Lubbock, Tx - The Oklahoma City Blazers registered five goals in the
second period to cruise past the Lubbock Cotton Kings 8-2 in Lubbock's
worst deficit of the season Friday night at the Lubbock Municipal
Coliseum.With the game tied 1-1 entering the period, the Blazers completed the second period damage in a short span of just 8-minutes and 3-seconds (8:04). Gio Flaminio found a hole and drove in from the point after a drop pass from Marty Standish and fired a shot through the glove of Lance Leslie 8:10 into the period to begin the scoring fiasco. Jared Dumba increased the lead to 3-1 2:16 later with a goal and Kahlil Thomas added to the lead 58-seconds later on the power play. The Kings went on the power play shortly after, but it didn't help, as Dumba tallied a shorthanded goal 52-seconds later. The four goals in the span of 4:06 gave the Blazers a 5-1 lead, but they didn't stop there in the frame, as Ryan Johnston converted a 5-on-3 power play opportunity with 3:47 remaining in the period for a 6-1 lead. It was just the second 5-on-3 power play marker allowed by the Kings this season. Oklahoma City ended the period with 27 shots on goal, which is a season high allowed by Lubbock this season.
The two teams split the opening period of play with some unorthodox goals. Lubbock opened the scoring 7:27 after the opening draw with an unassisted goal by Bobby Brown. The Kings veteran forward had blocked a shot and chased down the loose puck for a breakaway opportunity. Blazers goaltender Sean Connors challenged him and made a diving poke check 15-feet in front of the net and he did knock the puck free, but Brown regained the possession and fired it into the open net. The Blazers tied the game up 2:49 later with a goal by Tim Earl. Earl simply fired a shot from the right circle that went off the stick of Leslie and went straight into the air. Leslie lost sight of the puck, which dropped down behind him and bounced across the goal line.
Nolan Graham tried to give the Kings a lift with a power play goal 5:57 into the third period to cut the deficit to 6-2, but the Blazers would close out the game with a pair of goals. Tim Earl added his second of the game with 9:26 remaining and Joe Dustin closed the scoring with 4:20 left in the onslaught.
Leslie stayed in net the whole contest, surpassing the 27,000-minute mark in net for his 12-year career, but needed help defensively, as the eight goals allowed was the most allowed by Leslie in his Kings career. Connors, appearing in net for the 14th consecutive game for the Blazers, notched the win stopping 36 of 38 shots to improve to 17-10-1. The Blazers were 3 of 7 on the power play, while Lubbock was 1 for 5. Marty Standish tied his Blazer high with 5 points, and they were all assists (three more than his previous single-game Blazer best).
The loss sent the Kings record to 16-19-1, but they did not lose any ground in the division, as Odessa and Amarillo each lost. The Kings will have to rebound fast, as they head to Odessa Saturday night to begin a home-and-home series with the Odessa Jackalopes that will conclude Sunday evening in Lubbock.
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Central Hockey League Stories from January 27, 2006
• Eagles Best Bees 4-2 - Colorado Eagles• OKC Blazes Past Lubbock 8-2 - Lubbock Cotton Kings
• Oklahoma City Blazes Past Kings 8-2 - Lubbock Cotton Kings
• RiverKings open long road trip with loss - Mississippi RiverKings
• Bucks Flatten Rayz 8-0, Laredo Wins Fourth Straight - Laredo Bucks
• Bucks blast Rayz 8-0 - Corpus Christi IceRays
• Ice Bats Win 6th Straight, 3-2 - Austin Ice Bats
• Kenyon keys Bats 3-2 win over Brahmas - Texas Brahmas
• Tonight's Preview - Tulsa Oilers
• RiverKings game-day preview - Mississippi RiverKings
• Ice Bats Captain Retires - Austin Ice Bats
• Cotton Kings Game Night Preview vs. Oklahoma City - Lubbock Cotton Kings
• Cotton Kings Sign Goaltender Gajda to Roster - Lubbock Cotton Kings
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