Blazers box

THE SCORE
Vancouver 6, Kamloops 1
WHAT HAPPENED
The Blazers had the first four shots on goal, but gave up a PP goal early in the first period and were never in it after that as the machine that is the Giants rolled over them.

THE STANDINGS
The Blazers (11-14-0-3) are sixth in the 10-team Western Conference, four points behind the fifth-place Everett Silvertips. Kamloops trails first-place Vancouver (20-1-0-3) by 18 points.

THE BOUT
Kamloops D Brandon Underwood and Vancouver LW Todd Kennedy both landed some bombs in a short second-period scrap. It ended with Kennedy ruffling Underwood’s hair and skating away.

THE CENTRE
Kamloops C C.J. Stretch, 19, had one assist in the two-game set. He has 30 points in 28 games. Last season, in 65 games, he totaled 28 points. In 2006-07, he finished with 36 points in 72 games.

THE SCORER
Vancouver C Evander Kane, who went into the weekend as the WHL’s leading point-getter, with 37, missed his third straight game with a bruised heel. Calgary Hitmen F Brett Sonne and two Kelowna Rockets – C Colin Long and LW Jamie Benn – now lead with 39 points, one more than Vancouver C Casey Pierro-Zabotel.

THE BIG SMOKE
The Blazers lost 6-4 to the Giants in Vancouver on Friday. Over the last five seasons, the Giants are 16-1-0-3 against Kamloops at Pacific Coliseum.

THE NUMBERS
The Giants (20-1-0-3) are off to the best start in franchise history. They opened 20-2-0-2 in 2006-07. . . . Vancouver is 10-1-0-1 on the road. . . . The Giants have won their last six games.

THE COACH
The weekend sweep gave Vancouver head coach Don Hay 408 WHL victories. He is ninth on the all-time list, three shy of Marcel Comeau.

THE ATTENDANCE
The crowd count Saturday was 4,826, the second-largest crowd this season, behind only the 5,087 of opening night. After 17 home games, the Blazers’ average paid attendance is 4,153; at the same point last season, the average was 4,523.

THE DAILY NEWS
THREE STARS
1. D Jon Blum, Vancouver. A man among boys.

2. C Casey Pierro-Zabotel, Vancouver. Three assists.

3. C James Henry, Vancouver. Around the puck a lot.

NEXT UP
Former Blazers D Victor Bartley brings his Regina Pats to town for a Friday night engagement. Game time is 7 p.m.