The Kamloops Blazers were unable to secure a victory in Game 4 of the Western Hockey League (WHL) Western Conference Finals, falling 8-4 to the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday. The Thunderbirds now lead the best-of-seven series 3-1, and are one win away from advancing to the WHL Championship.
The Blazers got off to a strong start, scoring two goals in the first period to take a 2-1 lead. However, the Thunderbirds responded with four unanswered goals in the second period to take a 5-2 lead into the third. The Blazers were able to cut the lead to 5-4 in the third period, but the Thunderbirds scored three more goals to secure the 8-4 victory.
The Thunderbirds were led by forward Matthew Wedman, who scored two goals and added an assist. Wedman has been a key contributor for the Thunderbirds throughout the playoffs, and his performance in Game 4 was no exception. He now has 11 points (6 goals, 5 assists) in 12 playoff games.
The Blazers were led by forward Orrin Centazzo, who had a goal and an assist in the loss. Centazzo has been a key contributor for the Blazers throughout the playoffs, and his performance in Game 4 was no exception. He now has 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 14 playoff games.
The Thunderbirds will look to close out the series in Game 5 on Sunday night. If they are successful, they will advance to the WHL Championship for the first time since 2017. The Blazers, meanwhile, will look to extend the series and force a Game 6 back in Kamloops.
It promises to be an exciting game, and both teams will be looking to put forth their best effort in order to advance to the WHL Championship. Whichever team is able to come out on top will have earned their spot in the WHL Championship, and will be one step closer to winning the Ed Chynoweth Cup.
