BLAZERS WIN 6-3 OVER ROYALS
The Kamloops Blazers started the 2014-15 WHL season with a 6-3 win over the Victoria Royals in their season opener at home.
The Blazers had a real good first period. Matt Revel opened the scoring 52 seconds into the game batting a puck in mid-air past goaltender Coleman Vollrath to make it 1-0 for the Blazers. Josh Connolly made it 2-0 on the power play as he fired a shot past Vollrath.
The Royals had their chances in the first period, but 20-year-old goaltender Bolton Pouliot was solid. Matt Needham made it 3-0 at the end of the power play as he put in a rebound off the end boards. The Blazers took a commanding 3-0 lead into the second period.
Mitch Skapski put the Royals on the scoreboard as he battled in front and eventually scored a goal on a rebound to cut the Royals deficit to 3-1. Jake Kryski replied midway through the period scoring his first WHL goal. The 16-year-old forward scored off the rush on a shot that beat Vollrath on the gloveside to make it 4-1.
After the goal, the Royals made a goaltender change as Vollrath left the game stopping 10 of 14 shots and 17-year-old Evan Smith got his first taste of action. The Royals responded shortly after Kryski’s goal. Ralph Jarratt’s shot deflected off a Blazers defender and past Pouliot to make it 4-2 through two periods.
The first goal of the third period was pivotal for the Blazers to get. Luke Harrison won a race to the puck and put a shot on goal. Matt Revel was there to score his second goal of the game to give the Blazers a 5-2 thid period lead.
Tyler Brown scored a power play marker 6:56 into the third period on a terrific shot to cut the Blazers lead to 5-3. Cole Ully iced the game with 12:02 to go. He scored on a quick shot to give the Blazers a 6-3 win.
Bolton Pouliot was terrific in goal for the Blazers making 30 saves. Evan Smith finished with 16 saves for the Royals.
The Blazers were 1-for-4 on the power play, while the Royals were 1-for-5.
The Blazers will finish off the WHL opening weekend in Kelowna on Saturday night to face the Rockets. Game time is 7:00pm.
