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scamperdog
03-20-2009, 10:53 AM
Do miracles happen? Maybe yes, maybe no, in the case of this series I would have to say say it is a big NO. For what ever reason the Blazers have stunk the joint out in each and every game against the Rockets, For me it has got to a point that when the Blazers get a penelty, I just look at the clock and guess how long it will be for the Rockets to score, and yes it has been that bad, I would like to see the upset but this team has it in there heads now that Kelowna will win and that I don't see changing anytime soon. so I will say Kelowna in four, unless there is a miracle? Boogaard'd

scamperdog
03-20-2009, 10:55 AM
By GREGG DRINNAN
Daily News Sports Editor
Whatever Kamloops did, or didn’t do, against the Kelowna Rockets in the WHL’s regular season, the Blazers know they are going to have to do something else starting tonight.
The Blazers, who lost all nine regular-season meetings with the Rockets, open a first-round best-of-seven playoff series tonight in Kelowna. The Blazers are the Western Conference’s sixth seed, while the Rockets are No. 3.
Game 2 is scheduled for Kelowna on Saturday, with Games 3 and 4 at Interior Savings Centre on Tuesday and Wednesday. Starting time for all games in the series will be 7 p.m.
To most observers, this matchup is not unlike that of the pesky mosquito and the elephant. Except that the mosquito may have inflicted more pain on Dumbo than the Blazers have on the Rockets.
Rarely have two teams seemed so mismatched to begin a playoff series.
The Blazers earned one point from nine head-to-head meetings, that from a 4-3 shootout loss in Kelowna on Dec. 27. The Rockets outscored the Blazers 49-18. Kelowna’s power play operated at a 31.3 per cent success rate as it accounted for 21 goals in the nine games. The Blazers were at 13.2 per cent with the man advantage, scoring seven times. In eight of those games, the Rockets scored two or more PP goals.
The last time these teams met in Kamloops, on March 13, the Rockets outshot the Blazers 16-0 in the first period en route to a 6-4 victory. One night later in Kelowna, the Rockets concluded the season series with a 7-1 victory.
And on and on it goes.
The Blazers are aware of the numbers and know they have to ignore them.
“Nine (losses) in nine games, or whatever,” Kamloops head coach Barry Smith said Thursday evening. “But it doesn’t mean a thing in the playoffs. And that’s been our take on it all the time.”
They also are thankful for a second opportunity to prove themselves against a team that not that long ago was their most despised rival.
“The guys are really excited,” Smith said. “It’s been great that it’s spring break because the players can focus solely on the hockey part of it and buy into what’s going on and not have to worry about school and all the other things.”
Coming off those aforementioned two losses to the Rockets, the Blazers certainly know what they need to do.
Smith said the Blazers spent the first couple of days this week working on “lots of physical stuff . . . (defensive) zone coverage, down-low battles.” They then moved on to “more of a flow and special teams.”
“That’s how we went about it,” Smith said, “to tune everything up that we needed to coming into the playoffs.”
Smith wouldn’t go any further in explaining his strategy going into the series.
“I’m not going to say what we’re going to do,” he said, with a laugh. “Obviously, we’ve got to bring our compete level and our work level up.”
At the same time, Smith acknowledges that the Rockets are full value for having won all nine games between the teams.
“They’ve played great against us,” Smith said. “I don’t think we’ve ever played close to where we can play. But good teams make you play bad. From our standpoint, we haven’t played very well . . . we’ve had some stinkers there.”
Smith also is well aware that there are times when a team just doesn’t match up well against another team.
“Sometimes a team matches up so well against you that it doesn’t matter what you do,” he said, “whether they’re a first-place team or a last-place team. I’ve seen it.
“You’ve got to find a way to get through it. Sometimes it’s mental, sometimes it’s playing the game better.”
In this case, Smith doesn’t think his team has a mental block.
“I don’t think it’s really mental. I really don’t,” he said. “If I thought it was, I would have addressed it more.”
One thing the Blazers can’t do is get behind early. That’s what happened here on March 13 and before they knew it they had been outshot 16-0 and were down 3-0.
“Obviously, that part of it is mental,” Smith said. “We throw one over the glass, they scored. . . . Oh gawd, here it goes.”
That doesn’t mean the Blazers are any more focused on tonight’s start than they were a week ago.
“Every team focuses on a good start,” he said. “Are we putting that as the be-all and end-all? No. We’ve focused on (sticking) to what our game plan is. . . . If we do that, the good start is going to come with it.”
JUST NOTES: G Justin Leclerc will start in goal tonight for Kamloops, with the Rockets going with Mark Guggenberger. Against the Rockets, Leclerc was 0-6-0-1, 5.39, .853. Guggenberger, a January addition from the Swift Current Broncos, was 3-0-0-0, 2.25, .887 against Kamloops. . . . RW Jimmy Bubnick has seven points in nine games against Kelowna. On the other side, C Colin Long has 16 points against the Blazers. Kelowna C Ian Duval, who was acquired at the trade deadline, has played three games against Kamloops and has an amazing 10 points. . . . The Blazers will have three healthy scratches. Smith said he has decided on them, but won’t announce them until sometime today. . . . Kelowna LW Lucas Bloodoff skated Thursday but RW Mikael Backlund didn’t. Both players were injured in Kamloops on March 13 and haven’t played since. . . . A year ago, the Rockets finished fifth in the Western Conference and lost a first-round series in seven games to the Seattle Thunderbirds. The Blazers, meanwhile, finished eighth and were swept by the Tri-City Americans. . . . Kamloops hasn’t been out of the first round since the spring of 1999. Since then, the Blazers have lost in the first round eight times and have been swept five times, including by the Rockets in 2001-02. . . . Kamloops is 5-32 in playoff games since appearing in the WHL’s championship final in 1999. . . . Since then, the Rockets are 64-41 with three Memorial Cup appearances and one championship.
gdrinnan@kamloopsnews.ca
gdrinnan.blogspot.com

scamperdog
03-20-2009, 10:58 AM
This is Mark Guggenberger‘s time to shine. Problem is, he‘s never had to polish his game in the post-season before.
The WHL‘s second season begins tonight, and the Kelowna Rockets and Kamloops Blazers begin their best-of-seven series with Game 1 at Prospera Place. Guggenberger will be Kelowna‘s starting goaltender, though the 20-year-old has never played in the post-season before.
This, however, isn‘t news to the Rockets, who acquired the 6-foot-2 ‘keeper from the Swift Current Broncos at the Jan. 10 trade deadline. When Kelowna brought in Guggenberger, they knew all his stats. Like how this was his second season; Kelowna would be his third team; how many games he played in (38 over 1-1/2 seasons); and zero playoff experience. But despite that big, fat zero, the Rockets liked what they saw and gambled on Guggenberger.
“I know he‘s excited and I know this is something he‘s been looking forward to for quite some time,” Rockets goaltender coach Kim Dillabaugh said of Guggenberger, who is 17-3-1-2 since joining the Rockets. “We‘re expecting him to play a big role for us in the playoffs, just like he has since he‘s come in.”
“He was brought here to be consistent for us down the stretch,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska. “Mark showed us that, and he deserves a chance to run with things and be a difference for us in these playoffs.”
As for Guggenberger, the product of Richfield, Minn., is understandably excited.
“No, I haven‘t played in a playoff game before, but I‘m definitely excited for the opportunity,” said Guggenberger, who still has one season of junior eligibility left and will likely be the Rockets‘ No. 1 ‘stopper for 2009-10. “I was brought into a contending team and I get the chance to start.
“There‘s obvious pressure – we‘re the higher seed going into the matchup – but we have to keep a level head and approach every game as if it‘s our last.”
Guggenberger finished the regular season with a record of 29-14-1-2 plus a goals-against average of 2.41 and a save percentage of .915. League-wise, he was sixth in goals-against and fourth in save percentage. Notably, Dustin Tokarski of the Spokane Chiefs was first in both categories (.937, 1.97).
“This is the time of season where we need him to be solid, and we can‘t allow those soft goals to happen,” said Dillabaugh, who‘s also a goaltender consultant for the Los Angeles Kings. “Those soft goals do happen from time to time, but I think he‘s done a good job lately of eliminating those from his game.
“I‘m sure he‘s excited and nervous. Anytime you go into the playoffs, there definitely are some nerves going, but he‘s more excited than anything to just go out and play.”
ICE CHIPS: While Guggenberger may have no playoff stats, he does have some playoff experience. Last season with Swift Current, Guggenberger watched No. 1 netminder Travis Yonkman go 6-6 in 12 playoff games with the Broncos. . . . Swift Current beat Regina 4-2 in the first round, then fell 4-2 to Calgary in the second round. . . . Guggenberger started 2007-08 with Portland, but was shipped to Swift Current at the trade deadline. He made three appearances with Portland. . . . With Swift Current, he played 11 games in 2007-08, then 24 this season before going to Kelowna. . . . At Thursday‘s practice, Guggenberger was heartily cheering on backup Adam Brown during a shooting drill, yelling “Attaboy, Brown Cow!”


www.kelownadailycourier.ca

scamperdog
03-20-2009, 11:00 AM
By Doyle Potenteau
Friday, March 20, 2009


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Lucas Bloodoff was there. Mikael Backlund wasn‘t.
Earlier this week, the Kelowna Rockets sat out Bloodoff and Backlund for the team‘s final two regular-season games, saying they needed time to rest some minor bumps and bruises. At Thursday‘s practice, though, it appears Backlund needs more time to heal, for he didn‘t skate, while Bloodoff suited up for the spirited 90-minute affair.
Backlund was hurt in Saturday‘s 6-4 win at Kamloops, when 6-foot-3 Blazers blue-liner Zak Stebner made a clean hit on the Swedish forward at 14 minutes of the first period.
Bloodoff was also injured in that game, sliding into the end boards after getting tripped.
But while Bloodoff has recovered, it appears Backlund hasn‘t from his undisclosed injury. And with Game 1 of the Rockets and Blazers first-round series going tonight, it‘s unlikely Backlund will be playing.
As a rule of thumb, the Rockets don‘t play players who haven‘t skated the day before.
The last WHL injury report was issued March 10, and is well out of date.
In 28 games since joining Kelowna after the 2009 world junior hockey championship, the 6-foot-1 centre from Sweden has registered 12 goals and 30 points.
“We‘re still . . . it‘s a day-to-day type thing. Nothing really changes at this time of the season,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska, who wouldn‘t confirm Backlund‘s injury, other than to jokingly call it a “body injury.”
While Kelowna‘s tight-lipped coach wouldn‘t reveal more, he expects his players to be on edge, at least temporarily, for tonight‘s Game 1. The Rockets enter the best-of-seven series as the favoured team, having bested the Blazers 9-0 in their season series while also earning the No. 3 seed in Western Conference standings. The Blazers finished sixth.
“They are, they‘re excited and anxious,” said Huska. “I think there‘ll be a little nervous energy in the building, but that‘s to be expected. Their big challenge is to be able to handle and manage it, and use it to their advantage.”
ICE CHIPS: The Rockets have called up LW Brett Bulmer of the B.C. Major Midget League‘s Cariboo Cougars. The Cougars had their season end last week after falling to the Greater Vancouver Canadians in semifinal playoff action. The Canadians won the best-of-three series 2-1. . . . A 6-1 forward, Bulmer finished second in BCMML regular-season scoring with 28 goals and 63 points in 36 games. Taking first was Red Deer Rebels draft pick Ryan Nugent-Hopkins of the Vancouver Northwest Giants (40-47-87). . . . Bulmer has been called up before, and has played in three games this season.
www.kelownadailycourier.ca

scamperdog
03-21-2009, 04:59 PM
www.kelownadailycourier.com

By Doyle Potenteau
The Okanagan Saturday

Tabbed as a new beginning for Kamloops, nothing new changed in the Kelowna Rockets‘ season-long mastery of the Blazers.
Jamie Benn had three assists for Kelowna, and Kamloops once again imploded with penalties, as the Rockets defeated the Blazers 4-2 in WHL playoff action on Friday night. Kelowna now leads the best-of-seven series 1-0.
The Rockets also lead the season series 10-0 – thanks to the Blazers‘ inability to stop taking penalties. On Friday, the Rockets cashed in two power-play goals in the second period, and that was the difference.
“I don‘t know the stats, but I think we‘re the most penalized team in the league,” said Blazers goaltender Justin Leclerc, who was correct in his assumption. “Kelowna has a great power play , and we need to stay more disciplined. And our power play has to do a better job as well – we had some chances in the first period, and we didn‘t put them away.
“But we did break down in the second, and we took a ton of penalties. We have to stay focused for 60 minutes and stay out of the (penalty) box.”
Stepan Novotny, Tyler Myers, Tyson Barrie and Colin Long scored for Kelowna. The first-round affair continues tonight with Game 2, 7 p.m., at Prospera Place in Kelowna. Scott Wasden of West Kelowna and Kenton Dulle replied for the Blazers, who led 1-0 after the first, but trailed 3-1 after two. Kamloops hasn‘t advanced past the first round since 1998-99, when the Blazers went to the league final.
Mark Guggenberger made 20 saves for the Rockets, while Leclerc turned aside 30 shots for the Blazers.
Wasden opened Friday‘s scoring midway through the first period, burying a Brendan Ranford shot from the slot that Guggenberger mishandled and dropped blocker-side. Wasden swooped in and knocked home the rebound to give the Blazers a somewhat surprising 1-0 lead. Somewhat because Kamloops had three two-on-one breaks in the frame, and was simply the better team, as the Blazers outworked and outplayed the Rockets.
“We were nervous,” said Rockets head coach Ryan Huska, whose team is heavily favoured to beat the Blazers. “When Kamloops scored early, I thought we tried to do things individually. In the second period, we settled down and started playing better.
“But we had a tougher time because they played hard tonight and they were difficult to play against.”
In between the first and second, Huska told his crew to relax and loosen up, and that they didn‘t have to get everything back in one shift. It worked, as the Rockets lit the lamp three times, including two power-play goals, to take a commanding 3-1 lead.
“Yeah, we had some nerves early on,” admitted Benn, who made a handful of solo goal-scoring efforts, but was constantly foiled by Kamloops‘ defence. “But we got them out of our system, and we played pretty good in the second and third.”
At 2:28, Novotny levelled the score after pressure by Kelowna. Partially parked behind Kamloops‘ net, Ian Duval passed out front and Novotny quickly slid the puck under Leclerc. Then, eight minutes later, Myers made it 2-1 with a power-play marker, faking a big slapshot then skating in and ripping it home.
“When I wound up, I saw about four guys go down,” Myers said of his game-changing goal. “So I figured I‘d take a step to the right and get the puck on net. Luckily, it went in.”
Barrie put Kelowna ahead 3-1 at 14:23 with another power-play tally. Benn circled around Kamloops‘ net, then dished off to Barrie, who snapped it home. Both teams were also denied good scoring chances, with the Blazers sweeping away a Myers point shot that squeaked by Leclerc, and Guggenberger making a big left pad save on an in-tight shot by Tyler Shattock.
“They have a great squad on the power play, and we can‘t give them that many opportunities,” said Blazers defenceman Giffen Nyren, who had a good game for Kamloops. “It‘ll be the same game plan for us (tonight). We need to play our game and focus on having a better second period.”
In the third, Barrie set up Kelowna‘s fourth goal with an against-the-grain pass that caught the Blazers off guard. Circling with the puck at the left faceoff circle, Barrie dished off to Long at the right post, and a simple tap-in into a half-empty net made it 4-1. The Blazers, however, responded at 8:30 with a power-play goal by Dulle after a series of nice passes and great puck movement.
The game ended on a rough note, with a small fracas taking place in the Rockets‘ right cornerboards and several players throwing punches in a tight scrum. Among those jawing and getting a good hate-on were Shattock and Kelowna‘s Cody Almond.
“It‘s playoff hockey,” said Huska. “At the end of games, if you can send a message, or try to get something ready for the next night, that‘s what happens. It‘s not anything new, it‘s just playoff hockey.”
ICE CHIPS: Kelowna‘s scratches were RW Kyle St. Denis (concussion, one week) and C Mikael Backlund (undisclosed, upper-body injury). Kamloops‘ scratches were D Brandon Underwood, LW Brett Lyon and RW Cole Grbavac. . . . Kelowna was 2-for-7 on the power play; Kamloops was 1-for-6. . . . The three stars were all Rockets: Myers, Benn and Long. . . . Friday‘s attendance was 5,123, well below the sellout total of 6,007. According to the Rockets, the result ended Kelowna‘s sellout streak of 174 consecutive games. . . . In related news, the Windsor Spitfires rallied from a 4-1 first-period deficit to defeat the Owen Sound Attack 7-5 in OHL playoff action on Friday night. The Spitfires (57-10-0-1) outshot the Attack 71-31. Owen Sound goalie Scott Stajcer made 64 saves and picked up third-star honours.