The Blazers are set to play three games in three nights this weekend, twice in Victoria and once in Vancouver. This will be the third three-in-three set this season. In fact, the club opened up the 2019-2020 season with losses on three consecutive nights — all against U.S. Division opponents. Much has changed since late September, that much was clear in January when the Blazers swept their second three-in-three set and outscored their opponents 25-3 in the process.
Blazers’ part-owner Darryl Sydor, who began the season as an assistant coach, took a personal leave of absence a few weeks into the season. On October 21st, the Blazers announced that Cory Clouston would join older brother Shaun behind the bench as an interim assistant coach.
Since the Clouston duo debut on October 25th, the Blazers have accrued a 24-9-3-1 record and climbed their way up to first place in the B.C. Division. The acquisitions of Max Martin, Ryan Hughes, and Libor Zabransky have played a central role in the turnaround, as have the special teams’ units which are both among the top-three in the WHL.
A variety of suspensions, injuries and invites to World Juniors camps have created brief stints of instability in Kamloops, but it’s been an otherwise run-of-the-mill WHL season.
An injury to the starting goaltender, however, can test the resilience of any hockey club. That scenario has played out for the Blazers after Dylan Garand left last Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Giants with a lower-body injury. The extent of that injury has yet to be determined.
Garand sits among the WHL’s top-five in both shutouts and games played; his 2.23 goals-against average and 0.922 save percentage are both fifth-best among goaltenders that have played a minimum of 10 games this season. When the Blazers look back on the 2019-2020 season, Garand’s name will likely be in the discussion for the most valuable player.
In the meantime, the Blazers will carry on without the 17-year-old, and if the Victoria Royals’ recent record without their own starting goaltender is any indication, it’s not easy. The Royals tallied one win on their six-game Eastern road trip with Shane Farkas on the sidelines, but the 20-year old’s return this weekend would provide a much-needed spark to the Royals.
In response to Garand’s injury, the Blazers called up 16-year old Dylan Ernst to backup Rayce Ramsay. Ernst — the first goalie selected in the 2019 WHL Bantam Draft — could very well draw into the lineup for his WHL debut during the three-in-three.
Friday night marks game five of the eight-game season series between Kamloops and Victoria, and the first of four games in 11 days. With the Blazers (68) currently holding an 11 point lead in the standings, Victoria (57) will be looking to narrow the gap.
After the double-header, the Blazers will sail back to the mainland where they’ll face off against the Vancouver Giants. Not long ago, the Giants were competing with Seattle for a Wildcard spot but thanks to a 4-0-1-0 streak, Vancouver now occupies the third spot in the B.C. Division with 51 points. What’s been clicking with the Giants? Look no further.
All this to say, the B.C. Division landscape could take on a different look after this weekend. Whether that image is cleared or muddied remains to be seen, but one should expect some exceptional hockey games down the stretch.
