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WHL Kamloops Blazers

Game Day Report: Blazers Face Rockets on CCM Propac Night

March 4, 2016 - Western Hockey League (WHL)
Kamloops Blazers News Release


The Blazers have won three of four while the Rockets have won seven of eight as the two teams prepare to match up tonight at the Sandman Centre.

Kamloops is coming off one of their best performances of the year, beating the Spokane Chiefs 5-0 at home on Wednesday night. The Rockets, meanwhile, are also coming off a win against the Chiefs, a 4-3 home win in overtime last Saturday for their third straight victory.

Both teams are fighting for playoff positioning right now in the B.C. Division; the Blazers (30-25-5-4) trail the third-place Prince George Cougars by five points and have a game in hand, while the Rockets (44-16-3-0) are one point back of the Victoria Royals for first in the division with two games in hand.

"We need to play a real solid game. Kelowna is a real good team and you can't have any let down, you've got to stay with it for 60 minutes and play your best", Blazers Head Coach Don Hay said.

Kamloops has dropped all five meetings against Kelowna so far this season (0-4-1-0), with four of those losses coming by a single goal. The Blazers will face a slightly different looking Rockets team than what they last saw on Dec. 28th, as Kelowna is without starting goalie Jackson Whistle and top-six forward Nick Merkley for the remainder of the season.

"We haven't had a lot of success in the past against them here, but we're a more desperate team", Blazers captain Matt Needham said. "They're missing a few guys, they're not playing as well as they have been in the past, so I think they're ripe to be beaten."

The Blazers currently sit six points up on the ninth-place Tri-City Americans in the Western Conference with eight games remaining. The Rockets, meanwhile, clinched a playoff spot last weekend.

Tonight's game will also feature the Blazers wearing full-length CCM Propac pants - a notion to honor WHL clubs from the 80's. The game will also be broadcast on Sportsnet's CHL Friday Night Hockey coverage on Sportsnet East, Ontario, West and Pacific, as well as the NHL Network U.S.

Puck drop is at 7:00pm at the Sandman Centre.

Who's Hot:

Blazers - Forward Matt Needham has points in eight of his past nine games (5G, 5A). Defenseman Dawson Davidson has one goal and seven assists over his past seven games.

Rockets - Forward Justin Kirkland has 13 points (4G, 9A) on his current eight-game point streak. Defenseman Joe Gatenby has one goal, three assists and a plus-eight rating in his past five games.

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