Kamloops Blazers took a comfortable 5:2 victory over Kelowna Rockets in the WHL on Friday night, a result that keeps both Club Car Cup contenders level on points at the bottom of the standings. Three games in and neither side has managed to secure a single point, though the visitors at least showed they could finish stronger when it mattered.
To be fair, the Rockets have been competitive in their opening fixtures — they beat Penticon Vise 3:1 before losing the reverse fixture 2:4 — but this time they never really found a rhythm. Kamloops, meanwhile, have won two of their last three, including a hard-fought 2:1 against Tri-City Americans and a 4:3 win over Prince George Cougars, and they carried that momentum into this one.
The scoreline tells its own story. Kelowna scored first, or at least they should have, but Kamloops turned it on after that and never let the hosts back into it. By then the visitors had the deeper squad and they made it count, rolling the dice on a few chances and getting over the line when it counted.
It means both teams remain on zero points after three games, which is to say the table hasn't really started yet. Fourth place with zero games and zero points — that is what the standings say, and that is all it says for now.
Still, there is something in the way Kamloops finished their recent run. They have kept three clean sheets on the spin in their last five games, and while this one didn't end with a clean sheet, it ended with five goals and a result that puts them just ahead of everyone else who has played twice.
