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Blazers split weekend set

February 2, 2004 - Central Hockey League (CHL)
Oklahoma City Blazers News Release


BLAZERS FINISH WEEK 1-1-0 – Oklahoma City played two games last week, both at home, winning one and losing one. The Blazers were defeated by the Colorado Eagles 2- 1 on January 30. Oklahoma City defeated the Fort Worth Brahmas 4-2 on January 31. The Blazers is 22-18-5, with 49 points and in third place tie in the Northwest Division of the CHL.

SAME SONG, DIFFERENT VERSE – Oklahoma City skated at home on January 30, losing to the Colorado Eagles 2-1. Eagles' forward Lee Ruff opened the scoring in the first. Charlie Elezi tied the game at one later in the period. Greg Pankewicz scored the game-winner late in the second period. Boyd Ballard stopped 28 of 30 shots in the loss. That marked the third straight home loss for the Blazers by the score of 2-1.

BLAZERS FINALLY SCORE MORE THAN ONE AT HOME – Oklahoma City scored more than one goal at home for the first time since January 8 in a 4-2 win over Fort Worth on January 31. Bryan Forslund led the charge for the Blazers with two power-play goals. Boyd Ballard stopped 24 of 26 shots for the win. The win snapped the Blazers three-game home losing streak.

BACH EXTENDS FRANCHISE RECORD SHUTOUT STRING AGAINST BLAZERS – Colorado Eagles' netminder Ryan Bach entered the game on 1/30 with a 175 minute 33 second shutout streak against Oklahoma City. He extended that streak an additional 12 minutes 29 seconds. The new record for consecutive shutout minutes against the Blazers is 188 minutes two seconds. Bach smashed the previous mark of 143 minutes 34 seconds set just last season by Matt Barnes of the Austin Ice Bats. Bach's one goal allowed lowered his goals against average against the Blazers this season to .98.

TROUBLE SCORING GOALS AT HOME – This season has been a bit of a struggle to light the lamp at home for the Blazers. Since a 7-4 win over Odessa on December 20, the Blazers have scored 14 goals in the team's six home games. Five of the 14 game in a 5-4 win over Indianapolis on January 8. In the three home games before the game on January 31, the Blazers had scored just three goals. For the season, the Blazers have scored 58 goals at home, an average of 2.64 per game.

BLAZERS AVOID FOUR-GAME HOME SKID – Entering the home game on January 31, the Blazers were in a precarious position for the second time this season. The team was staring a four-game home losing streak in the face. A 4-2 win over Fort Worth kept the Blazers out of the record book for that feat. The team has had four three-game home losing streaks in franchise history, two of them coming this season. The Blazers' franchise record for home regulation losses in a season is 11, set during the 1999-00 campaign. The Blazers currently have nine regulation losses at home already this season with 10 home games remaining.

STREAKERS ENTERING THIS WEEK – Defenseman Hardy Sauter is the lone Blazer riding an active point-scoring streak. He has recorded points in each of the last four games for the Blazers. The Blazers' Les Borsheim has picked up a penalty in each of his 10 games played thus far this season. That is the longest active streak in the CHL. Blazers centerman Blair Manning is coming on as well, picking up points in four of his last five.

THREE BIG GAMES THIS WEEK – Each game for the Blazers is critical in their pursuit of the team's 12th consecutive playoff appearance. The Blazers skate in three games this week, beginning Wednesday night in Wichita and concluding with two games at the Ford Center on February 6 against Colorado and February 7 against Tulsa. The month of February is good as far as travel goes for the Blazers. The team plays 10 games, with seven of them at home. The team's farthest road trip is a four-hour journey to Amarillo on February 26.

BROOKBANK SCORES FIRST NHL GOAL – Former Oklahoma City Blazers defenseman Wade Brookbank picked up his first goal in the National Hockey League on Saturday night. The 6-4, 220-pounder from Lanigan, Saskatchewan is currently skating with the Vancouver Canucks. In seven games with Vancouver, he has one goal and has served 21 penalty minutes.



Central Hockey League Stories from February 2, 2004


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