Playoff hopes dashed as Blazers fall 5-3 to Royals

Playoff spot out of reach

Photo: Allen Douglas/Kamloops Blazers

The Kamloops Blazers had their playoff hopes dashed on Tuesday night with a 5-3 trouncing at the hands of the Victoria Royals.

Vit Zahejsky, Josh Kelly and Matteo Koci scored for the Blazers. Markus Loponen, Brayden Boehm, Kenta Isogai, Cosmo Wilson and Nolan Stewart were the goal scorers for Victoria.

The Blazers trailed 3-2 after the first period and gave up two more in the second. Koci got one back in the third but it was too little too late.

Johnny Hicks stopped 38 of 41 Kamloops shots, and Dylan Ernst made 34 saves on 39 Royals shots.

Announced attendance at Sandman Centre was 4,259.

The win moves the Royals to 38-17-3-7. With the loss, the Blazers fall to 24-37-4-1 and are eliminated from the playoff race.

The Blazers will take to the ice for two more games this season. They will play the Vancouver Giants on Friday at Sandman Centre before closing out the season in Kelowna on Saturday against the Rockets.