games are huge for us. As a team we know we have to step up. It’s four games in five nights but we’re preparing ourselves well.”
The Rockets will meet the Giants in Vancouver on Friday night and then return home to face the Chilliwack Bruins on Saturday.
JUST NOTES: Referees Jeff Ingram and Andy Thiessen gave each team seven minor penalties. . . . Kelowna was 3-for-5 on the power play; the Blazers were 0-for-5. . . . The Daily News Three Stars: 1. Callahan: He owned crunch time; 2. D Kevin Smith, Kelowna: A solid night; 3. F JT Barnett, Kamloops: Created chances. . . . The Rockets play Friday in Vancouver against the Giants. . . . The Blazers leave this morning for Calgary, where they play the Hitmen on Friday. The Blazers then move on to Lethbridge for a Saturday game with the Hurricanes. . . . Kamloops is back home Nov. 13 to face the Rockets. . . . The Blazers are getting geared up for their annual game against the local Special Olympics floor hockey team. It is set for Nov. 15, 7 p.m., at Brocklehurst Secondary. Fans are encouraged to attend and donations to Special Olympics are appreciated.

gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
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Monday . . .

THE MacBETH REPORT:
F Aki Kangasmäki (Chilliwack, 2006-07) has been assigned on loan to Hokki Kajaani (Finland Mestis) by Lukko Rauma (Finland SM-Liiga). The loan agreement is indefinite and Kangasmäki can be recalled at any time. He had nine goals and three assists in 13 games with Hokki and 19 goals and 20 assists in 32 games with Lukko A-Juniors (Finland A-Junior SM-Liiga) last season.
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OK, let the rumours begin.
The Kootenay Ice has issued a press release revealing that season-ticket sales “are the lowest since the Cranbrook Recreation Complex opened in October 2000.”
How low are they?
The Ice says it has sold 1,726 season tickets, down 307 from last season’s final total. Prior to this, the lowest totals were 1,946 (2003-04).
The highest total was 2,429, in 2002-03.
“Obviously,” Jeff Chynoweth, the club’s president and general manager, said in the release, “we are very concerned with the decrease in season-ticket sales for the upcoming year. Season-ticket holders are the lifeline of every organization and to see this big of a decrease is alarming.
“When we signed the new 15-year lease agreement (in January 2009), we reduced our season-ticket prices to the lowest levels since the club relocated to Cranbrook in 1998. For the upcoming season the new HST is included in all ticket sales. Early bird season tickets were subject to the HST, but our organization absorbed the cost instead of raising the price. All other tickets (regular-season, flex paks, walk-ups) are now increased to account for the HST.
“Despite our consistent record on the ice during the past 10 years in the Rec Plex our average attendance continues to decline at a rapid rate, but the one constant until this season has always been a very strong season-ticket base. With the home-opener less than three weeks away, we need to have a real push with our season-ticket numbers to reach the levels we expect.”
Last season, according to mib.org, the Ice averagedd 2,807 fans per game, a decrease of 263 a game. That was down 8.6 per cent from 2008-09.
It seems that every season there is chatter that the Kootenay franchise is on thin ice in Cranbrook. This comes despite the fact that the Ice has won at least 35 games in six straight seasons and at least 42 in five of those six seasons.
Hello, Victoria . . .
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The owners of the Tri-City Americans have extended Bob Tory’s contract through May 2015. Tory is the club’s governor and general manager. He also is part of the ownership group, along with former players Stu Barnes and Olaf Kolzig, and alternate governor Dennis Loman. . . . Tory is into his 10th season with the Americans and has twice been the WHL’s executive of the year.
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The Swift Current Broncos have re-assigned D Tanner Clark and D Nathan Zimbaluk, both of whom are 17. Clark returns to the SJHL’s Humboldt Broncos, while Zimbaluk will play for either the midget AAA Tisdale Trojans, with whom he played last season, or the SJHL’s Estevan Bruins.
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Kevin Prendergast, a former assistant GM and vice-president of hockey operations with the NHL‘s Edmonton Oilers, is the new head scout with Hockey Canada. He spent seven seasons with NHL Central Scouting and was with the Oilers for 20 seasons before they dropped him over the summer. He will be the main bird dog for Canada’s national junior team, as well as the under-18 and under-17 programs. . . . He takes over from Al Murray, who left to join the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning as director of amateur scouting. Murray was with Hockey Canada for three years.
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The Red Deer Rebels have dropped D Nick Bell, 20, from their roster. He had 13 points in 32 games last season. . . . The Rebels now have six 20-year-olds on their roster — D Colin Archer, G Kraymer Barnstable, F Brett Ferguson and D Brad Haber are with the Rebels, while F Willie Coetzee (Detroit Red Wings) and G Darcy Kuemper (Minnesota Wild) are in NHL camps. . . . All WHL teams have to be down to a maximum of three 20-year-olds by Oct. 14. . . . Interestingly, Bell got to play his final game with the Rebels in his hometown of Innisfail, Alta. He had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 exhibition victory over the Calgary Hitmen on Saturday.
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The Central league’s Texas Brahmas have signed D Steven Later (Saskatoon, Prince George, Brandon, 2002-05). He had 25 points in 33 games with the Central league’s Corpus Christi IceRays last season. In 237 pro games, he has 950 penalty minutes.
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G Liam (Sonny) Liston, who has been bothered by a hamstring problem, was back on the ice with the Brandon Wheat Kings on Monday. He didn’t take part in a full practice but at least he’s skating again. . . . Rob Henderson of the Brandon Sun reports that Wheat Kings D Darren Bestland didn’t skate. He’s got a sore neck after a hit in a Saturday game but doesn’t have a concussion. . . . Meanwhile, F Paul Ciarelli is out with a shoulder injury suffered in a Friday game.
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F Brayden Schenn of the Brandon Wheat Kings remains in Los Angeles but has yet to receive medical clearance to return to the ice. He suffered some kind of knee injury with the Wheat Kings last week and flew to Los Angeles late in the week. An MRI didn’t show any structural damage. “This is just kinda shooting on the goalies, not doing a whole lot, just kinda take it easy,” Schenn told kings.nhl.com. “Just wanted to see how it feels and I still gotta get cleared by the doctor before I do anything too crazy.” . . . It’s possible that Schenn will skip all of the Kings’ rookie camp and not skate until main camp opens Saturday.
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Matthew Gourlie of the Moose Jaw Times-Herald reports that Warriors D Dallas Ehrhardt suffered an injury to his right knee injury Sunday while with the Edmonton Oilers’ prospects team in Penticton, B.C. “I talked with Edmonton (Monday),” Warriors head coach Dave Hunchak told Gourlie. “It’s a strained knee and they’re not sure of the extent of the injury yet.” Ehrhardt, 18, is expected to fly to Edmonton with the Oilers prospects on Wednesday, after which he’ll have an MRI. Erhardt missed a chunk of last season with a torn MCL in his right knee. That injury occurred while he was with the Brandon Wheat Kings, before he was dealt to the Warriors.
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The Vancouver Giants have released F Clarke Breitkreuz, 17, and shipped out D Blake Orban, 16, and F Scott Cooke, 16. Breitkreuz was a free agent, while the other two were 2009 bantam draft picks. . . . The end result is that the Giants are down to 29 players, including F Anthony Ast, a first-round pick in the 2010 bantam draft. It also includes three injured veterans — F Nathan Burns (knee), D Zach Hodder (shoulder) and F Connor Redmond (shoulder) — and F Craig Cunningham, 20, who still may end up in the Boston Bruins’ organization. . . . The Giants conclude their exhibition schedule in Ladner, B.C., against the Everett Silvertips on Saturday. . . . Steve Ewen of the Province, who has a good look at the roster at The Dub Hub, notes that D Brent Henke, 20, who was released by the Giants last week, now is with the AJHL’s Spruce Grove Saints. . . . Ewen also reports that F R.J. Reed suffered a rib injury on the weekend and may be out for a week.
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D Tyson Barrie of the Kelowna Rockets will remain in Kelowna at least for now, meaning his hamstring injury will keep him from attending training camp with the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche. Barrie was a third-round pick by the Avs in the NHL’s 2009 draft. . . . Barrie suffered a partially torn hamstring in a scrimmage and, according to head coach Ryan Huska, will remain in Kelowna to rehab the injury. . . . Huska, who was on Dan Russell’s SportsTalk show on Vancouver radio station CKNW on Monday night, also said that C Shane McColgan will be having his tonsils removed. McColgan, who has had tonsil problems since last season, returned home to Manhattan Beach, Calif., last week. . . . Barrie, the WHL’s top defenceman last season, and McColgan were the Rockets’ top two scorers last season.
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