WHL  

Logan Stankoven scored the overtime winner as Kamloops edged the Rockets 5-4

Rockets fall in OT

Photo: Steve Dunsmoor

The Kelowna Rockets hoped to get more, but they will savour the single point and hope it's enough to keep their hopes of passing the Vancouver Giants in the Western Conference alive.

The Kamloops Blazers got a late goal to tie it then the game winner from captain Logan Stankoven just shy of the midway point of sudden death overtime to edge the Rockets 5-4.

Despite being outshot two-to-one and surrendering 58 shots including 42 over the first 40, the Rockets stayed within sign of the top team in the BC Division.

Much of the credit went to Jari Kykkanen, who replaced starter Talyn Boyko six minutes into the game. He stopped 49 of 53 shots fired his way.

The Blazers jumped out to a 2-0 lead by the 14 minute mark of the first on goals Olen Zellweger on a power play and Connor Levis.

Carson Golder, back in the lineup after servicing a four-game suspension, got the Rockets on the board before the end of the first working his way from the end boards to the left circle before wiring a shot past Blazers netminder Matthew Kieper.

Connor Levis restored the two-goal lead early in the third but three straight put the Rockets up one for the first time in the game.

Andrew Cristall with a backhand off the rush in the second, Dylan Wightman with a tip-in on a power play and Cristall again 13:40 into the third gave the Rockets a one goal lead.

But Ryan Hofer two minutes later tied it setting the stage for Stankoven's heroics.

The single point, coupled with Vancouver's 4-1 loss in Everett keeps the Rockets hopes of leapfrogging the Giants still hanging by a thread.

With just two games left, and four points back, the Rockets need Vancouver to lose in regulation time Sunday in Tri-City and Tuesday in Portland, then beat the Giants in regulation time to close out the season next Friday and Saturday.

A seventh place finish would mean a likely first round date with the same Blazers while an eighth place finish means the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Blazers extend streak to eight with 5-2 win over Rockets

Blazers overwhelm Rockets

Photo: Alex Beckett/Kamloops Blazers

The Kamloops Blazers fired 60 shots on goal Friday at Sandman Centre, extending their win streak to eight with a 5-2 victory over the Kelowna Rockets.

Shea Van Olm, Emmitt Finnie, Logan Stankoven, Dylan Sydor and Connor Levis were the goal scorers for the Blazers. Grady Lenton and Dylan Wightman scored for the Rockets.

The teams traded goals early in the opening minutes but the Blazers had a 3-1 lead built up by the first intermission. Sydor made it 4-1 late in the second and Wightman got the Rockets back within a pair early in the third before Levis iced it with a long-range empty-netter late.

Dylan Ernst made 23 saves on 25 Kelowna shots to earn the win in net — his WHL-leading 38th of the season.

Talyn Boyko was busy in net for the Rockets, stopping 55 of 59 Kamloops shots.

The Blazers scored once on five power-play opportunities. The Rockets had one goal on two chances.

Announced attendance at Sandman Centre was 5,371.

With the win, the Blazers improve to 46-11-4-2 on the season. They have already clinched a fourth-consecutive B.C. Division title and sit second in the WHL’s Western Conference — seven points back of the first-place Seattle Thunderbirds (51-9-1-2).

The loss moves the Rockets to 26-36-3-0. They sit eighth in the Western Conference.

The Blazers and Rockets will do it again on Saturday at Prospera Place. Puck drop is 7 p.m.

Rockets three game winning streak came to an end in Prince George

Rockets drop key matchup

Photo: Contributed

The Kelowna Rockets let a chance to pull closer to the Vancouver Giants slip through their fingers Wednesday night.

The Rockets, battling the Giants for seventh in the Western Conference, dropped a key 6-3 decision to the Cougars in Prince George.

Kelowna remains three points behind the Giants with just four games left in the regular season. Vancouver holds two games in hand and need a combination of wins or Kelowna losses totalling three to relegate the Rockets to eighth and a first round playoff date with the Seattle Thunderbirds.

Gabriel Szturc and Adam Kydd both on the power play and Ethan Mittelsteadt at even strength scored for the Rockets who trailed 2-1 after one and 5-2 after two.

Trailing 1-0 in the third Andrew Cristall laid out a perfect pass for Szturc in the left circle who sent a one-timer past Cougars netminder Tyler Brennan.

Down two early in the second, Szturc, on another power play faked the backdoor one-timer and instead sent a slap pass to Kydd who deflected home his 20th from the top of the crease.

It's as close as the Rockets would get.

Goals 67 seconds apart just past the midway point of the second pushed the lead to 5-2 before Koehn Ziemmer brought to lead to four near the midway point of the third.

Mittelsteadt closed out the scoring sending a wrist shot past Brennan off a nifty drop pass from Ty Hurley.

Chase Wheatcroft had two goals and three assists to lead the way for the Cougars.

Kelowna finished the night two for five with the man advantage while staying out of the box themselves and denying the Cougars any opportunities on the power play.

The Rockets were able to dress just 16 skaters for the game including 10 forwards. Carson Golder was out of the lineup serving the third game of a four game suspension while both Max Graham and Tre Johnson were unavailable.

Kelowna will look to get back into the win column Friday night in Kamloops.

They'll host the Blazers Saturday.

The Giants meantime have a busy three game weekend, hosting the Silvertips Friday before travelling to Everett Saturday and Tri-City Sunday.

Blazers nearly put up a dozen in lopsided win over cellar-dwelling Royals

Blazers beat up on Royals

Photo: Alex Beckett/Kamloops Blazers

Matthew Seminoff and Caedan Bankier combined for 14 points Wednesday at Sandman Centre where the Kamloops Blazers trounced the Victoria Royals 11-1.

Seminoff (4), Emmitt Finnie, Bankier (3), Ryan Michael, Ryan Hofer and Harrison Brunicke were the goal scorers for the Blazers. Carter Dereniwsky scored the lone Victoria goal.

The Blazers led 5-0 after one period and 10-0 after two. They were up 11-0 until Dereniwsky got the Royals on the board with 25 seconds remaining in the third.

Dylan Ernst made 19 saves on 20 shots in the win — his WHL-leading 37th of the season. Braden Holt and Nicholas Cristiano split the goaltending duties for Victoria.

The Blazers scored twice on four power-play opportunities. The Royals were scoreless on one chance.

The win was the seventh in a row for the Blazers, who have now won 24 of their last 27 games.

Announced attendance at Sandman Centre was 4,468.

With the win, the Blazers improve to 45-11-4-2 on the season. The have already clinched a fourth-consecutive B.C. Division championship and sit second in the Western Conference, now seven points back of the first-place Seattle Thunderbirds (50-9-1-2).

The Royals fall to 15-42-6-1 and are dead last in the five-team B.C. Division. They are now winless in their last 11.

The Blazers will be back in action this weekend in a home-and-home with the Kelowna Rockets (26-35-3-0) — playing at Sandman Centre on Friday night and at Prospera Place on Saturday.

After that, the club will have a good late-season measuring stick with a home-and-home against Seattle, playing in Kent, Wash., on Tuesday and back on home ice on Wednesday.