Canes Down Blazers 6-2

The Lethbridge Hurricanes keep racking up the goals and racking up the wins in the process.

Andrew Nielsen and Cory Millette each scored twice as the Canes beat the visiting Kamloops Blazers 6-2 Friday night at the ENMAX Centre. The victory improved their overall record to a WHL-best 32-12 on the season. With both Calgary and Red Deer losing, the victory gave Lethbridge more breathing room a top the Eastern Conference standings as well.

The Hurricanes opened the scoring in this game. 2:29 into the first period, Ben Duppereault scored his first-ever WHL goal to give the Canes a 1-0 lead. Kamloops tied the score later in the period when Deven Sideroff scored shorthanded to even things at 1-1. The Canes though got that one back in short order, thanks to Cory Millette's 17th of the season on a power play to make it 2-1 Lethbridge after 20 minutes of play.

In the second, the Hurricanes blew the game wide open with four goals. Andrew Neilsen scored another power play goal for the Hurricanes to put the home side ahead 3-1. Matt Revel got the Blazers back to within one shortly after that, beating Stuart Skinner to make it a 3-2 game. That though would be as close as Kamloops would get in this game. The Hurricanes ended up scoring three more goals before the end of the period, two more on the power play. Egor Babenko with his 23rd of the season on the man advantage. That was followed up with another goal from Andrew Nielsen, his second of the night and 12th of the season and then Cory Millette put home another power play goal. That was his second of the game as well and 18th of the season. That put the Hurricanes up 6-2 after two periods of play.

After all that scoring in the second, the third was quiet with no scoring at all. The Hurricanes ended up cruising to their 6th win in a row, thanks to the league's number power play scoring four times on five tries.

The Canes now have 64 points, three better than Kelowna for top spot in the Western Hockey League standings. The Canes went 4/5 on the power play and the Blazers 0/3. Lethbridge out shot Kamloops 40-31.

The Hurricanes next action is Saturday (Jan. 16) when they lay host to the visiting Prince Albert Raiders.

Thanks,
Pat