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scamperdog
03-15-2007, 06:31 PM
03/15/07 - T-Birds Get Past Blazers (Kamloops Daily News)

Daily News Sports Reporter www.blazerhockey.com

The Seattle Thunderbirds broke a 1-1 tie with two quick third-period goals and went on to score a 3-2 WHL victory over the visiting Kamloops Blazers 3-2 on Wednesday night.

The loss ran the Blazers' recent road record to 0-9-2-0. They haven't won on the road since beating Seattle 3-2 on Jan. 24. The Thunderbirds, meanwhile, won for the 13th time in 14 games.

Right-winger Prab Rai, whom Seattle acquired from the Prince George Cougars, scored his side's first and third goals, giving him seven goals this season.

Defenceman Thomas Hickey broke a 1-1 tie at 10:18 of the third, picking off a pass up the middle of the Kamloops zone by defenceman Ryan White and beating goaltender Dustin Butler, who finished with 23 saves.

Winger Matt Kassian and centre Brock Nixon replied for the Blazers, who managed 15 shots - five each period - on Seattle goaltender Derek Yeomans.

"That's two good games in a row for Butler," Dean Clark, the Blazers' general manager and head coach, said. "So that's a positive sign." Clark also was pleased with the work of Terrance Delaronde, Brady Mason and Sasha Golin, who played as a line and blanked Seattle centre Aaron Gagnon.

The Blazers lost defenceman Ray Macias with an undisclosed injury in the second period. He is to be assessed upon the team's return home today.

"It doesn't appear serious," Clark said, "but we should know more (today)." The Blazers conclude their regular season with two more road games - in Kelowna against the Rockets on Friday and in Chilliwack versus the Bruins on Saturday.

The Bruins, in their first WHL season, earned a playoff spot last night with a 5-3 victory over the visiting Spokane Chiefs. That means the Rockets won't appear in the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.

JUST NOTES: C Reid Jorgensen returned to the Blazers' lineup after missing 10 games. He had elbow surgery Feb. 23. . . Each team was 0-for-6 on the power play. . . . Kamloops scratched LW Alex Rodgers (shoulder), RW Juuso Puustinen (flu) and D Kevin Kraus. . . . Blazers RW Tyler Shattock finally has back his equipment that went missing after the Canada Winter Games. It seems organizers sent his gear to the folks who billet Tri-City Americans D Tyler Schmidt. That would be in Kennewick, Wash.