Isaiah DiLaura lost sight of the puck as it sailed high halfway up to the rafters at CN Centre.
By the time he was able to track down that black rubber biscuit, Orrin Centazzo’s arms were raised in celebration.
The shot from Centazzo ticked off the stick of Cougars defenceman Cole Moberg in the high slot and fluttered into the net with just 3:13 left in the third period. A couple minutes later, Jermaine Loewen fought off Moberg’s check to score from centre into an empty cage, sealing a 4-2 Blazers victory Saturday, their fifth in seven games this season against the Cougars and fourth in four tries at CN Centre.
Loewen’s third-period goal Friday gave Kamloops a 3-2 win and he was a difference-maker again in the rematch as the game’s first star, scoring his first of two goals in the game with a quick tap-in from close range to open the scoring 7:17 into the game.
The six-foot-four, 221-pound native of Arborg, Alta., held to six goals and 17 points last season, is having the best season of his four-year WHL career. He leads the Blazers with 28 goals and has 47 points in 49 games and was tough for the Cougars to contain in both games. Loewen fed Centazzo the puck for the winner on Saturday.
“I thought Loewen was the best player on the ice,” said Blazers head coach Don Hay.
“He’s come so far in his development and his improvement and it’s just great to see him putting together a year like this. He didn’t score a goal (or a point) as a 16-year-old and now he’s leading our team as a 19-year-old. He’s put in a lot of work and he’s really coachable.
“He’s getting some pro interest and his growth has been by leaps and bounds and he has a lot of confidence right now.”
The Blazers (26-25-1-3) moved to within six points of the Seattle Thunderbirds for the second wild-card playoff spot. The T-birds lost 4-1 at home Saturday to Portland. The Cougars (19-29-4-4) remain last overall in the Western Conference.
Down by a goal, the Cougars came back with a strong second period and were rewarded with a pair. Jackson Leppard, a healthy scratch on Friday, got to the rebound of Joel Lakusta’s point shot and lifted a backhander in behind Dylan Ferguson while the Cougars were on a power play. Near the end of the period, rookie winger Kjell Kjemhus got down on one knee in the slot to one-time Ethan Browne’s pass from behind the net to give the Cougars their only lead of the weekend. But it didn’t last.
Travis Walton circled out of the corner with the puck and using Rhett Rhinehart as a screen he let go a wrist shot which caught a sliver of net just inside the post behind DiLaura to tie the game 2-2.
DiLaura, a 17-year-old from Lakeville, Minn., allowed three goals on 32 shots in his first home start as a Cougar. He’s been patiently biding his time all season on a team of three goalies and played well, given his first chance to go the distance in front of partisan Cougar crowd.
“I thought the first one was kind of a soft one but then I got my groove into it and felt like I was at home,” said DiLaura. “The third one went off Moberg’s stick and I saw it went up and it sailed by my ear and post-in, so that was tough.
“It felt really good getting the start at home, I’ve been waiting awhile for it, where you’ve got the fans with you. It’s better than getting booed. We’ll be a better team next year, we’re young and just not experienced yet and hopefully we’ll start packing the stadium.”
Despite an announced attendance of 2,645, empty seats outnumbered the occupied ones by close to a 3-1 margin in a building which holds about 6,000.
The Cougars let off the gas a bit in the third period but probably deserved a better fate while losing their third straight.
“Obviously we wanted those wins, we competed hard at times but it’s the full 60 minutes we’ve got to work on and I think we’re making progress on that,” said the 16-year-old Kjemhus, who scored his first WHL career goal against the Blazers Friday.
“It feels good to get two (goals) but we didn’t get the wins so we just have to do more next game.”
LOOSE PUCKS: The Red Deer Rebels are in town Monday afternoon to play the Cougars at CN Centre. Game time is 2 p.m. Fans are invited to a free skate with the Cougars Tuesday night at 7:30 at CN Centre, an event sponsored by BCAA… The Cats are back on the road for games Saturday in Kamloops and a week from Tuesday in Kelowna, then head to Spokane on Friday and Tri-Cities on Saturday.
Saturday’s WHL summary
Blazers 4 at Cougars 2
First Period
1. Kamloops, Loewen 27 (Strange) 7:17
Penalties – Onyebuchi Kam (unsportsmanlike conduct), Leppard PG (unsportsmanlike conduct) 6:52, Walton Kam (double-roughing), Crossley PG (roughing) 19:22.
Second Period
2. Prince George, Leppard 12 (Lakusta, Maser) 12:34 (pp)
3. Prince George, Kjemhus 2 (Browne, Moberg) 16:13
Penalties - Strange Kam (interference) 4:53, Lakusta PG (slashing) 10:16, Reagan Kam (high-sticking) 11:53, Onyebuchi Lam (fighting), MacPhee PG (fighting) 13:29.
Third Period
4. Kamloops, Walton 3 (Loewen, Centazzo) 6:59
5. Kamloops, Centazzo (Loewen, Zary) 16:47
6. Kamloops, Loewen 28, 18:48 (en)
Penalties – None.
Shots on goal by
Kamloops 11 9 12 -33
Prince George 11 13 8 -32
Goal – Kamloops, Ferguson (W,21-19-1-1, 33-31); Prince George, DiLaura L,2-2-0-2)
Power plays – Kam: 0-1; PG: 1-3.
Referees – Duncan Brow, Fraser Lawrence; Linesmen – Nick Albinati, Nick Bilko.
Attendance – 2,645.
Scratches – Kamloops –D Luke Zazula (healthy), D Tyler Ludwar (served one-game suspension for knee-on-knee hit in game against Cougars on Friday), C Luc Smith (knee injury, week-to-week); Prince George: G Tavin Grant (strep throat, day-to-day), C Chance Adrian (healthy), RW Matt Mosher (healthy), RW Pavel Azhgirei (healthy).
