Blazers score four unanswered in come-from-behind 4-1 win over Prince George

Photo: Tricia Mercuri/Kamloops Blazers

Connor Zary (left) celebrates Inaki Baragano's goal late in the second period at Sandman Centre on Thursday. Zary and the Kamloops Blazers scored four unanswered goals in a 4-1 win over the Prince George Cougars in WHL B.C. Division bubble action.

Dylan Garand’s 43-save performance led the first-place Kamloops Blazers to a 4-1 win Thursday over the host Prince George Cougars in an empty Sandman Centre.

Connor Bowie opened the scoring for Prince George late in the first period, beating Garand for his only blemish on the night with 30 seconds remaining in the opening frame.

Inaki Baragano tied the game for Kamloops at 19:19 of the second period, from Josh Pillar and Connor Zary.

The Blazers took their first and only lead of the night five minutes into the third period, when Matthew Seminoff scored the game winner from Fraser Minten.

Goals from Reese Belton and Zary made it a 4-1 final.

Garand stopped all but one of the 44 P.G. shots he saw, while Cougars goalie Taylor Gauthier made 27 saves on 31 Kamloops shots.

Zary’s two points on the night have him running away with the team lead with 20 (4-16-20).

The Blazers are now 9-2 on the pandemic-shortened WHL B.C. Division bubble season, tied with the 9-3 Vancouver Giants. The Blazers .818 winning percentage is second only to the 15-1 Edmonton Oil Kings, who sit atop the WHL.

The Blazers will be back in action on Friday, taking on the Victoria Royals in a 7 p.m. face off at Sandman Centre before a pair of games Sunday and Tuesday against Vancouver.