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Thread: Blazers win Classic

  1. #1
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    Icon32 Blazers win Classic

    By GREGG DRINNAN www.blazerhockey.com
    Daily News Sports Editor

    The mausoleum on Lorne Street was rocking Friday night and it had nothing to do with beer sales or the waft of anything left over from the previous night's visit by the Trailer Park Boys.

    No, this all had to do with the Kamloops Blazers and Vancouver Giants, who met with first place in the WHL's B.C. Division on the line.

    The Blazers came out on top, 2-1 in a shootout, in front of 5,761 well-entertained fans. It was a game that was everything it was supposed to be - fast-paced, physical, cleanly played and well-officiated by referee Rob Matsouka.

    When the night was done the Blazers (34-13-1-1) had sole possession of first place for the first time this season, thanks to their fifth straight victory over Vancouver. This morning, Kamloops is one point ahead of the Giants (30-11-3-6).

    The Giants are at home to the Prince Albert Raiders tonight. The Blazers entertain the Seattle Thunderbirds on Sunday, 7 p.m., with the Raiders here Tuesday.

    In the end, it came down to a shootout.

    Kamloops goaltender Dustin Butler made a stick save on Kenndal McArdle, Wacey Rabbit was wide right with a backhand and Butler made a pad save on J.D. Watt.


    Right-winger Juuso Puustinen, the Blazers' first shooter, beat Vancouver goaltender Tyson Sexsmith through the legs. Sexsmith then made a pad save on Reid Jorgensen.

    Kamloops is 4-1 in shootouts; the Giants are 3-6.

    Puustinen was thinking five-hole from the moment he left the bench.

    "I did it a couple of times in practice when we practised shootuts," explained the Finnish Flash, who is 3-for-5 in shootouts, "and it worked. My last couple of tries in shootouts didn't work so I had to change." Puustinen, with his 25th goal of his rookie season, and Vancouver left-winger Milan Lucic, with No. 20, exchanged first-period power-play goals, both scoring on rebounds.

    "It was the best game of the year for me and the atmosphere was the best," Puustinen said.

    The Blazers were terrific in this one, starting with defenceman Keaton Ellerby who dominated all over the ice.

    "Definitely. I thought I was physical, jumping into the play, moving my feet, keeping it simple, moving the puck and playing my game," he said.


    It was that physical play, from virtually the entire lineup, but with forwards Terrance Delaronde, Mark Hall and Matt Kassian leading the way, that played a huge role.

    "Delaronde was forechecking as hard as I've ever seen him forecheck and getting on their (defencemen)," Ellerby said. "It definitely started with the forecheck. They didn't want anything of our forwards by the third period."

    Dean Clark, the Blazers' general manager and head coach, agreed: "Our physical play was very, very evident and wore those guys down." The Giants lost a sparkplug early when left-winger Garret Hunt left the game, the victim of a hit by Sasha Golin. Early in the third period, defenceman Cody Franson left favouring his right leg following a hit by Kassian. Hunt didn't return; Franson missed 12 minutes.

    "They have some guys who like to hit and run around," Ellerby said, "but we came back with our own guys who can lay the body and we took it to them." After a fairly even first period, the Blazers dominated the second, outshooting the visitors 11-5.

    "We were very good in the second period," Puustinen said. "(Playing physically) is always our game plan but sometimes against the Giants we just get more excited and it happens." The home boys, however, couldn't beat Sexsmith down the stretch. He was excellent in making 24 saves.

    "Our goalie was our best player," Vancouver head coach Don Hay said of Sexsmith, 17. "He made some big saves at real critical times. He's our guy. We're going to go with him and help him along." At the other end, Butler was sharp in making 19 saves ‹ and being perfect in the shootout ‹ as he won his 28th game of the season.

    The Blazers felt they had scored at 10:41 of the second period, claiming Puustinen had jammed the puck in during a scramble. Matsuoka, however, ruled that he had blown his whistle before the puck entered the net.

    "It was in. Absolutely," said Ellerby, who was jamming the net at the time.

    "(Puustinen) whacked it in."

    The last word went to the one Kamloopsian who didn't enjoy the outcome.

    "It was an exciting game," Hay said. "Those games, you get better whether you win or lose.

    "These teams are really close. The fans benefit from it because two teams play hard and compete hard against eaach other."

    JUST NOTES: Matsuoka handed out only seven minor penalties, five to the Blazers. . . . The Blazers came close to winning with 0.5 seconds left in overtime when defenceman Victor Bartley charged in from the point and ripped a shot off a post. . . . If you were wondering, Rabbit is named after bull-rider Wacey Cathey, who was a rodeo star in the 1980s.

    =====

    THE SCORE
    Kamloops 2, Vancouver 1 (SO)

    WHAT HAPPENED
    The Blazers had an edge in play, thanks to their physical play, and won this one when G Dustin Butler made three stops in the shootout.

    THE STANDINGS
    The Blazers (34-13-1-1) are in sole possession of first place in the B.C. Division for the first time this season. They hold a one-point edge over the Giants (30-11-3-6). . . . After games of Oct. 27, the Giants were 14-0-1-0 and held a 13-point lead over the Blazers (7-4-1-1).

    THE SCHEDULE
    This was the fifth of eight meetings between the Blazers and Giants. They'll meet again Feb. 9 and 25 at Vancouver and here March 4. The Blazers have won the first five games, two of them in shootouts.

    THE NUMBERS
    With 34 victories, the Blazers have equalled their final total from last season when they didnšt make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Two seasons ago, they made the playoffs with 26 victories.

    THE CAPTAIN
    Kamloops C Reid Jorgensen has 92 career goals, moving him past Mark Recchi and into the franchise's top 25 goal scorers. Jorgensen now has played 285 career regular-season games, good for sixth on the franchisešs all-time list.

    THE DEFENCEMEN
    Vancouver's big two defencemen have struggled against the Blazers. Cody Franson has one assist and is minus-3 in three games; Brendan Mikkelson is pointless and minus-6 in five games.

    THE QUOTE
    "Everybody hates losing to Kamloops, but those guys even moreso. I think everytime we go into Kamloops they're more intense than most of us." - Vancouver C Tim Kraus, referring to coaches Don Hay and Craig Bonner, both former Blazers, in The Province.

    THE COACH
    Shane Kuss, who played one game - he had a goal and an assist - with the Blazers in 1992-93, is the new head coach of the BCHL's Surrey Eagles. He replaces Rick Hillier, who resigned Thursday. Kuss had been head coach of the junior B Delta IceHawks, where he coached Blazers D Victor Bartley.

    THE DAILY NEWS THREE STARS

    1. D Keaton Ellerby, Kamloops. Dominant.

    2. G Tyson Sexsmith, Vancouver. Giants' best player.

    3. RW Terrance Delaronde, Kamloops. His engine was running.

  2. #2

    Default Kassian & Ellerby Dominate

    Entertaining game from start to finish. Matt Kassian looked like the guy Minnesota drafted in the second round. Was the most dominant forward in the game. His skating has improved and he handled the puck well. His hit on Franson was like a freight train slamming a pickup.
    Keaton Ellerby looked like the probable first round pick the scouts believe he will be. Was the best d-man in the game. Unbelievable poise under high-pressure Giant forecheck.
    "It's clobberin' time..."

  3. #3
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Sammy
    Entertaining game from start to finish. Matt Kassian looked like the guy Minnesota drafted in the second round. Was the most dominant forward in the game. His skating has improved and he handled the puck well. His hit on Franson was like a freight train slamming a pickup.
    Keaton Ellerby looked like the probable first round pick the scouts believe he will be. Was the best d-man in the game. Unbelievable poise under high-pressure Giant forecheck.
    Maybe one of Kassians best games, he was a huge presents in the game, and Ellerby was all over the ice, I was really impressed with his effort, and how about the crowd last night, man was it loud in that place

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