Blazers fall in overtime as Thunderbirds take 2-0 series lead

Photo: Brian Liesse/Seattle Thunderbirds

Dylan Ernst looks to play the puck under pressure on Sunday in Seattle. The Kamloops Blazers fell 4-3 in overtime, and the Thunderbirds now lead their WHL Western Conference championship series 2-0.

Jeremy Hanzel scored the game winner 6:21 into overtime Sunday in Kent, Wash., as the Seattle Thunderbirds won 4-3 to take a 2-0 series lead over the Kamloops Blazers in the WHL Western Conference championship.

Caedan Bankier, Olen Zellweger and Matthew Seminoff were the goal scorers for the Blazers. Lucas Ciona, Colton Dach, Brad Lambert and Jeremy Hanzel scored for the T-Birds.

The Blazers jumped out to a 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Bankier and Zellweger late in the first and early in the second. They led 3-2 until Lambert tied the game two minutes into the third period.

The Blazers had no shortage of chances to win. They came close late in the third and had a flurry of shorthanded chances early in the extra frame before Hanzel beat Dylan Ernst with a blast from the top of the circle.

Ernst was sharp in net for the Blazers, stopping 35 of 39 Seattle shots in a losing effort. Thomas Milic made 39 saves on 42 Kamloops shots to earn the win.

The Blazers score twice on six power-play opportunities. The T-Birds scored once on five chances.

Announced attendance at Accesso ShoWare Center was 4,677.

Seattle now leads the best-of-seven series 2-0. Games 3 and 4 will be played at Sandman Centre on Tuesday and Thursday. Puck drop both nights is 7 p.m.

The Winnipeg Ice lead the Saskatoon Blades 2-0 in the Eastern Conference championship series, which will resume on Tuesday in Saskatoon.

The Blazers are hosting the Memorial Cup, which will get underway on May 26 at Sandman Centre.