Blazers score 10 in dominant win over Petes
The Kamloops Blazers collected their first win of the 2023 Memorial Cup presented by Kia after a dominant 10-2 win over the Peterborough Petes.
Nine different players scored for Kamloops as Matthew Seminoff (DAL) twice, Ryan Michael, Fraser Minten (TOR), Ashton Forster, Dylan Sydor, Logan Stankoven (DAL), Jakub Demek (VGK), Connor Levis and Ryan Hofer (MIN) all found the back of the net. Dylan Ernst stopped 28 shots in goal.
Avery Hayes and Quinton Page had goals for Peterborough while Michael Simpson made 15 saves before was replaced by Liam Sztkusa, who turned aside 24 shots.
In the win, Kamloops became just the seventh team to score 10 or more goals in a game and the first sine Erie scored 12 times in 2017, a number that stands as a Memorial Cup record.
Stankoven finished the game with five points while Caeden Bankier (MIN) and Olen Zellweger (ANA) had two assists each.
“I knew there was a lot more to give from myself personally [after Friday],” Stankoven said. “We were a really a focused group today and hungry to play the right way. It was nice to come out with a big win like that.”
The Captain has his first of the #MemorialCup! @DallasStars pic.twitter.com/kE3miIqwrh
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 28, 2023
Michael, who hadn’t played since April 30, opened the scoring at 5:14 as his point shot hit Cam Gauvreau outfront as he tried to box out Daylan Kuefler (NYI). Minten doubled the lead on the power play at 9:08 as he beat Simpson five-hole before Forster made it 3-0 game on a rebound that hit his skate, hit Konnor Smith and went into the net.
“I thought the guys were really focused,” head coach Shaun Clouston said. “They didn’t mess around. Right from the opening faceoff, we wanted to get in on the forecheck … and I thought the guys did a terrific job.”
Kamloops needed just 35 seconds of the second period to make it 4-0 as Seminoff completed a pretty passing play back door on the man advantage before Sydor extended the lead at 3:01 from the slot that spelled the end of Simpson’s evening.
#LeafsForever prospect Fraser Minten converts on the 🅿️🅿️ #MemorialCup pic.twitter.com/86BeWX4h8W
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 28, 2023
Captain and hometown kid Stankoven scored his first of the tournament 1:16 later before Demek buried a rebound on the power play at 8:17 to gives the Blazers a touchdown lead.
“I believed we’d be ready and have a response,” Clouston said.
Hayes got Peterborough on the board with 4:26 left in the frame with a power play marker as he dove to poke a loose puck home after Ernst had stopped Brennan Othmann (NYR).
Levis made it 8-1 1:55 into the third, Seminoff scored his second on a power play one-timer at 8:10 while Hofer’s first of the tournament pushed the lead to 10-1 with 7:11 left in regulation.
🅿️🅿️ one-timer from Matthew Seminoff! #MemorialCup | @DallasStars pic.twitter.com/lIDXTfrRzn
— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) May 29, 2023
Quinton Page scored Peterborough’s second of the evening with his first goal of the tournament with 22.6 seconds left.
The Petes conclude their round-robin schedule on May 30 against Quebec while the Blazers meet Seattle a day later.
