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WHL Kamloops Blazers

Blazers Fall 6-3 To Royals

February 21, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kamloops Blazers News Release


The Blazers lost 6-3 on the road at the hands of the Victoria Royals for the second straight night.

Despite a much better performance than Friday night's 4-1 loss, the Blazers couldn't get past a Royals team that has been red-hot of late, and fell to 2-6-0-0 on the year against the Royals. With the win, Victoria moved into first place in the B.C. Division and in the overall WHL standings.

The Royals opened the scoring on their first shot, 27 seconds into the game. Vladimir Bobylev snapped his 20th of the year over the should of Dylan Ferguson, who was making his first start since February 5th.

The Blazers equalled the score, however, thanks to a 5-on-3 powerplay goal at 8:32 of the first. Captain Matt Needham scored his 17th of the year, and second goal in as many nights.

Victoria regained the lead at 14:58, as Bobylev put home his second of the period. The Royals added to their lead 6:42 of the second period, when Tyler Soy stole a puck and scored on a shorthanded breakaway.

Spencer Bast got the Blazers within one with 4.9 seconds to go in the second period, after a Jiri Smejkal shot snuck through Royals goalie Coleman Vollrath for Bast to put home. Bast had a goal and an assist on the night, drawing in after Gage Quinney came down with an illness and was forced out of the lineup.

The Royals and Blazers would exchange goals early in the third, as Jack Walker gave Victoria a 4-2 lead at 2:40 on the powerplay before Matt Campese got the Blazers back within one only 1:17 later. The Royals restored their two-goal thanks a Dante Hannoun tally only 21 seconds later.

The Royals would score again at 19:24, as the Blazers pinched up ice late while shorthanded, but the Royals came back the other way and rookie Matthew Phillips finished off the sixth Royals goal.

Kamloops was outshot 41-33 on the night, going 1-6 on the powerplay and 2-5 on the penalty kill. Blazers Assistant Coach Mike Needham talked about his team's inability to make the plays they needed against a tough Royals group.

"First shift of the game, we have the puck on our sticks, a silly turnover and it ends up in the back of our net. Things like that against good teams you just can't do. We battled back, got back in the game and then another silly play and they capitalized [on Hannoun's goal]. I give them a lot credit... You make mistakes and they punish you", Needham said.

Ferguson made 35 saves on the night for the Blazers, and Needham gave him credit for keeping his team in the game.

"Full marks for a good effort; he was good, gave us a chance to be in the hockey game. I thought especially late in the second period that he was brilliant on a couple of kills that we had in a row", Needham said. "He gave us a chance and that's all you can ask. I hope he gets a little bit of confidence here because he gave us a chance to win the game."

The Blazers' four-game road trip continues on Sunday night, as the team will play their third game in three nights in Vancouver against the Giants.

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