BLAZERS DOWN WINTERHAWKS 5-4 IN OVERTIME

The dressing room set up in Portland before the Blazers 5-4 overtime win over the Winterhawks.

Brendan Ranford and Chase Schaber were back to their old ways on Friday night, despite the loss of their line mate Jordan DePape. Ranford paced the Blazers with 4 goals and an assist and Schaber will finish with a goal and four assists in a 5-4 overtime victory.

Ranford is a natural goal scorer. The puck seems to find his stick, and he sure knows how to finish. It was great to see him play competitive and pick up his team with a goal when it was needed.

Veteran goaltender Cam Lanigan, who stopped not one, but two penalty shots in the game, deserves some credit. Lanigan played well we he needed to which helped the Blazers earn the two points. Both penalty shots were at key times of the game. As the Blazers trailed 3-2 late in the second period, Lanigan stoned Brad Ross. The Blazers went on to tie the game before the period was out. Lanigan also stopped Taylor Peters, who was awarded a penalty shot with only 1:32 left in the game. Good for the goaltender to step up when his team needed him most.

The Blazers departed Portland immediately following the game in order to get some rest to prepare for tonight’s game with the Prince George Cougars. Thanks to our new bus driver “Mike” who did a great job filling in for our regular bus driver “CC”. “CC” underwent a minor procedure this week so won’t be behind the wheel for a few weeks. The entire Blazers organization wishes him well in his recovery.

Tonight, Prince George is playing their 7^th game of a 7-game road trip that started on October 4^th in Prince Albert. The Blazers are only 1-7-0-1 against the Cougars in their last 9 meetings. The Cougars were also the team that spoiled the Blazers home opener with a 1-0 win and knocked the Blazers out of playoff contention in the 71^st game last season. The hockey club will be out for redemption tonight!

RECAP / GAME HIGHLIGHTS AT PORTLAND, OCTOBER 14,2011