In Day 3 action at the 2023 Memorial Cup, the Kamloops Blazers hit double digits as they defeated the Peterborough Petes 10-2. The Blazers now move to 1-1 in the tournament, while Peterborough falls to 0-2. Here are three takeaways from the game.
Offensive Explosion From Kamloops
The Blazers were one of the highest-scoring teams in not just the Western Hockey League (WHL) but also the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) and showed against Peterborough just how dangerous they can be. Nine different players scored goals, while the team registered three or more goals in each period. It was the definition of scoring by committee as all but four skaters ended the night with a point, while seven finished the game with multi-point efforts.
After posting three assists in Kamloops’ first game, Dallas Stars’ Logan Stankoven led the team in scoring once again, this time recording a goal and four assists. He is now up to eight points through two games which would have put him in a tie for first place during last year’s Memorial Cup with Logan Morrison, Mason McTavish and William Dufour, who all played at least four games. Coming into this game, there was a ton of pressure placed on his shoulders as not just the captain, but a hometown hero, so it was great to see that he could rise to the occasion and ensure the Blazers will make it out of the round robin stage of this year’s Memorial Cup.
Kamloops Special Teams Continue To Stay Hot
After going two for seven in their first game, Kamloops doubled up on their power play success, finishing the night four for seven. They scored a power-play goal in each period and used their domination with the extra skater to put the game out of reach and kill any momentum the Petes may have been generating. The Blazers have now scored 46% of their goals in the tournament on the man advantage and don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.
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While scoring four power-play goals is fantastic, the bigger positive is that they got production from both units. Dallas Stars’ Matthew Seminoff scored both goals for the first unit, while Toronto Maple Leafs’ Fraser Minten and Vegas Golden Knights’ Jakub Demek cashed in for the second unit. Having both units able to light the lamp multiple times in one game is an underrated advantage, especially in a condensed tournament like the Memorial Cup. Kamloops has proven time and time again that they have one of the most dangerous power plays in the CHL. At this point, the other three teams need to find a way to limit how many penalties they take; otherwise, the Blazers could use their red-hot power play all the way to the Final.
Questions Regarding Peterbourgh’s Goaltending
While Peterbourgh’s goaltending was not the main reason they lost, it did play a factor, as they allowed ten goals on 49 shots. OHL playoff MVP Michael Simpson started the game but was pulled 3:01 into the second period after allowing five goals on 20 shots. He was replaced by Liam Sztuska, who also allowed five goals, and finished the game with 24 saves on 29 shots. Overall, the goaltenders received little help from their team in a defensive capacity all night, but there were a few questionable goals allowed by both that should have been saved.
The performance by both goaltenders should raise some questions as the Petes head into a must-win game against the Québec Remparts on May 30. The big one is how tired Simpson is, and can he bounce back in their next game? Not only did he have to play on back-to-back days, but he has had a busy month playing in 13 games so far through the first 28 days of May. Peterborough also had to fly cross country, which they are not used to, and had just six days of rest between their final game of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Final and their first game of the Memorial Cup. He is one of the biggest reasons the Petes have made it this far and now will need to play the game of his life against a powerhouse Québec team to keep Peterborough alive in the tournament.
Both Teams Get Some Well Deserved Rest
Both the Blazers and Petes will have the day off tomorrow as the Seattle Thunderbirds and Québec Remparts take center stage in the battle of the Titans. For Peterborough, they get the chance to play a tired Remparts team on Tuesday, while Kamloops gets an extra day off before they take on the Thunderbirds on Wednesday night. Both games are scheduled for 6 pm PST/9 pm EST as the round-robin of the 2023 Memorial Cup is set to come to a close and the playoffs begin.