Rodgers Gets Four Points In Cougars 4-2 Victory Over Kamloops

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 09:57 PM

Alex Rodgers already led the Cougars in scoring against the Kamloops Blazers going into their Wednesday night tilt at CN Centre. Rodgers added on to that with a four point performance against his former club, figuring in each Cougars tally as part of a 4-2 win over the Blazers.

The Cougars and Blazers were meeting for the eighth time this season, with two more still to happen in Kamloops in March. While the Cougars had won just two of the first seven meetings, both victories were on home ice. On Wednesday, the Cougars hard work in the first period was finally rewarded late in the frame on a goal by Brock Hirsche. Alex Rodgers stole the puck in the Blazers zone and left it for Hirsche in the left wing corner. Hirsche stepped off the boards and tried a cross crease pass for a streaking Taylor Makin, but Ryan Funk disrupted that effort. However, the puck came right back to Hirsche, who quickly fired a back hander past Blazers starter Jon Groenheyde for his 12th goal of the season at 18:13. Groenheyde was very good for Kamloops in the opening period, blocking 14 of 15 shots he faced, while Hudson Stremmel stopped all 10 shots that were directed at him by the Blazers.

In the second period, the Cougars continued to skate well against a Blazers team that had made the long trek north on game day. Rodgers took over possession of the puck in the Cougars zone and made a nifty inside move on Funk to head in on the Kamloops net. Rodgers made his way to the right of Groenheyde when he decided to pass back for James Dobrowolski who had caught up to the play. The pass missed Dobrowolski, but defenceman Bruin McDonald got control and sniped a low wrist shot behind Groenheyde, who was still trying to get set in the Blazers net. McDonald's third goal of the season put the Cougars ahead 2-0 at 3:02, with Rodgers getting the only assist. Not long after, the Blazers found themselves short-handed and the Cougars took advantage. Petr Senkerik blasted a slap shot from the right side blue line that rang off the post on Groenheyde's right side, but the rebound lay behind the Blazer tender. Rodgers, took advantage, sweeping the puck into the empty net for his 16th goal of the year to put the home side up 3-0 at the 5:47 mark. The Blazers made a goaltending change, with Kurtis Mucha taking over for Groenheyde. Nick Buonassisi drew a helper on the goal along with Senkerik. But the Blazers found their legs and made a game of it as the second period wore on. Jordan DePape scored his 12th on a rebound at 12:12 on the power play and Jake Trask snapped home his 13th at 13:42 to get the Blazers to within a goal, trailing 3-2. The Blazers owned much of the control in the middle frame and out-shot Prince George 18-8.

In the third period, the Cougars had a golden chance to grab a two goal lead back when Tyler Halliday was awarded a penalty shot when he was brought down from behind on a breakaway. Halliday already had one penalty shot this season for the Cougars, but was stopped on his attempt in Vancouver October 16. On Wednesday, Halliday tried to go upstairs on Mucha, but Mucha came up with the left arm stop to keep the game 3-2. But the Cougars would get the insurance goal they were after at 11:44. Buonassisi carried the puck over the Kamloops line and sent a pass to Rodgers. Rodgers made a quick drop pass for Senkerik, who labelled a perfect wrist shot over Mucha's glove hand for his first goal as a Cougar and 5th of the year. Buonassisi got his second assist and Rodgers picked up his fourth point, giving him 11 in eight games against the Blazers this season. Senkerik ended the scoring for the night, as the Cougars drop the Blazers 4-2. After a 13 game winless streak, the Cougars have now won two of their last three. The Cats out-shot Kamloops 9-8 in the third, but the Blazers had the shot advantage in the game, 36-32. Both teams scored one power play goal. The Cougars had two chances and the Blazers had three.

The win improves the Cougars record to 11-41-1-2 and they get set for the Portland Winterhawks for back-to-back games at CN Centre Friday and Saturday. The doors open at 6:00 at CN Centre Friday, with the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games opening ceremonies broadcast on the centre ice scoreboard, as time allows during the night. Tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster at 250-564-5585.

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