Logan Stankoven scores against the Seattle Thunderbirds on March 22, 2023. (Photo via Allen Douglas)
Caedan Bankier scored with 6:17 left to play in the third period as the Kamloops Blazers beat the Seattle Thunderbirds 6-5 Wednesday night.
Bankier’s goal, set up by Logan Stankoven, extended the Blazers win streak at Sandman Centre to 12 games, while also ending Seattle’s point streak at 19 games.
It also meant the two WHL Western Conference powerhouses split the season series – with each team winning one game at home and one game on the road.
“Yeah, it was kind of a broken play and [Stankoven] got a good turnover there and I just tried to find some quiet ice,” Bankier said. “I knew he’d find me out there and I was fortunate it ended up in the back of the net.”
📽️ HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT 📽️
Need a winner? Call the Bank.@blazerhockey | @mnwild | #WHLHoN pic.twitter.com/7Ms3PuZMDW
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 23, 2023
The Blazers raced out to a 4-0 lead in the first period with goals from Olen Zellweger, Dylan Sydor, Fraser Minten, and Stankoven.
Goals leaders, WHL defencemen, January 8 – present:
• 22 – Olen Zellweger, @blazerhockey
• 13 – Carter Yakemchuk, @WHLHitmen
• 12 – Hudson Thornton, @PGCougars #WHLStats— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 23, 2023
Hey @EnergizerBunny, you’ve just met your match. His name is Logan Stankoven.@blazerhockey | @DallasStars pic.twitter.com/ZOuXp2ptPa
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 23, 2023
Nico Myatovic and Ryan Hofer traded goals early in the second before Dylan Guenther, Nolan Allan, Colton Dach, and Jeremy Hanzel brought Seattle back into the game with the score tied at 5-5 heading into the final period.
Seattle snags the tying goal with 8.7 seconds left in the 2nd and we will go to the 3rd tied 5-5. All Blazers in the 1st, all Seattle in the 2nd. Shots 40-28 SEA.
This is a wild one.— Jon Keen (@JonKeenNLSports) March 23, 2023
Down 5-1 ⏩ tied 5-5!
Jeremy Hanzel sends the @SeattleTbirds to the intermission all square.
Get your popcorn and join us for the third!
📺 | https://t.co/HQbpG90GzL pic.twitter.com/LmIMTSZErL
— The WHL (@TheWHL) March 23, 2023
Bankier, who finished with a Gordie Howe hattrick, scored the only goal of the third period as the Blazers held on for their 48th win of the season in front of a season high crowd of 5,659 people at Sandman Centre.
“I wasn’t looking for it but it kind of happened but I don’t regret it at all,” he said of his first period fight with Sam Popowich, that also saw Bankier assessed a game misconduct for holding the helmet.
“Everyone has to answer the bell at some point.”
Emmitt Finnie had a pair of assists to extend his career-high point streak to eight games, while Sydor, Bankier, and Stankoven finished with multi-point nights of their own.
Matthew Kieper turned aside 44 of 49 Seattle shots for his ninth win as a Blazer. The Winnipeg native has yet to lose a start since he was acquired in a trade with the Regina Pats in January.
Scott Ratzlaff made 31 saves on 37 Kamloops shots in a losing effort for the Thunderbirds.
The Blazers will close out the regular season with a home-and-home against the Prince George Cougars – in Kamloops this Friday and in Prince George on Saturday.
They will then take on the Vancouver Giants in the first round of the playoffs, which will get underway at Sandman Centre on March 31.
