Blazers blow early lead, give up four in third period of 6-3 loss to Silvertips

'Tips come back on Blazers

Photo: Kamloops Blazers

The Kamloops Blazers jumped out to an early two-goal lead on Friday in Everett, but the first-place Silvertips stormed back in the third period to earn a convincing win.

JP Hurlbert, Nathan Behm and Tommy Lafreniere were the goal scorers for the Blazers. Henri Ament, Carter Bear (3), Lukas Kaplan and Tarin Smith scored for the Silvertips.

A pair of power-play goals from Bear turned the tide for the ’Tips. He scored at 17:12 of the second and 1:37 of the third to tie it 3-3.

Everett scored three more times in the third, two into an empty net, to make it a 6-3 final.

Kamloops goalie Ivans Kufterins made 40 saves on 44 shots, while Anders Miller stopped 24 of 27 to earn the win in net for the Silvertips.

Announced attendance at Angel of the Winds Arena was 7,133.

The loss drops the Blazers to 24-17-6-4 on the season, third in the WHL’s B.C. Division and fourth in the Western Conference.

The Silvertips lead the Western Conference by a comfortable margin, up 12 points on the second-place Penticton Vees. The win improves the ’Tips to 40-6-2-1.

The Blazers are back in action on Saturday in Langley, where they will take on the Vancouver Giants. Their next home game will be on Valentine’s Day, when the Prince George Cougars visit Sandman Centre.