Allen Douglas
B.C. Division

Blazers Weekend Wrap-up: WHL’s hottest team

Written by Kevin Olenick on

 

Guess who has the longest winning streak in the WHL.

If you guessed the Winnipeg Ice, you are wrong.

It is the Kamloops Blazers.

The Blazers won all three games over the last week extending their win streak to seven.

Going back to last Wednesday, the Blazers faced their first non-B.C. Division team since Tuesday, March 10, 2020. They scored four goals in the first period on their way to a commanding 7-1 win over the Portland Winterhawks.

If that sounded familiar, it is because it is. It was the third straight game they scored three or more goals in the first period.

Logan Stankoven scored two of his three goals in the first period. Josh Pillar scored one of his two goals in the first period. Reese Belton scored the other goal in the first.

Stankoven started the second period with his hat trick goal 28 seconds into the second period. Josh Pillar then scored his second of the game. Matthew Semenoff finished off the scoring both in the second and the game at 11:04 in the first period.

In addition to Stankoven’s hat trick, he also added two assists for a five-point night. He was also a plus-three on the evening. Josh Pillar added three assists with his two goals. He also finished with a plus-three evening. Caeden Bankler had two assists. Belton and Seminoff also had two points.

Dylan Garand made 27 saves for his eighth win of the season.

Gabe Klassen scored for the Winterhawks. Dante Gianuzzi made 35 saves in goal.

Friday night is alright

On Friday, the Blazers continued their winning streak, scoring streak, and dominance against the Victoria Royals.

This time it was a 6-0 victory in Victoria.

It was another quick start for the Blazers. For the fourth straight game, they scored three or more goals in the first period. This time Matthew Seminoff, Nick McCarry, Dylan Kuefler were the goal scorers.

But it wasn’t just the first period that the Blazers were dominant, they pounded 25 shots on Royals Goaltender Campbell Arnold. They potted in three more goals as Logan Stankoven, Ethan Brandwood, and Fraser Minten scored in the second period.

Victoria native Dylan Garand made 22 saves for the shutout his second of the season. Tyler Palmer mopped up in the third for the Royals. Quinn Schmiemann chipped in with two assists. Seminoff has scored in four straight games.

Saturday night comeback

Saturday at the Save on Foods Centre was a much different game for the Blazers.

For one, they didn’t score any goals in the first period. The other, they trailed in the first period. Tyler Scott scored two goals for the Royals, one of them shorthanded. It was the first time in six games they trailed after the opening 20 minutes.

But the Blazers were undeterred. 

Road captain Quinn Schmiemann and Tye Spencer scored 1:03 apart in the second period.

A tripping penalty to the Royals Kalem Parker allows Schmiemann to score on the power play in overtime. Schmiemann’s goal allowed the Blazers’ win streak to hit seven games. The team is now 11-1-0-0 on the season and has the second-best record in the entire WHL.

A strong goaltending performance was put in for both Dylan Ernst and Tyler Palmer. The Blazers backup Ernst made 24 saves for the win. Tyler Palmer made 39 saves for the Royals to get the point.

The Blazers’ seven-game winning streak has moved them to 11-1. They are nine points ahead of the second-place Vancouver Giants for first place in the B.C. Division. Only Winnipeg Ice has more wins at 14. Their 65 goals are only second to the Ice, and their 25 goals are only second to the Everett Silvertips 19.

The Blazers play three games next week. Wednesday in Kelowna. And then a home-and-home series with the Giants. They’ll start off at the Sandman Centre on Friday.

In other Blazers news, defenseman Kaden Hammell was selected to the Hockey Canada’s U-17 roster to compete at the Capital City Challenge in Ottawa. The tournament runs from November 26 to December 1st. It will consist of three men’s teams Team Canada Black, Team Canada Red, and Team Canada White and they will also compete against Canada’s National Women’s Team. Specific team rosters will be unveiled in the coming weeks.