Photo via WHL
Olen Zellweger led the way with seven points as the Kamloops Blazers completed the sweep over the Portland Winterhawks with a 10-4 win in Game 4.
The 8-0 Blazers punched their ticket to the WHL Western Conference Championships for the second consecutive season, setting up a rematch with the Seattle Thunderbirds, who are also undefeated in the playoffs.
Zellweger finished with a hattrick and four assists Thursday night while Matthew Seminoff had a hattrick and an assist in what was perhaps the most lopsided series victory between the two storied WHL franchises as the Blazers never trailed through four games.
“Yeah, we’re excited. It was a huge game to win,” Zellweger said post-game. “To win four games is awesome and we’re pretty proud of our group right now.”
“[The seven-point effort] is special…but it was a great team effort and we’re really excited for round three.”
Keep r-OLEN.@blazerhockey | @AnaheimDucks#WHLHatTricks | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/9CMjUO4mYY
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 21, 2023
Semi was automatic in Game 4.@blazerhockey | @DallasStars#WHLHatTricks | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/lgX0YleipB
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 21, 2023
Seminoff opened the scoring on the powerplay 31 seconds into the first period after Portland were penalized for icing an incorrect player to start the game.
“We wanted to have a strong start tonight and I thought we came out hard,” Seminoff said. “They obviously pushed back, they were on the brink of elimination, but I thought we did a great job sticking with it.”
“It was a lot of fun.”
Goals from Kyle Masters and Logan Stankoven had the Blazers up 3-0 just past the ten minute mark before Ryan McCleary and Diego Buttazzoni brought the Winterhawks back to within one.
It’s two for the @blazerhockey after this rip from Kyle Masters!@mnwild | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/iM2xBiDDAL
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 21, 2023
A five-goal second period for Kamloops effectively put the game out of reach for Portland as Seminoff and Zellweger notched a pair each. Stankoven also scored a highlight reel goal for his playoff leading 10th goal and 21st point in just eight games.
📽️ HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT 📽️
Logan lit that lamp in style.@NutrienLTD | #WHLHoN | @blazerhockey@DallasStars | #WHLPlayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/XH3uzqWaGx
— The WHL (@TheWHL) April 21, 2023
Goals from Jack O’Brien and Buttazzoni gave the Winterhawks a faint chance as they went into the locker room trailing 8-4 after two periods.
It wasn’t to be though as Zellweger and Caedan Bankier put the icing on the cake with unassisted goals in the third to make it a 10-4 final at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Banks is 🥶 in front of goal! @mnwild #WHLplayoffs #feedingthefuture pic.twitter.com/zmhnuTgb5k
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) April 21, 2023
Dylan Ernst turned aside 23 shots to remain undefeated in the playoffs. He also picked up a secondary assist on Stankoven’s second goal giving him his second assist of these playoffs.
Winterhawks starter Dante Giannuzzi allowed three goals on 11 shots in his first career WHL playoff start before being pulled. Jan Špunar who came on in relief allowed seven goals on 37 shots and was credited with the loss, his fourth of the series.
Kamloops and Seattle will begin the seven game Western Conference Championship series with Games 1 and 2 in Kent, Wash. on Saturday, April 29 and Sunday, April 30.
Game 3 will be played at Sandman Centre on Tuesday, May 2, followed by Game 4 on Thursday, May 4.
It will be the seventh playoff meeting between these two WHL rivals over the past 30 years, with Kamloops and Seattle each winning three series.
“It’s good to look at what we’ve done but also move past it,” Seminoff added. “We got a huge test with Seattle. Its going to be lots of fun and it’ll be a great battle.”
We take on Seattle in Round 3, here is the Schedule 🔥#WHLplayoffs | #FeedingTheFuture pic.twitter.com/pDaBoxeX7p
— Kamloops Blazers (@blazerhockey) April 21, 2023
