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Ernst earns second consecutive shutout as Blazers blank Royals

Blazers shut out Royals 3-0

Caedan Bankier had a goal and an assist and Dylan Ernst earned his second straight shutout Tuesday in the provincial capital as the Kamloops Blazers blanked the cellar-dwelling Victoria Royals 3-0.

Logan Stankoven, Bankier and Logan Bairos were the goal scorers for the Blazers.

Stankoven opened the scoring with a short-handed marker midway through the first period and Bankier put the Blazers up 2-0 with a power-play goal at 11:32 of the second. Bairos made it 3-0 with a one-timer set up by Bankier at 8:21 of the third period.

Ernst was perfect on 16 shots to earn his 13th win and his second shutout of the season. His first shutout came in his last start, a 3-0 win over the Vancouver Giants at Sandman Centre on Friday.

Victoria goalie Nicholas Cristiano made 29 saves on 32 shots in a losing effort.

The Blazers scored once on two power-play opportunities. The Royals could not convert on three chances.

Announced attendance at Save-On Foods Memorial Arena was 2,050.

With the win, the Blazers improve to 14-5-3-2 on the season, good for top spot in the WHL’s B.C. Division. The Blazers are five points up on the second-place Prince George Cougars (14-11-0-0), who lost 5-2 on Tuesday to the Everett Silvertips.

Tuesday's loss moves the Royals to 3-21-3-0 — dead last in the league.

The two teams will do it again on Wednesday at Save-On Foods Memorial Arena. The game will be the last for Stankoven and Bankier before they head to New Brunswick for Hockey Canada’s world junior selection camp.

The Blazers will be home for two games this weekend at Sandman Centre — hosting the Vancouver Giants (10-12-3-2) on Friday and the Royals on Saturday.



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